'The Future of Another Timeline' by Annalee Newitz is a feminist science fiction novel that delves into time travel and collective action to fight for women's rights. The story follows Tess and the Daughters of Harriet Tubman as they travel through time to edit historical events and protect women's rights from being erased. The book intertwines different timelines, focusing on the struggles of women and nonbinary individuals against patriarchal forces, all while exploring the ethics and consequences of altering history.

The novel combines elements of punk rock culture, feminist activism, and time travel mechanics to create a unique and engaging narrative. Through a blend of historical events and speculative fiction, the author tackles themes of oppression, social change, and the power of unity in shaping a better future for marginalized communities.

Characters:

The characters are notably diverse, showcasing strong female and nonbinary individuals engaged in social struggles.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is character-focused, yet dialogue occasionally feels contrived; overall, it creates an immersive experience.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot uniquely blends time travel and alternate history, emphasizing women's rights and the consequences of editing the past through interconnected narratives.

Setting:

Settings range from historical to contemporary, with significant emphasis on Chicago's World's Fair.

Pacing:

Pacing is brisk, balancing suspenseful action with character-driven moments.

Drums beat in the distance like an amplified pulse. People streamed over the dirt road, leather boots laced to their knees, eyes ringed in kohl, ears and lips studded with precious metals. Some gather...

Notes:

The novel features a time travel mechanism through five ancient disks that allow people to travel back in time.

It explores themes of women's and gender rights against a backdrop of alternate histories.

The narrative intertwines two timelines: one set in 2022 and the other in 1992, involving characters who actively try to change past events.

Key historical figures and events are altered, such as Harriet Tubman becoming a senator and California retaining the name Alta.

The main group, called the Daughters of Harriet, is actively working against a group known as the Comstockers, who want to reverse women's rights progress.

Much of the action takes place in Chicago during the 1893 World's Fair, a setting ripe for historical exploration.

The book discusses the repercussions of editing history, such as the erasure of memories and lives that result from time travel edits.

Violence and dark themes, including abortion and misogyny, are prominently featured and used to emphasize the stakes in the characters' battles.

An exploration of the effectiveness of collective action versus the 'Great Man' theory of history is central to the story.

The novel combines elements of punk culture with feminist themes, creating a unique narrative structure.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers include sexual violence, abortion, misogyny, and childhood abuse, making it a heavy read with significant emotional impact.

Has Romance?

There is a notable presence of romantic relationships, especially within the context of the characters' struggles and personal growth.

From The Publisher:

"A revolution is happening in speculative fiction, and Annalee Newitz is leading the vanguard."-Wil Wheaton

From Annalee Newitz, founding editor of io9, comes a story of time travel, murder, and the lengths we'll go to protect the ones we love.

1992: After a confrontation at a riot grrl concert, seventeen-year-old Beth finds herself in a car with her friend's abusive boyfriend dead in the backseat, agreeing to help her friends hide the body. This murder sets Beth and her friends on a path of escalating violence and vengeance as they realize many other young women in the world need protecting too.

2022: Determined to use time travel to create a safer future, Tess has dedicated her life to visiting key moments in history and fighting for change. But rewriting the timeline isn't as simple as editing one person or event. And just when Tess believes she's found a way to make an edit that actually sticks, she encounters a group of dangerous travelers bent on stopping her at any cost.

Tess and Beth's lives intertwine as war breaks out across the timeline-a war that threatens to destroy time travel and leave only a small group of elites with the power to shape the past, present, and future. Against the vast and intricate forces of history and humanity, is it possible for a single person's actions to echo throughout the timeline?

Praise for The Future of Another Timeline:

"An intelligent, gut-wrenching glimpse of how tiny actions, both courageous and venal, can have large consequences. Smart and profound on every level."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"You close the book reeling with questions about your own life and your part in changing the future."-Amy Acker, actress (Angel and Person of Interest)

Ratings (4)

Loved It (3)
Liked It (1)

Reader Stats (30):

Read It (4)
Want To Read (18)
Not Interested (8)

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About the Author:

ANNALEE NEWITZ is an American journalist, editor, and author of fiction and nonfiction. They are the recipient of a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship from MIT, and have written for Popular Science, The New Yorker, and the Washington Post. They founded the science fiction website io9 and served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008-2015, and then became Editor-in-Chief at Gizmodo and Tech Culture Editor at Ars Technica. Their book Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction was nominated for the LA Times Book Prize in science. Their first novel, Autonomous, won a Lambda award.

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The Future of Another Timeline

Annalee Newitz