Quirky Cat
Adrian Tchaikovsky's latest novella, One Day All This Will Be Yours, is a memorable and highly entertaining read – one that I recommend for all fans of time travel stories, especially if you want something tinged with a bit of humor.
The day before the end of the world is a perfect day. One that has been meticulously maintained and crafted for that moment of pure perfection. It was meant to be an isolated retreat. A point in time from which the last survivor of the Causality War could watch their post and prevent another war from happening.
Naturally, things did not go as planned. When all of the fighting should have been done, humanity finds another way to kick it off all over again.
“I'd have to say, No, because there's literally nothing you can do in your time that will change any epoch that comes after you, most certainly not this one. This is how it's going to be.”
Okay, guys, I honestly think that One Day All This Will Be Yours is my new favorite time travel novella, which is saying something, actually. I read quite a lot of them, but this one has the perfect balance of science fiction and humor, and I adore it so much.
If you don't believe me, look at that cover. Then take another look at the description. The wit practically bleeds off the pages in ways that only Adrian Tchaikovsky can pull off. Best of all, it is steeped in something that forces it all to make sense.
Our narrator doesn't have a name, which is another fact that I enjoy. He's the lone survivor of a horrible time war, and clearly, he's got some issues to work through. His way of working through said issues is...different, and that's the core of why this novel is so entertaining.
There are a lot of warped scenes and conversations in this novel, all carefully placed with intent. To take them out of this novella would remove any logic from them, but that's almost part of the joy of it.
“This is how we fought the Causality War. A war where you never saw soldiers from the other side, not because you were launching high-tech projectiles at each other from ridiculous distances, but because you almost never occupied a common frame of reference. The weapons you launched at each other were cascading chains of historical events, and each one simultaneously hit and caused colossal collateral damage, and did no damage at all, because what was left in its wake was a happy smiling world with no idea there was a war on.”
At the end of the day, I find myself conflicted. On the one hand, I believe that the stopping point for One Day All This Will Be Yours is perfect. On the other hand, I would kill to get a chance to read more of this quirky adventure.
Thanks to Rebellion and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks (of Books)