Gordian Protocol Snippet #1

Whoever is raiding the library at Alexandria certainly doesn't seem to be concerned about human life ornthe effect on the timeline. I hope that they arent the protagonists.

One of the things I really like about the first chapter is how the initial idea for it came about. David has had the concept for The Gordian Protocol bouncing around in his head for about twenty-five years, so he knew very clearly what he wanted to achieve in the story, and more importantly, where the first novel needed to end in order to branch out into the series he envisioned.

With these guideposts in mind, I made an initial proposal for how the time travel ruleset could function (I think I presented this to him back in September 2016). That ruleset went through several rounds of back and forth discussion until we settled on a version we were both satisfied with. I believe the main benefit at this stage was streamlining the rules so they're easier to communicate to the reader while sacrificing none of the power and flexibility (for us authors) from my original proposal.

To me more precise, there are two sets of time travel rules at work in the novel - what everyone thinks is going on and what is actually going on - and the latter's discovery is an integral part of the novel.

Anyway, this first chapter stemmed from one of David's "oh, shiny!" moments where he extrapolated the time travel rules I was presenting in a direction I hadn't anticipated in the slightest. My reaction can be summed up as: "This, David! This right here! This is how we need to start the novel!"

And here you can see the end results.

Jacob Holo wrote:..snip..
To me more precise, there are two sets of time travel rules at work in the novel - what everyone thinks is going on and what is actually going on - and the latter's discovery is an integral part of the novel.
..snip..

Which reminds me of the novel "Lightning" by Dean Koontz where you think you have figured it all out until a reveal and you go 'Aha! Nifty!' and you proceed to read the book with the smug satisfaction that you figured it all out at which point the book throws you another curve-ball.

Joat42 wrote:

Jacob Holo wrote:..snip..
To me more precise, there are two sets of time travel rules at work in the novel - what everyone thinks is going on and what is actually going on - and the latter's discovery is an integral part of the novel.
..snip..

Which reminds me of the novel "Lightning" by Dean Koontz where you think you have figured it all out until a reveal and you go 'Aha! Nifty!' and you proceed to read the book with the smug satisfaction that you figured it all out at which point the book throws you another curve-ball.

One of my favorite Koontz novels, along with Watchers, Ticktock, and the Odd Thomas books.

Of course, I think this is the first book of his in which I encountered the 300-round Uzi. Pretty sure one of his research assistants misplaced a decimal point, but it pretty conclusively demonstrates that Mr. Koontz doesn't spend a lot of time on shooting ranges!

Joat42 wrote:

Jacob Holo wrote:..snip..
To me more precise, there are two sets of time travel rules at work in the novel - what everyone thinks is going on and what is actually going on - and the latter's discovery is an integral part of the novel.
..snip..

Which reminds me of the novel "Lightning" by Dean Koontz where you think you have figured it all out until a reveal and you go 'Aha! Nifty!' and you proceed to read the book with the smug satisfaction that you figured it all out at which point the book throws you another curve-ball.

runsforcelery wrote:One of my favorite Koontz novels, along with Watchers, Ticktock, and the Odd Thomas books.

Of course, I think this is the first book of his in which I encountered the 300-round Uzi. Pretty sure one of his research assistants misplaced a decimal point, but it pretty conclusively demonstrates that Mr. Koontz doesn't spend a lot of time on shooting ranges!

I thought all authors blamed errors like that on their editor!

OTOH there are 100 rounds magazines available for the Uzi's now.

runsforcelery wrote:

Jacob Holo wrote:..snip..
To me more precise, there are two sets of time travel rules at work in the novel - what everyone thinks is going on and what is actually going on - and the latter's discovery is an integral part of the novel.
..snip..

Joat42 wrote:Which reminds me of the novel "Lightning" by Dean Koontz where you think you have figured it all out until a reveal and you go 'Aha! Nifty!' and you proceed to read the book with the smug satisfaction that you figured it all out at which point the book throws you another curve-ball.

runsforcelery wrote:One of my favorite Koontz novels, along with Watchers, Ticktock, and the Odd Thomas books.

Of course, I think this is the first book of his in which I encountered the 300-round Uzi. Pretty sure one of his research assistants misplaced a decimal point, but it pretty conclusively demonstrates that Mr. Koontz doesn't spend a lot of time on shooting ranges!

I've liked a bunch of his stuff, actually. Not all --- he's not at all afraid to stray from one comfort zone to another --- but a bunch. Whispers, Sole Survivor, Twilight Eyes, One Doorway Away from Heaven, The Mask . . . a bunch.

Jacob Holo wrote:To me more precise, there are two sets of time travel rules at work in the novel - what everyone thinks is going on and what is actually going on - and the latter's discovery is an integral part of the novel.

James P. Hogan explored a number of time-travel rules in Thrice Upon A Time (1980). It took considerable experimentation to determine which rules were actually in effect. Especially since, if you guessed wrong, you wouldn't remember the experiment!

The Proteus Operation and Mission To Minerva also involve time travel and alternate realities, but don't dwell on the rules.
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Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!!

Imaginos1892 wrote:James P. Hogan explored a number of time-travel rules in Thrice Upon A Time (1980). It took considerable experimentation to determine which rules were actually in effect. Especially since, if you guessed wrong, you wouldn't remember the experiment!

The general problem would be to tie up all contradictions & paradoxes that are spanning even from pretty ordinary single set of time travel rules...

For yet another set of rules, note Mike Arsuaga's Come Back for Me.

Where else does it turn out that Shakespeare in our time line was a temporal phsyicist who explains why there can never be any paradoxes. To the best of my knowledge, the solution is unique, though you could claim it echoes in Stapledon's The Star Maker.

Dilandu wrote:

Imaginos1892 wrote:James P. Hogan explored a number of time-travel rules in Thrice Upon A Time (1980). It took considerable experimentation to determine which rules were actually in effect. Especially since, if you guessed wrong, you wouldn't remember the experiment!

The general problem would be to tie up all contradictions & paradoxes that are spanning even from pretty ordinary single set of time travel rules...