En el año 2059 el viaje en el tiempo es una tecnología de uso cotidiano mediante la que turistas adinerados visitan aquellos momentos del pasado que les llaman la atención bajo la atenta mirada de los Guías Temporales que les acompañan, protegen y vigilan.
Por encima de los Guías dentro del Servicio Temporal están los miembros de la Patrulla Temporal, que son como una policía del tiempo que se encarga de deshacer los problemas que pueda causar un turista despistado o, aún peor, alguien que quiera hacer uso fraudulento de la tecnología de los viajes temporales para modificar la historia o para su propio beneficio.

Garbage.

An intriguing premise, but way too much unnecessarily graphic sex. The main character is a lecher who's every female interaction is entirely sexual. He stops at incest, but otherwise not a passing thought for a woman's emotions or personality or character. Women are for men's amusement, according to him. Disgusting.

A shame, because the title concept is a rather good one. But it comes at too high a price. I stopped reading this halfway through, fed up with the gratuitous sex. Don't bother polluting your mind. Skip this one. Or better yet, do as I did, and throw your copy away. Make room for more quality material. ( )

I enjoyed this book a lot, but it is not for the pious. It is an well written, clever time-travel novel, with humorous passages. Jud Elliott bails on his job as a law clerk, moving to New Orleans in 2059. He blunders into a job as a Time Courier, taking tourists "up the line" (into the past) to Byzantium, one of his few areas of interest and knowledge. His mentor Metaxas helps bring teaches Jud how to bring the past to life for tourists, but also builds himself a comfortable life in the past, risking discovery and sanction by the Time Patrol. He encourages Jud to sleep around with women in the past, leading Jud to fall in love with an ancestor. Then, Jud begins to make mistakes and paradoxes result. 4.5 stars. ( )

I read Up The Line as a kid of about 13 or so. I recall it being absolutely fantastic. Not so sure what I'd rate it if I re-read it today or how it has weather the last 25 years or so. But man, if you're a kid that loves sci-fi & time travel - this book is fan-freakin-tastic! ( )

"Up the Line" by Robert Silverberg 1981

A time travel story that starts slowly—as it builds up detail and background and a love interest, but doesn't really promise much. In fact, it took me a while to figure out why "up the line" meant going backwards in time: as a river flows "down" and upstream is earlier than downstream, time flows in one direction only and, by analogy, must flow "down". Hence the past is "upstream" or "up the line".

That being said, most of the book describes the training and excitement of being a time-tourist-guide. Sex plays a major role in the life of a time courier (as they're called) and having an affair with his great-great grandmother promises to make life complicated for the hero. But something else, much worse, interferes.

The climax of the book is a roller-coaster ride that, sadly, ends very predictably. It's a mildly interesting story, with a thrilling—and convoluted—last third; but an oh-so-obvious finish. ( )