Synchronic: 13 Tales of Time Travel

Twelve great authors – plus me – have contributed stories with the common theme of Time travel for this anthology. Time travel doesn’t have to be cut and dried either. Temporally fluid comes to mind as another description.

Description

Synchronic: 13 Tales of Time Travel introduces 13 varied and original takes on the pitfalls and paradoxes of time travel—from some of today’s most talented voices. From Michael Bunker’s story of a father, a son, and the legendary Santa Anna Gold, to Jason Gurley’s heart-wrenching tale of an astronaut forever torn from his young wife and daughter, these stories will keep you on the edge of your seat, and often have you guessing right up until the final word. You’ll meet a prison therapist who treats his patients by going back and preventing their crimes; a woman who can’t stop reliving her life, no matter how much it hurts; a space marine suffering from a time-altering brain injury; a woman who will betray the man she loves to correct a horrible mistake; a vengeful soul from ages past; and a time cop charged with preserving the timelines of multiple universes. You’ll experience a world where time travel is so common, reality itself hangs by a thread; a love story that overcomes the unforgiving barriers of time; a thrilling encounter with a pack of T. rex; a historian’s efforts to alter Roman history; and the first manned mission to the Red Planet—or is it? So sit back and enjoy. Just be sure you’ve got plenty of time.

So what’s my story? Here’s the current description for my story Rock or Shell:

Everyone wishes they could change something in their past once in a while. Whether it is that embarrassing comment at an office party or going back to save a life lost too soon, we all wish for the impossible at least once. When too many people are given that power and no ability to control their fleeting thoughts of change, what happens is more than chaos. It could be the end.

I feel really good about this story. It’s completely different than anything I’ve written before and let me stretch my writing arms further than I’ve done before. Aside from being a huge honor to be invited into such company, it has also been a frightfully enjoyable way to explore entirely new characters in an impossible situation.