Time Future (Mass Market Paperback)

by Maxine McArthur (Author) "You'd think on a space station this size there'd be an all-night food dispenser open..." (more)
Key Phrases: comm link beeped, jump mine, sleeper ship, Four Worlds, New Council, Nine Worlds (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Commander Maria Halley of the deep space station Jocasta is tired--tired of struggling to communicate with the alien ambassadors of the Four Worlds; tired of her presence being demanded by the Seouras, who are blockading Jocasta; tired of the increasing system failures that mean she can't even take a hot shower. Making her job tougher are divided feelings on the station. Some believe the Four Worlds will rescue them, others that, considered members of "inferior races," they have been abandoned. Suddenly a tiny ship bearing a few humans in suspended animation appears inside the blockade. A Four Worlds alien is found murdered where the mysterious ship is docked. DNA traces identify the killer as a Q'Chun, a tireless, viciously imaginative warrior thought to be extinct. The human liaison to the ambassadors vanishes, leaving Halley a cryptic message about information concealed in the Earth ship. Halley must risk life and command to discover what so many powerful races want and how to turn it to her advantage. McArthur's debut is breathtaking, and a sequel is in the works. Roberta Johnson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
Halley, commander of the deep space station Jocasta, is desperate. Her station is blockaded by hostile creatures, communications and key systems are failing, rations are low, and tension between humans and aliens is at the flashpoint. Then a foreign trader is killed-apparently by an extinct monster. The murder is impossible and the clues make no sense. But Halley must now solve the mystery of a locked room in closed space-before Jocasta erupts in an explosion of terror and death.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 445 pages
• Publisher: Aspect (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446609633
• ISBN-13: 978-0446609630
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,523,328 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Critical Thinking Under Crash Priority Mode, July 5, 2001

By	Alan Montgomery "aRandomTexan" (College Station, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Look. You have to have been in a crash priority project to really see how well this author has captured the feel of the almost out of control situation. You jetison sleep, food is interesting, but not really necessary, you focus done to the latest disaster. Last week's disaster is no longer a concern. The story is about being out of control and trying desparately to deal with the sinking feeling that everyone is depending on you to make the right decision and people will die if you do not DO something. Nothing in this book makes sense because all the strands of the story are off stage. The central character has so MANY problems that the latest ones just cannot get her full attention.

I liked the book, but it is a fever dream with all the hallucination you get in that state. The author has captured the feeling of being JUST short of understanding what is going on you get when events are flying past you so fast you just want to scream for it stop long enough for a long stint in the bed, a good meal and time to sort it all out.

C.J Cherryh writes books like this, but does not do it as well as this author. Cherryh always makes it impossible to guess what is going on. This author at least gives you the feeling that you COULD know what is going on.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Time Future is a tense present!, June 24, 2001

By	Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The commander of the deep space station Jocasta is blockaded by hostile creatures, communications & key systems are failing; rations are low & tensions between humans & aliens are at a flashpoint.

What a good start for Maxine McArthur! Seldom do I find in an author';s first work the kind of character control that this one brings. She has really captured the cultural shock of first contact & its impact in a near future.

From one end of this book to the other, the human characters are able to see their situations' changing advantages & disadvantages. I really like her confrontations of realities. Insofar as what you see is not always what you get & what you get is not always what you think it is. I liked that McArthur allows her characters to think, question & grow.

This reader is looking forward to more from this intriguing author.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating and complex tale., August 14, 2001

By	Philip (South Beach, FL) - See all my reviews

The density of ideas here is vast, with action being of secondary concern. There is an interweaving of storylines, both mystery and science fiction, which creates tension and movement through the pages. I found the constant flashbacks by Commander Halley to her relatives and their political turmoil to be interesting, but not readily relevant, and thus a bit of a distraction. Overall a really interesting book--a 'thinking man's' science fiction.