Time Storm

Time Storm by Gordon R. Dickson is a very different take on time travel. 'Time storms' started to appear on earth - these were stationary or moving storm fronts. The moving storm fronts would change the time period of the areas they moved through - either to the future or the past. Most people didn't survive if they passed through a storm front (or it passed over them). The story follows the main character, Marc, and a mute girl and a leopard that he connects with, as they travel around the country looking for a solution.

I didn't really like the protagonist very much - he was quite self-absorbed and sexist - and there wasn't much substance to the female characters: a product of the time it was written (1977).

The ending was pretty show more bizarre - I felt like I was watching the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Kudos for interesting concepts, but not that great of a book. show less

Earth is ravaged by temporal storms that shift the landscape between past and future. Marc Despard travels the fractured world with a woman and a leopard, aiming to stop the cosmic disruption threatening the entire universe.

I really like the beginning of this book. I believe I read the openig as a chapter in an S-F magazine as a serial, and waiting for a decade for the novel. The ending is weak, and I was definitely disappointed in it when I finally got to the end of the novel. But the first two thirds are a wonderful post-apocalyptic ride. Dickson's best work.

Another review describes,Time Storm as "my favourite novel'. I might have a different favourite but right now I can't think of it.
The concept of a modern, Renaissance-type man evolving to where he joins beings from right across the cosmos to control the time storms is believable . I just keep returning at least once a year to Dickson's story. How a mind could create so many worlds is beyond me. This is such a good tale with glorious characters and settings which range from stark to fabulous. Lord Valentine's Castle by Silverburg also takes me to such delicious places.-30-

My all time favorite novel. This is an time travel love story with quite a few unusual characters. The main character, Marc Despard, saves the universe and gets the girl. Other main characters are a mostly nameless girl, a leopard (yes, really), some aliens, an avatar of an alien, and a number of humans. The characters, character development, and plot are fascinating. When I read it for the first time, I lost track of time and stayed up until 1:30 AM and then just sat there stunned after I finished. I reread it every other year or so. If you like time travel, this is a must for you.

I read this book at school and loved it, I have been searching for it ever since and found it in my work library of all places. I can't wait to read it again. Its believable, it changed my view of patterns ever since.

Great storytelling, great story. I wish I had my copy, but borrowing from the Open Library was nearly as good. I wasn't fond of reading it through their online interface, but I've worked out the kinks with downloading to my iPad and was able to get my next nostalgia entry (an early Andre Norton novel...)