J. Conrad Guest
Time Travel Science Fiction
978-1935171454
272 pages
About
My name is Joe January. I was a private investigator from the South Bronx, circa 1940. Was once described as an indignant Humphrey Bogart. Who am I to argue? The difference between Bogie and me is that I was the real McCoy.
In truth, I’m no Joseph Conrad, but I wrote every word on these pages. This is my story; but make no mistake, it’s anything but make believe. I know, it reads like science fiction, spanning two centuries and dealing with time travel and alternate realities, while the denouement is less than satisfactory. But such is life: a happily ever after, while often promised, is never a given. Yet given the chance to live life over again, avoiding the mistakes made during the first go-around, well, I found I couldn’t turn my back...
Reviews
“New York City circa 1947—Written in the tradition of Raymond Chandler, mystery and intrigue along with wants, desires and regrets prevail for private investigator Joe January. When January takes on a case involving a missing person, he gets more than he bargains for as he uncovers a conspiracy along with a mysterious artifact that holds the key to a possible alternate reality.”—Deborah J Ledford, author of STACCATO
“Joe January may be a man out-of-time—Bogart-cool and clever, sharp-tongued and fedoraed—but underneath the veneer he reveals himself both in his vulnerability and the most ageless adventure of all: a journey of the heart.”—Rachael Perry, author of How to Fly
“One Hot January slips and slides from one intriguing encounter to the next, with a surprise ending that will knock your socks off. I suggest you hang on tight and enjoy the ride!”—Terri Kirby Erickson, author of Telling Tales of Dusk
Excerpt
I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and saw the confirmation I dreaded as Professor MacIntyre recognized in my expression the conclusion I had reached.
“If I’m to believe your story, Professor,” I said. “If you caused an effect that altered the outcome of the war, and this revised outcome had no affect on the future, then that can only mean you succeeded in creating--" No linguist, I was unable to bring my summation to a satisfactory conclusion.
“An alternate timeline,” MacIntyre finished for me.
“Alternate timeline?” Lance asked.
“Future history,” Professor MacIntyre explained patiently, “what is yet to come, as Regis believed and hoped, cannot be changed by altering that which has preceded it. However, it can be rewritten. That is to say, by affecting events at this point in time, another timeline can be created.”
I saw Lance struggling with the concept.
“A fork in the road, Lance,” I said. “If time runs in a straight line and somebody at the far end came back toward the center to affect a change in the course of events, that change would have no effect upon the course of history that had already transpired subsequent to the change.”
“However,” Professor MacIntyre said, “an intersection is created.”
“From which this alternate timeline sprouts.”
“A parallel timeline,” the professor said. “Parallel in that it exists, side-by-side with its counterpart, free to write its own future, never again to merge with its predecessor.”
“And we are living that alternate timeline,” I finished.
ONE HOT JANUARY
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