Synchronic: 13 Tales of Time Travel

I love to read, more specifically, I love to read sci-fi. This collection of time travel is absolutely phenomenal. I loved each of these tales. All had the common thread of time, but each one so unique and well written. Some the authors are among my favorites, and as a bonus of this collection, it has introduced me to new authors.

I admit, time travel stories are my favorite sci-fi genre. I buy almost every time travel short story collection I can find. Synchronic is quite good! It is one of the best at pointing out the un-anticipated outcomes of time traveling. In fact, I am going to reduce my time traveling as a result of reading this book. One can't be too careful....

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to know more about each of you. Your stories are amazingly creative, and you've sparked an idea for one of my own time travel tales. Haven't written any fiction in a long time, it's time to get back. Thanks for being such a great inspiration!

This is a great collection as thirteen authors explore the concept of time travel in as many differing ways. Time travel can be physical or within one's mind; it can be "practical" our purely imaginative. These thirteen authors take us through time and space in every way possible.

The collection contains several stories that were exceptional and led me to buy other books by those authors. I especially liked the
stories by Irving Belateche, Susan Quinn and Nick Cole.

I hated "The River". It was mawkish, insipid drivel that belonged in a romance novel. It had a promising start, but a hopeless second half.

Most of the stories are at the very least entertaining, and a couple are excellent.

Synchronic boasts an amazing pool of talent. There’s a short story for every reader’s palate inside. The writers and editor involved with this anthology are destined to soar amongst the stars. A great Summer read!

Technically correct stories that lack bite and won't surprise any seasoned sci-fi reader. Unless you're the romantic, easily impressed type, in which case you'll cry your heart out - there's plenty of miserable characters in here, lamenting their present, past or future and trying to change it (a whooping 8 stories are guilty of this). The time travel theme is very loose.
The best written stories of the bunch, The River and The Mirror, aren't really sci-fi, so my favorites are Corrections and Reentry Window. Oh, and the stories who set out to be classic sci-fi are actually the worst of the bunch (Laurasians & The First Cut).
A mixed bag with more misses than wins.

This was a fun compilation of short stories all relating to time travel. It was interesting to see 13 authors differing imaginations on time travel. Some were sad, some were sweet. If you enjoy time travel stories, then you will like this compilation.

I like good time travel stories - Far Centaurus by A.E. Van Vogt , The Choice by W. Hilton-Young, and (using the broad definition as implied by this book) , Arena by Frederick Brown. This book is none of the previous , it mainly consists of wishing hard. The only redeeming story - only because I like the writing style - is The Mirror by Irving Belateche. This story could really be good with the help of a good editor but it still isn't what I consider time travel.
Very disappointing.

There are days when I am amazed and Thrilled with my life - and the day not only I but someone else in my family Won not One but Two BOOKS from Samuel Peralta in a drawing at the end of an interview about Mr. Peralta on "The Leighgendarium" - a reader's delight of a Blog put out by Preston Leigh was one such day. Life just keeps surprising me - and I am (mostly) happy about that.

As I have said before - Analogies quickly became my most favored source of entertainment. I'd usually rather read a book than watch a show or go to a movie. I'm pretty easy to please - give me the ART created from writer's minds and you've thrilled me. Show me new places to visit, take me on trips via the written word and you've given me paradise. This book was certainly no exception to that rule. I loved every single word in it.

If you're waiting - as I was silly enough to do - to get this book - just STOP WAITING. If you've got it in your library and haven't opened it yet - get to it. I absolutely do not make promises in jest - and I Promise - you won't be disappointed. Because, really - who Hasn't thought about this sort of thing... even if while doing so one never thought of it as being "Time Travel", per say, I have yet to meet a human who, when queried, had never - EVER - thought to themselves - "I wish I could have done _______ (differently)", or, "If only I had known ahead of time"... etc.

So - for me - Time Travel books and stories allow me to see what Artist's Imagine is possible - were it indeed possible to travel the time line. I do so enjoy this sort of story line. The possibilities are as endless as... time.

I OWN THIS BOOK. It doesn't show as a verified purchase because I am reviewing under my own account instead of in the account where we have our Library.

I haven’t read that much literature with time traveling as a theme. I have read sci-fi yes. A lot. But not with time traveling. The only one who came to my mind is ”Time Riders” by Alex Scarrow. I love these books!

But with this book I didn’t get one long story but instead 13 short stories. I have to admit: I’m not into short stories in general. I think that a lot of times they are TOO short and not build up correctly. However: In this situation the authors did a really good job and with the sci-fi theme it didn’t matter if there were missing some explanations and so on. Furthermore I really liked that the authors style and personality came through the stories. They weren’t just 13 identical stories about a theme, but you could really feel the author and see the differences in the novels.

I had 3 favorites of mine:

”Corrections” by Susan Kaye Quinn because I loved Ian and his time travelling to chance the past for the ones at the death row. I really liked the crime aspect and the idea and it was a pageturner to the very end..
”Reset” by MeiLin Miranda was really good. I loves the twist with Sally telling a friend about her other friend, and Catherine who resets herself every many year to relive the teenage years. Who wouldn’t wish they could do that sometimes?
”The Mirror” by Irving Belateche was both kind of freaky and really great. I liked the idea with the mirror and actually I think that that was the whole ”sticked out” thing with this story. Again, you could really feel the author behind the story.

I like time travel stories. This collection of thirteen short stories exceeded my expectations. I usually read anthologies a little at a time, but I read this book straight through. Each of these authors approached the subject from a completely different angle and their imaginations surprised and delighted.
Some of these stories resonated with me more than others. In any collection, one is likely to have favorites. These were written by Jason Gurley, Ann Christy, Michael Bunker, MeiLin Miranda, Nick Cole, Eric Tozzi, Samuel Peralta, and Susan Kaye Quinn. That said, there is not a bad story in the bunch!
And last but not least, a shout out to David Gatewood for a beautifully edited book and to Jason Gurley for the exquisite cover art.

Those were the instructions given to a dozen authors who were invited to contribute to this collection; the responses were widely varied and uniformly good. Time travel ideas range from the classic "scientist invents a gadget" to the temporal effects of space dilation to quantum alternate worlds, story ideas--because time travel is only part of any time travel story-- range from adventures (Navy Seals in hummers vs. velociraptors) to horror tales (a haunted mirror from the Middle Ages that has cursed its owners over six centuries) to police procedurals (pursuing suspects in different universes) and finally to tragic stories of love and loss (an astronaut watches his wife and newborn daughter on videos, knowing he'll never hold either again as he goes into the Long Sleep).

These are just a few of the stories, which are uniformly well imagined and written. Highly recommended.

As the revival of the short story goes from strength to strength, the short story anthology is fast becoming an exciting outlet for both new and established authors. In the past six months Iâ(tm)ve been sent several anthologies and the quality has been outstanding.
Synchronic, a new anthology from editor David Gatewood, who also brought us the excellent From The Indie Side anthology recently is no exception. Its time travel theme provides an interesting platform for the interesting and diverse collection of authors to strut their literary stuff.
While there are some well-known names from the indie scene included, itâ(tm)s always great to discover new authors also and there are some great stories here from authors I will definitely be checking out in the future.
From the opener, Michael Bunkerâ(tm)s brilliant tale of The Santa Anna Gold, itâ(tm)s apparent that Gatewood has carefully compiled this anthology with an emphasis on quality control. The standard throughout is excellent and each author has taken up the challenge with great enthusiasm. The stories themselves are as diverse as the authors, some opting for a more natural approach to time travel by utilising the mind, others going for the more traditional time machine story but each is as entertaining as the last.
The standout story for me has got to be the closer, Jason Gurleyâ(tm)s The Dark Age. Itâ(tm)s a short and sweet heartbreaker almost perfect in its execution and worth the price of the book alone and would take pride of place in any science fiction anthology.
Whether youâ(tm)re a short story fan, or would like to discover quality work from new authors youâ(tm)ll find plenty to interest you in Synchronic. Itâ(tm)s a splendid collection and excellent value and a welcome addition to any science fiction bookshelf, virtual or otherwise.
Now, where are the keys to my Delorean?

FIVE STARS (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

I received an ARC copy (for an honest review) of the anthology, Synchronic: 13 Tales of Time Travel. This collection consists of 13 short stories from 13 different authors. A veritable buffet of tasty tales for the time traveler connoisseur.

I will never tire of reading science fiction, especially "time travel" stories. Don't we enjoy sliding our feet into the shoes of a compelling character while time transposes and invigorates us through story? Well, this is even better, not only do we step into the shoes of more than 13 irresistible characters, we also travel with them to the distant and remote pasts we know and love, as well as an unexplored and uncertain future. And we do this safely in the confines of our minds. What a trip! And don't we just love the idea of correcting wrongs, of getting a second, third, or fourth chance, of testing theories, and answering the "what-ifs" that plague our consciences?

Well, here ya go: you should get a copy!

This is an amazing collection of short stories that delivers masterfully written, cleverly plotted, wonderfully crafted, and supremely written short stories. I can't honestly say that I have a favorite among them. I loved them all. Each one is as unique as the author who crafted it. I was mesmerized. I was fearful. I was angry. I was elated. I was sad. I sat on the edge of my seat. I was moved. I lost myself in the stories. I cried. This anthology delivers as its apt title suggests!

Thank you, Ann Christy for providing me with an ARC! Thanks to all of the authors: Michael Bunker, Isaac Hooke, Susan Kaye Quinn, Nick Cole, Jason Gurley, Edward W. Robertson, Irving Belateche, Christopher G. Nuttall, Jennifer Ellis, Ann Christy, MeiLin Miranda, Samuel Peralta, Eric Tozzi, and David Gatewood (Editor), for this wonderful assortment of stories. I read the book in two sittings. Time truly flew by.

I love science fiction, particularly if it involves time travel. Many people find the idea of time travel intriguing. Virtually everyone has fantasized about doing it before. Who wouldn’t want to witness great events of history or try to re-do a mistake from our past? While time travel may not be possible (or is it?) we can still experience it through many authors who have written works with time travel as a theme. So when I had the chance to read Synchronic: 13 Tales of Time Travel, an anthology of short stories all about time travel, I jumped at the chance. Now while I like the theme of time travel, I’m not a big fan of short stories. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good short story, but I usually find them lacking. Lacking in character development, too many unanswered questions, or a story that just doesn’t end right (though to be fair, even a long novel can suffer from these things.) I usually feel that if the author expanded the story, it would have been better. So as I started Synchronic I expected to read some undeveloped stories with great potential. Boy was I wrong! I was pretty much blown away. There is some quality work in this book. Some were certainly better than others, but all of them were worth reading. I especially enjoyed Corrections, Hereafter, The River, Rock or Shell, and Reset. If you aren’t into sci-fi don’t worry. Anyone who enjoys good writing, fascinating stories, and interesting characters will love this book.

Typically, anthologies aren't my favorite type of reading choice. I prefer novels, especially series, instead of short stories. But this. This group is superb! I couldn't wait to begin new stories. Some are four-star worthy, and most are five-star awesome. I enjoyed finding out what each author brought to the group. And, I looked forward to reading the authors' notes that accompanied most of the stories. If you like time travel plots, do yourself a favor and get this book. But, be warned: like me, you may find yourself searching for the other works of these talented authors.

In an excellent foreword, Nick Cole talks about our fascination with time and time travel, getting to the heart of the matter as to why these kinds of stories are so popular. He also introduces us to all of the interesting worlds presented in this anthology. Take a look at all the time travel goodness:

Michael Bunker's "The Santa Anna Gold"- A father helps his boy try to solve the mystery of the missing gold but no one can find it. With a tip of the hat to Jack Finney and a whimsical tone, we find the father helping his determined son Richard Smalton time travel to the past to figure out this conundrum, even though it is a difficult journey. Told from the point of view of a cantankerous old man who believes (rightfully so?) that the government's watching him, the father tells his tale with plenty of charm and plausible deniability. This folksy way of sharing this great story enriched the tale while immersing me in the engrossing details of the history behind the gold. It also kept me chuckling with the humorous moments and was very inventive in its execution of the full story and how it ended.

Susan Kaye Quinn's "Corrections" - Dr. Ian Webb has been counseling Owen during his time on Death Row about the murders he supposedly committed. Owen keeps denying any culpability in the murders, and Ian will go back in time to prevent the murders from taking place, expiating Owen's guilt about how it all went down. Taut, tantalizing and suspenseful, this tale made me wonder what Ian's motivation was in doing in job like this, when the risk to themselves and the time stream is so great. The author provides a fantastic answer to this question, adding deeper characterization while helping you completely understand Ian's reasons for doing this job in a whole new light.

Samuel Peralta's "Hereafter"- A love story told from the point of view of Caitlyn as she discovers someone who becomes an important part of her life. But when she can only see him for a few hours or days at a time over a consecutive and exponentially increasing series of years, what kind of life can she have with him when he has such a strong but fleeting presence in her life? Filled with heartache, trauma and surprise, this story perfectly captures the peaks of happiness and depths of despair as two people cope with this unusual situation.

Eric Tozzi's "Reentry Window" - In the very near future, when a mysterious anomaly appears above Mars and swallows an orbiting spacecraft, Brett Lockwood and his team are called in to figure out what happened. And what they find out is truly mind-blowing. I was riveted by this cool story, stupefied by each revelation and then astonished by the ending. It also spoke to me that, in the story, it took a threat from the unknown to rekindle interest in manned exploration of Mars, sadly, just like it would happen in real life.

Nick Cole's "The Swimming Pool of The Universe" - Full Metal Jacket... in space, but so much more than that! A story of Earth's military fighting against The Spiders in an asteroid field, through the mind of private Dexter Keith. As he deals with the effects of a phase grenade in the midst of battle, he travels back and forth through his memories of the past while fighting in the present. With some delightful twists and turns, nothing is what you thought it was as Keith copes with the battle on the asteroid and the one in his head. Also, the ending just made me plain old smile as it brought the story full circle.

Jennifer Ellis's "The River" - How far would you go to right a grievous wrong that defined you and changed your whole life? Sarah finds out when she steals a time travel device and lives her teenage past over again, preparing to correct this problem, but that's only the beginning. It takes you on a journey of second chances while also becoming a game of cat and mouse against someone she thought was her enemy and finding out differently. I was thrilled by this story, rooting for Sarah the entire time to succeed and to overcome the tragedy haunting her.

Christopher Nuttall's "A Word in Pompey's Ear" - If you had foreknowledge of ancient history and thought you could change major historical events in the past for the better, would you do it? Julia, a college student, argues that Pompey could have saved the Roman Republic instead of being overthrown. With this argument, she gets the attention of a mysterious someone who gives her that very chance. Battles are fought, armies are raised and empires rise and fall in the space of pages as Julia advises Pompey what she thinks he should do better. But will her advice help Pompey overcome the inevitable inertia of history? This story is a fascinating "what if?" that I really enjoyed as it unspooled and explored that very question.

Ann Christy's "Rock or Shell" - When everyone has the ability to time travel, what happens to the world around them? Time becomes broken when people wish to change their past but cannot accept the consequences of doing so. Because peoples wishes go from thought to fact in a moment, it all tumbles out of control. Gertie meets Sarah in the middle of this chronological chaos and through their discussion, we learn about how this perplex situation came to be and how it might even be fixed. It kept me transfixed to find out what was going on here as each little clue was unveiled, all coalescing into an enormous problem that used time travel in quite an imaginative way. This story is a fascinating parable about accepting who you are, past mistakes and all.

Irving Belateche's "The Mirror" - A Midwestern man makes it big in antiquities and meets Rebecca, the love of his life, when she wants him to sell a strange old mirror. But when she vanishes, everyone thinks he was responsible. He must unravel the secrets of the mirror's history and the horrors it witnessed in an all-or-nothing effort to break the cycle of death binding him, Rebecca and the mirror together. Horrifying and spooky, the meticulous detail behind the mirror and its origins made for a captivating tale.

MeiLin Miranda's "Reset" - Sandy's life long friend Catherine appears a little strange. On the surface, Catherine's odd behavior was very off-putting. But there are reasons why she acts like this and once those reasons are revealed, everything comes into focus and places everything into context. A novel use of time travel here showcases how the gift Catherine is advantaged with eventually becomes a heavy burden loaded with distressing sadness that she carries for a very long time. The melancholy here stays with you once you understand the true extent of what's transpiring here.

Issac Hooke's "The Laurasians" - Horatio, curator of Paleontology at the Museum of Natural History is given the chance of a lifetime to study dinosaurs up close and in person, back in the past. Armed with a team of soldiers and scientists to study the dinosaurs, we learn that scientific curiosity and humanity's arrogance in its superiority mean nothing in the fierce face of Mother Nature as it all goes to hell and study turns into survival. I got a very pleasant Jurassic Park vibe of man vs. nature throughout this entire adventure, grinning from ear to ear as it all went sideways, wondering what the heck would happen next and wrapping it all up in a bow by the very end.

Edward W. Robertson's "The First Cut" - Blake is one of a lucky few who graduate to become the best of the best, joining a police force that guard the time stream from anomalies that violate it. As Blake trains, he gets assigned a mission to solve a murder that's not supposed to happen and the stakes become personal. But it's not easy to investigate murder in an analog age when the internet is in its infancy and public telephone booths are prevalent. Since the murderer knows how to avoid these time police, Blake and his veteran partner Mara have their work cut out for them. As Blake gets closer to solving the mystery, the tension mounts as the tale unfurls, leading into a thrilling ending filled with some great surprises.

Jason Gurley's "The Dark Age" - A man heads off on a one way mission into deep space to explore the great unknown. What he leaves behind are his wife and his baby daughter, whom was born on the day he had to leave. Once its time to enter one hundred forty-four years of hibernation sleep to reach his destination, he will wake up knowing his family will be long gone. This story feels cinematic in its style, with a large panorama as a background to the intense personal feelings of this father who only knows his family from a great distance. I could vividly imagine each scene viscerally brought to life on a big screen exactly as its written. Touching and moving, knowing how I would feel if I were in the protagonists shoes, makes for a superb story evoking strong feelings. If you don't feel something by the end of this story, then you just don't have a pulse, because it is extremely powerful, poignant and stirring, whether you have children or not.

It's truly hard to summarize these stories in one or two sentences, as there is so much packed into each individual tale. Each story has its own unique voice, handling time travel differently and innovatively. It's hard to pick any favorites here, as each one is strong for different reasons, with stories ranging from really fun to really heart-rending and tragic. Each story also has notes at the end of them, giving you additional insight into the author's thoughts.

When I completed my reading of this book, I just went "wow" as I marveled as how much I enjoyed each story and the anthology as a whole. I love time travel stories because of the implications they create and the high stakes inherent in each scenario. There are now more new authors that I've discovered here that I must read more of. And my "To Be Read" pile just got bigger as a result. What an enjoyable problem to have. :)

Please note that I was given an Advanced Readers Copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Honestly? I loved it. Can you tell? :)

Time travel. The ability to change the past. It never gets old (sorry, couldn't resist).

Still, as author Nick Cole reminds us in the Foreword to Synchronic: 13 tales of Time Travel looking back is part of the human condition, an unquenchable desire to address the unanswerable question: what if I had just…? There is probably no richer—or more cliched—subject in science fiction. But with the topic in the capable hands of this talented collection of writers and you will not be disappointed.

Take Susan Kaye Quinn’s story, Corrections. A therapist, working for the Dept of Corrections, guides convicted killers back in time to stop the murders before they happen, a process called the Shift. It’s a tricky business, you have to warp the timeline just enough to prevent the murder, but, too much and snap - extinction for the unlucky inmate. If you’re successful, you get a tag and a chance to live your life as a free man. If not, you'll never have existed. I have a feeling this one might become a new Debt Collector-style series?

Contrast that with Nick Cole’s The Swimming Pool of the Universe. Alternately hilarious and heart-breaking, Private Dexter Keith is caught in the temporal soup of his own brain where the past, future and present collide in a wonderful mash-up of flashbacks. The voice of Sergeant Collins, a computer program/drill instructor implanted into his brain during basic training, provides the lifeline Keith needs to take control of his life.

Swimming Pool has a hopeful ending, but not so for Reset by MeiLin Miranda. Reset asks the question: What if you lived your life over and over, from teenager to fifty years old? On the face of it, it sounds great. You can fix any mistake you ever made! Sucky prom date? Marriage didn’t work out? Problem solved. But what about the parts of your life that you cherish? The relationships, the kids, the love of your life…they just vanish overnight; no mourning, no legacy, just gone. Catherine is haunted by the children of her past lives, drawing them over and over, filling boxes with portraits that exist only in her mind.

But maybe you prefer old school time travel? The kind where para-military time police travel back to stop bad guys who have no regard for the chronological order of our present timeline.Then you want to dip into Edward W Robertson's The First Cut. Our fearless, first person hero, fresh from training, arrives in the Cutting Room for assignment as a rookie time cop. Things don’t go well for new-guy in the simulations—he’s barely making the grade—when one of his classmates goes rogue. Think Time Cop meets Houdini.

When I read Rock or Shell by Ann Christy, I had a mental image of the sequence from Neil Gaiman’s American Gods where Shadow gets taken “behind the scenes.” It’s like an MS-DOS version of the world, stripped down, functional, but not pretty in any way. In Christy’s world, an inanimate object—a rock or a shell, for instance—given to a person by a mysterious stranger gives them the ability to change events in their life. The problem is the objects reacts to the thousands of urges, regrets and random thoughts that race through our brains. The end result is an apocalyptic landscape. But wait, all we have to do is wish for it to go back, right? Well, it’s not that simple…

Synchronic, a wonderful collection for you to pass the time (Yeah, I know, but it's my review and I'll pun if I want to!)

I chose to give this collection of stories such a high rating because I value skilled writing, memorable characters and the ability to evoke emotional introspection. This short story collection has it all: laughter, anger, wonder and tears. Each author brings their own flavor to time travel, but bitter-sweet does tend to dominate. Uncle Ben was right - with great power comes great responsibility.

I highly recommend you give it a read. Now, excuse me while I go look up all these folks so I can read more wonderfully written stories. So many leads...

Normally, for me, the point of reading a short story collection like this is to open myself to the discovery of writers who speak to me without having to commit to a fully fledged novel for a week or more, only to enjoy the words of a lone writer. Now, of course, this collection serves that purpose admirably, with 13 very different short stories from 13 different authors: Even though it constitutes my third (!!!) copy of the heart rending "The Dark Age" by the talented Jason Gurley; and a short by Michael Bunker with whom I am already familiar.

But, in addition to that primary mission, this book is also a riveting read from cover to cover, with nary a dud in sight. Even among such shining stars, there are a one or two standouts: The River, by Jennifer Ellis is a tight and keen take on the a Time Travel genre, that deftly works in a little romance that adds to the plot in an interesting and unexpected way; and Reset by MeiLin Miranda, that takes a simple concept and tells it from a clever point of view, at once engaging and emotive.

I'm sure you'll love it as much as I did, and hopefully discover some new writers with back catalogues for you to explore afterwards!

The idea of time travel has always been fascinating, and it's pretty obvious I'm not the only person who feels this way. So when I read the synopsis for this collection of short stories, I couldn't wait to download it.

I was not disappointed.

Each of the authors has taken one concept - time travel - and each has written something different, something new, and something moving. I hope you will spend some time contemplating these stories. I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I have.

You'll have a great time.

If you are a sci-fi enthusiast you will certainly enjoy this book. Five stars is for the pure reading enjoyment of the eclectic collection of the time travel stories. I enjoyed each and every one of them, even though some perhaps had a stronger impact on me while I read them. I am going to check out every author and try to read some of their books. I hope you will get as much enjoyment out of reading these stories as I did.

Synchronic helped me rediscover the joy of reading short stories. It’d been a while since I’d sat down with a collection like this, and after reading this one, I’ve remembered what I liked most about short stories: you can sit down and enjoy the telling of a tale as a complete experience in one reading session. No need to bookmark your place and get back into the characters later. And when a tale is told well, reading it means experiencing an emotional response that stays with you; the short story form, like a poem, lends itself to that purpose much more effectively than does longer fiction. The time-travel stories in Synchronic are certainly well told.

Some of the writers go into the past to right a wrong via petite morality plays: “what if” it *could’ve been* this way? Some move into a dystopian future and ask, “what if” it *is* this way? I grew up on classic, twisty episodic television--The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery--and these stories reminded me of those shows. Even when you think you know where some of the stories are going, they can take you to a different place altogether, literally and emotionally. Reality and our assumptions about it; human nature and how it tempers visceral need with our noble ideals of whom we’d like to be; and our willingness to sacrifice self for others are themes that cross storylines here. In short, you get thirteen different interpretations of what a time-travel tale can do to help us explore who we are.

Most of these tales tug at the heartstrings, mainly through the tragedy of love lost (either for another or for oneself). A father driven to madness by the loss of his son. A time-tripping lover heartbroken over the object of his affection, who can't follow him. A down-on-his-luck combat veteran-hero who’s lost his sense of self. A man who wrestles with the cost of leaving his family behind forever to experience the ultimate human adventure. These are a handful of examples of the poignancy in this collection.

Beyond its heartfelt storylines and trippy tale-telling, though, Synchronic is also an opportunity to read an author or two you’re not familiar with. It’s like a Whitman’s sampler for fans of sci-fi. I hadn’t read most of these writers before picking up this collection (which I wanted to read because it included several of my favorite authors). Now I’m glad I had the opportunity to read the others--and I want to read more of their work.

Multiple authors mean multiple styles, and in a collection like this, that’s a good thing for the literary tastebuds. Some of the stories are character driven, and others rely on action to advance the plot. A few even read like prose poems. Some move you forward in time; some move you backward. But if your reading experience is like mine, you will be moved by this collection--one way or another.

This collection has some great stories and ideas. Some use magic, some use time machines. Most are more interested in what happens to the characters once they travel through time as opposed to focusing on how they got there (which is what really matters, right?). The last story is definitely worth reading. As Joe Bob Briggs would say (and if you don't know who he is you need to find out) "Check it out."

I thought this was an excellent book. All thirteen authors approached "time" in a unique way which made reading the book a varied and exciting journey. A collection of short stories by many different authors also exposes the reader to new writers and styles- I "discovered" several whose stories were so good, I had to check out what else they had written (I have quite a list of "to read"'s). I recommend this book because I honestly believe there's something for everyone within it's pages.

Another great anthology by David Gatewood. Well, put together by him. He is brilliant in his choice of authors, subject and ideas. This has every kind of time travel, just as the new conspiracy book had every kind of conspiracy. Happy reading, oh and clear your schedule, you are going to fill your TBR pile with new authors.

Since I borrowed this via the store Prime's lending library, I wasn't sure what to expect. The quality of self-published material can be so low sometimes. But this one would have been worth paying for. I liked almost every story, and loved a couple of them. It seems as though this project was thrown together quickly, at least in part in an effort to expose the authors to a wider audience. Well, it worked!

As much as the title suggests its relationship to time, Synchronic also has a hint of something else. My mind wandered to chronic health conditions that persist over time, or perhaps even a hint at an addiction.
By the time I finished Synchronic, I had developed my own addiction: a persistent desire to read stories about time travel. One after another, the 13 writers involved in the anthology created new and interesting tales of time travel without repetition or fatigue.
I’ve read works by some of these authors already, but one of the great things about an anthology like this is finding new and different authors I hadn’t yet discovered. After reading some of the stories in Synchronic, I wish I could go back in time and discover these authors in their writing infancy – to read their early works as they were first getting published.
There is a certain appeal to time travel stories. What is it that draws the reader to them? I imagine the pull of regret has a lot to do with it. After I first got a DVR at home, I used it so much to skip commercials and to rewind live TV if I happened to miss something. Eventually I started having urges in real life to skip back or replay something. At first, it was just a few moments at a time, but when I realized major mistakes, oh how I wished I could go back and correct those blunders. To make my life better with just a simple revisit to the past.
Ultimately, that regret has a necessary place in our lives and helps us as we encounter new, but similar circumstances. That doesn’t lessen our desire to alter our past, though. I imagine if we were really able to go back, the tragedy of our actions would resonate throughout our lives. Most of the time travel stories I’ve read or seen on the big screen have that tragic element and over and over we see that in this collection as well.
There are so many great stories contained in Synchronic, but I want to highlight a few of my favorites – the stories that stuck with me long after I’d read them.
The Mirror by Irving Belateche
For me, the standout of this collection. I usually like my time travel to be science fiction-based, but wow, I’ll take it with a supernatural twist after reading The Mirror. Peter Cooper is a Manhattan antiques dealer who stumbles upon the titular object that reshapes his life, and has defined who he was before he even knew it. I really loved this story and made me think twice before looking in any antique mirrors.
The First Cut by Edward E. Robertson
When I first started reading Robertson’s contribution, I thought of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Timecop, but this story had a mind of its own, putting these time police officers on the case of time violators who go to alternate histories of Earth. Our protagonist, Blake Din, is at the bottom of his class from the Academy, but we find out that Blake thrives once the simulations end and the real life situations emerge, taking us on a who-dun-it set in a time like the mid-90’s (where the Internet is in its infancy and cell phones aren’t ubiquitous). Wonderful twist at the end pays off for the reader.
Reset by MeiLin Miranda
This story struck me kind of like a Groundhog Day-type of story, except that Catherine lives almost an entire life over and over. This not only reminded me of Groundhog Day, but also the episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where the Enterprise is stuck in a time loop and Data is the only one aware of the repetition. Again, both those two tales are just a day or a few days – Catherine’s story involves years. What would you do if you lived decades over and over again?
Reentry Window by Eric Tozzi
Tozzi wrote one of my favorite books of 2013 – The Scout, and his knowledge of NASA and the space program pays off fantastically here. With hints of Andy Weir’s The Martian, Tozzi gives us a “chicken or the egg” story set in outer space that leaves you thinking for a long time.
Rock or Shell by Ann Christy
What is the effect of time travel on the space-time continuum. If you’ve watched enough Star Trek, you’ve heard of the continuum and Christy gives us a look behind the curtain so-to-speak with Rock or Shell. When the world as we know it starts to collapse, what do we hold on to? What keeps us centered – keeps us grounded? There was a bit of the Leonardo DiCaprio movie Inception here – you’ll know it when you read it – and Christy’s story pays it off wonderfully.
Like I said – all the stories are winners. It was tough for me to pick my top 5 and I’ll say that Susan Kaye Quinn’s Corrections was right there on the outside. Some other fantastic stories from Nick Cole (who also penned the amazing Foreward), Michael Bunker (what a twist!), Jason Gurley, Samuel Peralta, Jennifer Ellis, Christopher Nuttall, and Isaac Hooke round out the collection. I really could go on and on about this collection. And of course, I couldn’t forget to mention that editor extraordinaire, David Gatewood, compiled this outstanding anthology, just a few months after publishing his last indie anthology, From The Indie Side.
This collection gets and deserves five stars and also deserves a paperback on your bookshelf. The short story is not dead and this collection proves it.

What I loved best about this book was each author's different take on time travel. There are some familiar themes, but the ideas and plots behind this collection were fresh and imaginative. And something about reading them all in a row is so fun. My favorite thing about time travel stories is the question of "What if?" that always lingers in the background. All of these stories take on that question in a completely different way, and I was absolutely mesmerized by some of them.

I definitely picked up some new favorite authors just from reading this collection. Definitely give it a shot if you have a chance!

Increasingly, anthologies are taking on more importance because of the diversity and depth of storytelling found within them. These are the sampler packs, the culinary tasters of the literary world. Like a box of assorted chocolates, don't spend too much time looking at the descriptions, just pick one and take a bite. You're in for a wonderful surprise with Synchronic, and you'll definitely come back for more. With authors like Nick Cole, Michael Bunker, Jason Gurley and Sam Peralta contributing, you can't go wrong.

A collection of indie authors writing about time travel. You wouldn't think this could be better than it sounds, but it is. I've found at least two new authors to follow, and I expect to find even more.

Bunker's story led off the series, and it didn't disappoint. The tale of a father and son trying to recover gold by traveling back in time, by adopting the same lifestyle of the target time frame, surrounding themselves only with items from that time and blotting out all signs of modern life, is nothing short of brilliant. The ending leaves more questions than answers.

Halfway through the anthology, two other stories stood out for me. CORRECTIONS, by Susan Kaye Quinn, is a brilliant story of a psychologist for time travelers. Quinn is a rocket scientist turned writer, and since reading this we've had conversations about real world experience shaping writing. I think this is especially pertinent in genre fiction. Since we're dealing with the extra terrestrial, bringing in concrete authentic experience lends the story credibility and intrigue. That comes through loud and clear in Quinn's piece.

Another that stood out for me was Nick Cole's The Swimming Pool of the Universe is a tale of a soldier attempting to readjust to civilian life after helping defend Earth from a swarm of invading aliens. The stun grenades used by the aliens have the effect of continually sending him back in time, from his training, to the battles he endures while he tries to manage a department store.

Those were the highlights from reading about half the stories. In the second half, I'm looking forward to reading Jason Gurley's The Dark Age, which has been lauded as dark, sad and brilliant.

This is a solid collection of stories and well worth checking out.

The 13 tales in Synchronic provided me a gamut of emotions as they pulled me into the lives of the characters. The stories were all so unique and I thoroughly enjoyed the contributions of all the authors. As I read this book I kept saying to myself: "This would be a great book to buy as a gift. It's so good!"
I know I'll read this book again, something I rarely do.

Anthologies are like a box of chocolates. Some are great, others not so much. A good box is one where the nice flavors outweigh the bad or boring.

Synchronic is a good box. Several of the stories stand out strongly, such as The Mirror, The River, Rock or Shell, and The Dark Age. But all are enjoyable in their own right, and tie together nicely in the collection, without being repetitious. Time travel is a topic that fascinates and sparks the imagination, as the authors so clearly prove. Who knows what new ideas they may have sparked?

I never thought a collection of short stories could be such a compulsive page turner. I'm used to that happening at the end of each chapter of a really good novel. I can't wait to find out what happens next in the story line. In this collection I couldn't wait to start the next whole new story. I really think I should read more high quality short fiction!

I titled this "Surprisingly Enjoyable" because I typically do not read sy-fy or short stories (See? I can't even spell sci-fi...). I bought this book purely because Michael Bunker wrote one of the stories. I have never been disappointed with Michael's writing and this was no exception. I am having a great time reading all of the stories in this book. They are all so different and yet all so engaging. This book has reminded me how enjoyable short stories can be. I very highly recommend this collection of wonderful stories.