Guardians of Time

Anderson is an author mentioned in Stephen King's [Danse Macabre], and this was my first of his work. Several interconnected short stories featuring a band of time-hopping, super-intelligent soldiers charged with protecting the time line from malicious alterations. Allusions of a super-race of aliens, pulling the strings far into the future hover over the narratives, but they never make an appearance. There is an element of both noir and historical fiction, as the soldiers have to noodle out how to maneuver the minefields of history both for their own survival and for the timeline's survival. Ultimately, the set-up was better than the execution, at least for me. I think I would have preferred a singular narrative with a more unified show more explanation of the world.

3 bones!!! show less

These are a series of short stories about the time-traveler Manson Everard. Written between 1955 and 1975, these five stories span multiple era's of science fiction. From a very simple and innocent "returning war hero" becomes part of secret society of time travel police written in 1955. To a much darker story with a not so innocent Manson Everard and a difficult decision written in 1975.

These stories evolve. The first story in 1955 was a bright, happy, America is good, war hero is good, White man reigns supreme. You get less and less of that as the stories progress, although it never goes away completely. I think Pohl has a had time leaving his origins, for example, women are always cast in supporting roles, such as naturalist, artist, show more or receptionist, never as a policeman. There are references made to future matriarchial society, but they always seem to be described as extremism. The other thing is Pohl really believes that an English colonized America is the best. In the second to last story, there is an Apache field operative. He is not described as an equal, and even waxes poetic about the way things are, rather than what they could have been.

The series is definitely dated, but it holds up well. Because all the stories are set before 1950, the lack of computers and cell phones don't matter. And, even when in the field, having a small communicator would actually hinder you, it makes sense that these characters don't use high-tech equipment, besides the time travel machine, of course.

Also, this series sets the tone for a lot of time travel science fiction that is currently being writtem, the first that comes to mind is Kage Butler "Company" volumes, but I see shades of this book even in Jasper Ffordes "Thursday Next" series.

As for what did I think? I liked them. The stories were simple, at times seemingly round about, but they were a fun read. show less

Guardians of Time is a collection of short fiction centered around the Time Patrol, an organization responsible for keeping the time streams free of crime and mischief, all while avoiding paradox and anachronisms.

The series’ protagonist is pulled from his own time, given a respectable pay (by the reckoning of when these stories were first published), and access to the time travel facilities, where he is occasionally called upon to rescue a fellow time patrol officer from a backwards past civilization, or stop a ne’er-do-well whose procured a time machine of his own.

Each story covers a different challenge that may arise were such an organization to exist, and for what it’s worth, does a good job of presenting the material.

I for show more one, though, am glad that this is not my job, due to the constant travel, albeit through time instead of space. show less

I gave up reading this book of short stories. Very little plot development, one dimensional characters, frankly little drama. I was disappointed but it is just too juvenile for my more mature tastes...I might have enjoyed this book in my youth but it is just too simple nowadays for me.

Wonderful stories for the imagination! I first read this when I was 15 and I've never been the same. I especially loved the short story Delenda Est. Mr. Anderson opened up an infinite universe of possibilities for me and I've been in love with science-fiction and alternate-history ever since.

A collection of stories about the Time Patrol, centered around the character is Manse Everard. He goes back and forward in time, with interesting glimpses of past times and future probabilities, but I like Anderson's novels better -- more space to work out the ideas.

More like a bunch of loosely related short-stories than an actual novel. Not as developed as I hoped.