Chris Roberson, Here, There & Everywhere

Here, There & Everywhere

Chris Roberson

PYR, Mar 2005, $15.00

ISBN: 1591023319

In 1980, British physics Professor Bonaventure sends his brilliant daughter to attend a top school in California. As Roxanne struggles to adjust to no longer being the superstar, a flash of light followed by an elderly woman suddenly appearing startles the child. The woman seems near death, but gives Roxanne the Sofia bracelet placing it on the child's arm. The light flashes again and the woman is gone with blood stains on the grass and the Sofia on her arm as proof that she had been there.

Roxanne begins to learn some of the properties of the Sofia when she travels back in time to the Victorian age and ultimately ancient Egypt. She soon finds that her devices also has the capability of taking her to alternate Earths populated by various other sentient species or just slight twists of ours like a twenty-first century retro on John, Paul, George and Pete. However, vertically back and forth through time and horizontally traversing space and dimensions leave Roxanne wondering about the device, the woman, and herself as she begins to feel alone though she meets all sorts of interesting people and creatures as she journeys the multiverse.

Rather than ignore time paradoxes, Chris Roberson cleverly uses them to enhance the feeling that Roxanne and readers are indeed trekking the multiverse. The heroine is terrific as a courageous, spirited protagonist who ventures into the unknown with daring fortitude, but becomes lonely as the vastness of time and space seems overwhelming with no one except to a minor degree her father to share what she sees. Roxanne's personality keeps the episodes fun as she undertakes one adventure after another boosted by humorous sidebars. This is a strong time travel thriller starring a wonderful lead character who the audience will want to be her companion.

Harriet Klausner