SPLIT SECOND by Douglas E. Richards

Narrated by Kevin Pariseau

Fictional Time-Travel Primmer

Richards is famous for writing thrillers in the vein of Michael Crichton. I don’t know if this is a departure for him but Split Second is in reality an old-timey Golden Age Science Fiction story. It takes a scientific principle—in this case, quantum time travel—and extrapolates the implications of that principle into an informative science lesson, and if possible throw in a little story and a few interesting characters to make it interesting. But make no mistake; the appeal of this story, like the old gadget story, is the idea. Richards employs the tried and true, but oft-criticized, technique of the info-dump. You know the scientifically ignorant, but true blue, protagonist asks a question and the bespectacled scientist in the white lab coat launches into an impromptu lecture bringing the ignorant hero (and the reader) up to speed on all the physics that must be understood in order for the plot to make a lick of sense.

All this may sound critical but being a long-time science fiction fan, I found this technique to be like an old friend from my youth. I enjoy speculation on science as part-and-parcel of the appeal of Sci-Fi fiction. The science in this novel is based on the latest speculation from Einsteinian thinkers who cannot rule out time-travel based on the principles of General Relativity, like Kip Thorne and Stephen Hawking. Clearly Douglas Richards has read the great book Time Machines by Paul J. Nahin that tracks time-travel in physics and science fiction. He employs elements from Nahin’s treatise such as time-travel paradoxes, predestination, and the block universe theory. If these concepts interest you may find this novel a fine fictional primmer of the basic elements of the standard science fictional trope of time-travel.

Kevin Pariseau is a top flight narrator. His voicings are always spot on. His skill is at such a level that the narration becomes completely invisible. Mr. Pariseau is also excellent giving voice to Herman Wouk’s The Caine Mutiny.