At first, I was impressed because of the math that was done behind the time travel idea: the jumps getting progressively longer and longer in time, and the the physical shifting as well. But the further along the timestream the characters moved, the less convincing the setting was. They move 2000 years into the future, and yet can still converse with the residents?! They move something like 40000 years, and encounter humanoid bears who can also speak some rudimentary English? Come on. I'm only willing to suspend my disbelief so far. And the ending was a near-literal deus ex machina (or perhaps machinus ex deo). In any event, it wasn't very satisfying after the first half. [Narrator note: not a bad job; not a great job.] ( )

Light and enjoyable, but the climax is weak and there's a few dangling plot threads left lying around.

I'm probably just disappointed because Haldeman's other stuff is so good this ends up looking pale in comparison.

Read it with your expectations in check, and you'll be fine. ( )

This is definitely a minor work, and not hard sci-fi by any stretch, but it's also full of charm. A pleasant time travel romp with a level of cheer and bittersweet optimism that is uncharacteristic of Haldeman. ( )

A so-so tale of a MIT student who magically creates a time machine that only moves forward and the mundane adventures he has as a result. I mean really, it would have been nice to read something fresh and different but this is not that book.
There is the predictable and over used trope of religion and faith be evil and foolish. The trope of the future girl who is rescued from her terrible life to be whisked away with said time traveler. The agents from future who use an appearance that would never resonate with the main character which is pointless.
Certainly a quick read, thankfully. Nothing complex or thought provoking. Some adolescent scenes about sex (nothing explicit) which makes one feel like a preteen caught in the closet looking a national geographic.

Overall I was expecting something better but was let down all the way through to the end. ( )

Meh. Slogged through it with no pay off. Oh well. ( )