Book Details
“Triceratops Summer” by Michael Swanwick | The Time Traveler’s Almanac collection
Editors: Ann VanderMeer, Jeff VanderMeer
Total Pages in the collection: 960
Published: March 18, 2014 by Tor Books
My Review
YASSSS! This one hit the spot for me. I friggin’ loved it.
Why did the chicken triceratops cross the road?
Apparently because an advanced physics institute screwed around with time and opened a portal that allowed the dinosaurs through. But don’t worry, the scientists are going to fix everything by going back to the moment right before the rift (thus creating a time loop) and avoid the rupture in time, and the rest of us will be none the wiser.
Well, mostly. Our main character is told by a newbie scientist what’s going to happen, and I love how he keeps his cool. So, everything from now up until the scientists fix the time rupture will be as if it never happened? He smoothly takes out a second mortgage, cancels contracts, and convinces his wife to go on vacation with him.
Ironically, they’re such busy (and good) folk that they never quite leave their town, and by the end our guy realizes that no matter what happens, he’s happy just being where he was with his wife. From the first paragraph to the last, this story held my interest. The humor and tone were perfect, and this was a much-needed read after having a couple of lower rated stories these last couple of weeks.
My Rating:
5 out of 5
About The Time Traveler’s Almanac
The Time Traveler’s Almanac is the largest and most definitive collection of time travel stories ever assembled. Gathered into one volume by intrepid chrononauts and world-renowned anthologists Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, this book compiles more than a century’s worth of literary travels into the past and the future that will serve to reacquaint readers with beloved classics of the time travel genre and introduce them to thrilling contemporary innovations.
This marvelous volume includes nearly seventy journeys through time from authors such as Douglas Adams, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, William Gibson, Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin, Michael Moorcock, H. G. Wells, and Connie Willis, as well as helpful non-fiction articles original to this volume (such as Charles Yu’s “Top Ten Tips For Time Travelers”).
The Time Traveler’s Almanac Review Group
This review is part of an on-going review series. We’re trying to review a short story per week from The Time Traveler’s Almanac. Please join us and share your thoughts! My partners in crime on this reading adventure includes the following authors and bloggers. Check out their reviews as well:
“Why did the triceratops cross the road?” I used that line in my review too! XD I thought this story was great and loved the message about loving life it told.
Much more enjoyable from all those “experimental” stories we had been reading.
I couldn’t resist the crossing the road joke 🙂 You’re right, this was definitely a great read. I had a lot of fun with this one.
You two are silly. lol I can’t believe I didn’t use the cross the road line. Yes, I loved this one, too. So touching, I think DJ is right. it was a nice change of pace.