My thoughts:
This anthology contains seven short stories and is independently published by The Masquerade Crew.
Includes these 7 short stories:
Between Utopias by Michael Trimmer
Forbidden Future by James Wymore
Jump by Jon Bradbury
Society by Terra Harmony
Road Trip by Matt Mitrovich
Cacotopia by James Lauren
The Mountains Haven't by Kade Anderson
Overall, my review is 4 stars because there is some good stuff here and all stories are well-written and worth the read. I've highlighted a few of the stories below.
If you had nothing left to lose, what would you do?
Andrew O'Brien, night watchman and head janitor of a time machine, is having a hell of a night. His shift starts off horribly with a less than pleasant phone call from his wife and the news of budget cuts. He worries about losing his position as Chief Custodial Engineer. Then, he is served divorce papers. A man on the edge, he does the unthinkable. He goes time traveling.
I liked this story. Not everybody gets a happily-ever-after and I am okay with that. It was well written and had good flow.
With a little luck, the future would be better. It wasn't his lucky day, but maybe he could change his fortune by changing his destiny. Maybe it would be so amazing that he'd never have any reason to come back.
After a decade of loyal service, he was finally taking a turn in the machine he had cared for every night.
Even money won't save you from all perils.
When too rich for his own good Kayne Adamson wakes up from hibernation, it can only mean one thing. A cure for his brain tumor must have been discovered. His euphoria is short lived when he learns he is in the city of Panera. Something is amiss.
Ick. The cult-like atmosphere of Panera will have me shunning all utopias. There is no such thing as perfect. Yet, my idea of perfect probably won't agree with yours. Cacotopia is an enjoyable read, made me think way too much.
Kayne's head buzzed as he digested what Dareios told him. Eight hundred years. Eight hundred years. The rest didn't matter. Simone, Emily, and Josh were gone from him forever. He had hoped he would be revived after a few years, a decade or two at the most, to see them again and live out the rest of his days in the bosom of his family.
Eight hundred years. The enormity of those years threatened to crush him.
Things are not as they seem in the small town of Dignity.
Julia, the town's Watcher, knows something is amiss. One evening, she receives an ominous note along with two journals. She leaves town to find answers only to discover a truth she didn't see coming. Everything is explained to her, the reason for mysterious disappearances and lapses in time.
This is my favorite story in the Anthology. It is written journal-style, very appealing to me. My only complaint is that I want more.
Day 5
It's another dust-filled day. Just like yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. The weather never seems to change here in Dignity.
Dignity. What a stupid name for a town. It's like naming a kid after a virtue; it sounds real pretty but only ensures that it's the last trait that kid will ever develop. As a kid, I used to walk to school every morning with a girl named Chastity. She's got five kids now and still no man. Dignity is like that - nobody here has any left. It's a hard thing to hold on to when you're trying to hold onto life.
Introducing:
Forbidden Future: A Time Travel Anthology
Includes these 7 short stories:
Between Utopias by Michael Trimmer
Forbidden Future by James Wymore
Jump by Jon Bradbury
Society by Terra Harmony
Road Trip by Matt Mitrovich
Cacotopia by James Lauren
The Mountains Haven't by Kade Anderson
My review:
Forbidden Future
by James Wymore
If you had nothing left to lose, what would you do?
Andrew O'Brien, night watchman and head janitor of a time machine, is having a hell of a night. His shift starts off horribly with a less than pleasant phone call from his wife and the news of budget cuts. He worries about losing his position as Chief Custodial Engineer. Then, he is served divorce papers. A man on the edge, he does the unthinkable. He goes time traveling.
I liked this story. Not everybody gets a happily-ever-after and I am okay with that. It was well written and had good flow.
Excerpt:
With a little luck, the future would be better. It wasn't his lucky day, but maybe he could change his fortune by changing his destiny. Maybe it would be so amazing that he'd never have any reason to come back.
After a decade of loyal service, he was finally taking a turn in the machine he had cared for every night.
Cacotopia
by James Lauren
Even money won't save you from all perils.
When too rich for his own good Kayne Adamson wakes up from hibernation, it can only mean one thing. A cure for his brain tumor must have been discovered. His euphoria is short lived when he learns he is in the city of Panera. Something is amiss.
Ick. The cult-like atmosphere of Panera will have me shunning all utopias. There is no such thing as perfect. Yet, my idea of perfect probably won't agree with yours. Cacotopia is an enjoyable read, made me think way too much.
Excerpt:
Kayne's head buzzed as he digested what Dareios told him. Eight hundred years. Eight hundred years. The rest didn't matter. Simone, Emily, and Josh were gone from him forever. He had hoped he would be revived after a few years, a decade or two at the most, to see them again and live out the rest of his days in the bosom of his family.
Eight hundred years. The enormity of those years threatened to crush him.
The Mountains Haven't
by Kade Anderson
Things are not as they seem in the small town of Dignity.
Julia, the town's Watcher, knows something is amiss. One evening, she receives an ominous note along with two journals. She leaves town to find answers only to discover a truth she didn't see coming. Everything is explained to her, the reason for mysterious disappearances and lapses in time.
This is my favorite story in the Anthology. It is written journal-style, very appealing to me. My only complaint is that I want more.
Excerpt:
Day 5
It's another dust-filled day. Just like yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. The weather never seems to change here in Dignity.
Dignity. What a stupid name for a town. It's like naming a kid after a virtue; it sounds real pretty but only ensures that it's the last trait that kid will ever develop. As a kid, I used to walk to school every morning with a girl named Chastity. She's got five kids now and still no man. Dignity is like that - nobody here has any left. It's a hard thing to hold on to when you're trying to hold onto life.
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