Time Travel discussion

Because April's book was so dark, Lincoln suggested we follow it with something lighthearted, so we will be reading
Disconnected
by A.K. Adler.
It is a romantic comedy that eventually turns into a page-turner.

GoodReads Blurb
Mark is single and has just started internet dating. Rebecca has broken up with her long-term boyfriend and moved to a new city. When they meet at a party, they discover they share a unique and magical connection--their telephone line. For when Rebecca calls Mark the next day, the message she leaves inexplicably goes back in time three days. And then things really start to get weird. Disconnected--a comedy thriller with a twist of romance. And it's about time too.

Review Quotes
From John (my original co-moderator before his death):
"...I was a little worried that it would be a romance which is certainly not my cup of tea. However, it was far from it. While there is a love story involved, this is much more of an action/comedy with a side of time travel. ...The language and overly-descriptive sex scene later in the book was a little bit of a turn off for me, and resulted in the loss of one star in my overall rating. However, it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of this book.

From Tej:
"...The author has an almost Terry Pratchett style of humour in his narrative but fully grounded in our world, rather than a giant turtle's back. Both dialogue and narrative were full of wry humour which evolved into rather dark humour towards the thrilling end. It had me laughing and chuckling throughout at the dialogue, witty banters and the increasingly bizarre situations the characters find themselves in. ... It did however, take its time to get into its thriller phase, in fact quite a long way into the book. But once it did, it became a frenetic thrill ride towards the inevitable end... This wont exercise any intellectual or deep thought provoking analysis. This is an unabashedly high concept popcorn entertainment reading which I highly recommend.

Those are good enough recommendations for me! The author is a member of the Time Travel group, so we'll hopefully be able to ask him any questions we may have.

Availability
Kindle: $4.99: http://www.amazon.com/Disconnected-K-...
Paperback: $15.00: http://www.amazon.com/Disconnected-K-...

I enjoyed this too, when I read it last year.

Oh, nice to see AK's book finally making it on our monthly reads, it was forever being nominated!

I see he has written just one more book since which is also involving time travel called, Hooked.

Has anyone read books that had time travel by telephone or similar communication devices? I can only think of a movie, Frequency and I suppose this book could be classed as a dark comedy version of it.

At the time, I posted my thoughts on this was the best time travel book where no one physically time travels but at the time I forgot about the excellent Timescape by Greg Benford which had time travelling via tachyon particles.

What other examples has anyone read that involves time travelling by radio waves/particles communication?

First paragraph of the Prologue:

REBECCA OPENED HER EYE. Through the swollen slit she saw only two things that mattered. The face of the man she loved. And the gun he was pointing at her.

So much for lighthearted...Ha ha. I just finished Chapter 4 I find it interesting that the book starts with a spoiler so to speak you know its going to end badly but there is a whole story to explain how they get there...I am enjoying the writing very much.

Also, I have wanted to write dialogue the way its done here but I always thought fast paced dialogue with no explanation is "bad writing" Mr. Adler has proven my assumption wrong and I really enjoy sections of the chapter simply being fast dialogue between two characters.

Yeah it had snappy dialogue. But you're right, Lincoln, it can so easily be forced and generic but Ak makes it sharp and witty with a heavy lean on sarcasm. I can see some finding it unrealistic, though, which would be understandably justified.

Mark is so shallow and yet very realistic sounding...Anyone else bothered by his and Jodie's friendship? Richard's attitude is strange I suppose.

Lincoln wrote: "Mark is so shallow and yet very realistic sounding...Anyone else bothered by his and Jodie's friendship? Richard's attitude is strange I suppose."

Actually, I'm more bothered that it's the standard perception that you have to give up your platonic opposite-sex friendships if you're in a relationship or married. As a person who has rarely had female friends, it's a sore subject with me.

What I'm actually bothered about is why not getting constant phone calls from a guy or having him check his watch a few times (view spoiler)[would be grounds for a break up.

This book makes me ridiculously glad to not be in the dating world again. I remember that feeling of being sick and at the doctor's office and having some guy I'd just gone out with once call me over and over and leave messages, frantic that I wasn't answering his phone calls. We'd gone out once and he suddenly owned me? That was the end of that. It's not Mark who is being weird; it's Rebecca. I'd drop Ms. Possessive like a hot rock ... Well, except for her magic phone. (hide spoiler)] (at 32%)

Didn't intend to push a button there Amy...but I thought it would stir up some discussion. I am a single guy and I feel pressured to date a lot and to be honest its nice to reach out to married couples and just become friends...Where romantic entanglements are not the objective just friendship...its so much more relaxing and enjoyable.

Waiting for phone calls or not making phone calls because you don't want to come off to eager...Questioning if someone is pretending to be sick because they don't want to be honest and tell you, they are not interested.

I am bit farther along than you Amy are you enjoying the pace and story?

Lincoln wrote: "I am a single guy and I feel pressured to date a lot and to be honest its nice to reach out to married couples and just become friends...Where romantic entanglements are not the objective just friendship...its so much more relaxing and enjoyable. ..."

I never thought of it that way. It does take the pressure off, doesn't it? But, sadly, there are still jealous husbands/wives out there even when intentions are pure. I like how Richard and Rebecca talk about Jodie and Mark's friendship and how they're a little jealous about the way that they banter back and forth with each other. But then they come to the conclusion that it's okay because that's just their thing; it's nothing to be jealous about. It's interesting how different we can be with different people. Personalities just mix in different ways. I've had a few sidekicks through the years that I had that banter style with, and it's definitely fun. I kind of miss that, but it never negated my friendships/relationships with anyone else.

Lincoln wrote: "I am bit farther along than you Amy are you enjoying the pace and story? ..."

I'm at 70%. The pacing is nice. It's really what I like to call a "popcorn read" in that your eyes tend to read it quickly and it passes like a fast-paced movie.

So, we had 4 votes for this one. Is anyone else reading it besides Lincoln and me?

Chapter 6 Spoiler

(view spoiler)[I had a lot of fun imagining Chewie over the cliff dangling while Mark has his shoulder wrenched under the fence. Not that I am for cruelty to animals...It would just make for a funny scene in a comedy...

Followed immediately of Mark driving his Ferrari at 160 mph...a good mix of comedy and action as the movie plays out.

Of course the movie would take some creative license and destroy the planet when Mark misses his phone call.

(hide spoiler)]

Lincoln wrote: "Chapter 6 Spoiler ..."

(view spoiler)[In some parallel universe, though, Other Mark has completely disappeared.

What really bothers me is why, when they have already won the lottery and already have plenty of money, do they need to play the stock market this way. If they wanted more money, it would make more sense to make a planned phone call once a month and do something like bet on a ballgame or horse race ... not the same thing at the same time every week. That would get old and is also too traceable. Also, why empty out the buildings and post guards? They could have just kept paying rent on those apartments and not made people think they had something suspicious to hide. If Mark is the only person to watch going in and out of those buildings, he's far more noticeable. Yes, I know that it drives the plot, but it's a plot filled with STUPID PEOPLE. Don't misunderstand me; I'm enjoying the book despite all the stupid people because stupid people are interesting from afar. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6 spoiler

(view spoiler)[ I was explaining the plot at work to a co worker and he said thats really stupid but, meaning that there are better ways to make money and safer ways to keep a secret. My co worker also said sounds like a very interesting book.

So I understand what you mean....Stupid stupid stupid...lets see what happens next LOL!

(hide spoiler)]

Right! Let's see what the stupid people do next!

At 88%. What are you going to do, stupid people? You have to ask that? You have a time machine phone. Use it already and put the cat back in the bag.

Clever ending. I didn't see that coming. :-)

ok, dang, I don't remember... now I want to find time to reread it...

So, was this an internet dating disaster or success story? Back in my internet dating days, it seemed that they were nearly all disaster stories (which is why those days didn't last very long). It was as if there was no normal date to be had. But this one takes the cake.

I want to hear internet dating disaster stories if you have any. Go!

(sorry, I don't keep disasters in my mind, and I'm married to the guy I met, in 2000, through Yahoo personals ;)

Cheryl wrote: "(sorry, I don't keep disasters in my mind, and I'm married to the guy I met, in 2000, through Yahoo personals ;)"

Ha. Good strategy.

End of book spoiler

(view spoiler)[ I keep imagining this book being played out as a play in a small town theater and its much more comedy instead of drama...and I am surprised the evil Mark did not survive to cause more hijinks with Richard and Jodie...I wish it was not so life and death and just funny mistaken identity and more fun. Andrew and Katrina added to the fun there at the end...not having a clue as to what is happening but trying to help...

I am so glad they killed Rebecca and than brought her back all good and such... (hide spoiler)]