Book #7 of 2020:
The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz
This novel’s premise of rival factions aiming to change history to suit themselves sounds a little like This Is How You Lose the Time War, but I think I actually prefer its emotional grounding and queer punk aesthetic over that other story’s wild-yet-oblique inventiveness. In one half of this narrative, adult chrononaut Tess fights to extend legal protections for women’s bodily autonomy further back into the past against enemies trying to erase them entirely, while in the other, her teenage self gets caught up in a vindictive murder spree of abusive men. The two parts don’t connect as neatly as I would like, but each is fiercely unapologetic about the rights of marginalized peoples to stand up to the patriarchy in force.
I’m also really captivated by this conception of time travel as a natural process that humans have always been able to accomplish by tapping on certain special rocks, first by hand and later via sophisticated machines. Having ancient cultures be totally aware of — and occasionally visited by — their future descendants is a pretty original idea, and one rich with potential even beyond what’s explored here. Tess’s personal journey wraps up well, but if author Annalee Newitz ever wants to return to this setting, I’d love to read more.
[Content warning for graphic violence and depiction of abortion, sexual assault, incest, emotional abuse, and gaslighting.]
★★★★☆
The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more 