Tuesday, June 18, 2013

A Time Foreclosed

Last updated January 2, 2023: This 2013 chapbook was a marketing experiment. The chapbook is now out print and ebook formats (but for now still available on Audible). On the bright side, both stories in this chapbook -- having been being well received and among my favorites -- are included within 2022's The Best of Edward M. Lerner. So you might want to check that out.

As a working author, I've followed -- with more than a little interest! -- various publishing experiments and emerging sales channels. One of those experiments is the freestanding novella. What had been an impractical story length has become, in the era of ebooks and print-on-demand, eminently doable.

And so: on to my experiment and breaking news ...

A Time Foreclosed, newly released, republishes -- under a new and improved title -- my recent time-travel novella "Time Out." (It originally appeared in Analog, January/February 2013 issue.)

Or as the publisher puts it:

Where are all the time travelers? After all, if it is possible to move between past and future, shouldn't someone from somewhen in all the infinite reaches of the future have visited by now?  The good news is, there are answers to those questions. But then, there's the bad news.... 

In the meantime, here are some other questions to ponder. What if a man could go forward in time to learn about the future—and then backwards in time to correct a dreadful mistake? But what if going back in time was, in and of itself, the most terrible mistake possible?

Could a life's journey that started off bending—and breaking—a few real estate laws really wind up ending life as we know it? That would have to be impossible. Or would it? 

Previously published as "Time Out," this mind-bending story will keep readers guessing until the final page. 

Includes the bonus time-travel story "Grandpa?"—one of Edward M. Lerner's most popular tales.

If you've wondered what sort of fiction I write -- but not cared to experiment at book length (and cost) -- A Time Foreclosed may be just the experiment for you, too.

A Time Foreclosed for the Kindle
A Time Foreclosed print edition at Amazon
A Time Foreclosed audio edition (from Audible) at Amazon (updated August 31, 2016)

(Available in additional ebook formats -- check your favorite etail outlet.)

11 comments:

Yokota Fritz said...

"Where are all of the time travelers?" sounds almost like a corollary of Fermi's Paradox :-)

Edward M. Lerner said...

Indeed :-)

Yokota Fritz said...

Oh, and I see now that it's only 99 cents! Purchased and downloaded for reading during my bus commute this evening.

Edward M. Lerner said...

Yes! Impulse buy! :-)

Vinny said...

Just stumbled upon this blog page. All that I can say to Mr. Lerner is:

Congratulations, and thanks for a great tale!

Writing as a multi-disciplinary scientist/engineer, and, to my best knowledge, as one of the few scientists in the world who has ever been hired to render consulting on time-travel technologies (please, don't ask... the three projects in which I was somewhat involved as a consultant were all just too weird. ...), and as someone who has been an avid SF reader since the age of four, all that I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed this short story/novella!

I first discovered this tale in its earlier form, where it had been published under the name "Time Out", a few days ago in a Kindle anthology of time travel SF stories, and it was my very first exposure to SF tales written by Lerner.

I then decided to also purchase the newer, and renamed, version of the tale under the name "A Time Foreclosed" from Amazon, also in Kindle format.

Having read and enjoyed this tale immensely, I am now looking for more SF stories written by Lerner, and, in fact, I have ordered four more of Lerner's SF tales, all again in Kindle format, from Amazon over the past two hours!

Thank you!

Edward M. Lerner said...

Hi Vinny,

Thanks for the very kind words / plug.

Are you sure I can't ask about those time-travel projects? There may be another story in there ;-)

- Ed

Vinny said...

Hi Edward:

Thanks for your reply. Incidentally, I also left a review for your story on the Amazon website; the review as quite similar to the one that I had posted above on your blog site.

And, in response to your question, a few comments:

First, if you will send me your email address at vinny (at) mindspring (dot) com (if you have a hard time converting that coded email addrss into a real email address, you can also find my email address on my website; I have given the URL when posting each of my messages here), I will be happy, as my time allows, to send you a return email or two over the next month or two giving you some details of some of those projects, and also on some of the stranger consulting requests that I have received during my 15 years as a multi-disciplinary scientific/engineering consultant.

And, let me say that any such information that I share is freely shared, that is, you are welcome to mine any of those tales for ideas or concepts for use in any of your future stories!

And, while we are on the topic of possible ideas for future stories, I would like to suggest that you may wish to join two or three of my stranger email list groups devoted to strange science/fringe science topics, and then review the past posts in the message archives for some ideas.

The three email list groups that come to mind off the top of my head are as follows, and they are all located at Yahoo Groups (anyone wishing to join will need to send their reason for wishing to join, a brief intro, and their first and last name):

Time-Space Doorways (about time portals, interdimensional portals and space portals).

Exotic Energies (about exotic energy technologies, strange science technologies, etc.)

Elixir Vitae (about the Elixir of Life, aka Elixir of Immortality).

Lastly, I sometimes share tales about some of the more bizarre or hilarious consulting requests that I receive on my public Facebook page; it is called the Vinny Pinto Public Page, and you can find it at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vinny-Pinto-Public-Page/284608972816

Enjoy!

Anonymous said...

I read this story a couple of nights ago. Only meant to read the first few pages but had to keep reading on to the end. Really good fun, enjoyed it.

Edward M. Lerner said...

Thanks, Anonymous!

- Ed

Anonymous said...

Well, folks, I read the Analog-version of this thing, and felt rather disappointed. Nothing new, harping on the same string ever since Wells published his immortal Time machine. Language and dialogs? They are pretty good. Perhaps too much slang, and some sentences seem a bit or very awkward.

Edward M. Lerner said...

Hi (different?) Anonymous,

I'm sorry you were disappointed, but (of course) I respect your opinion.

The majority of the chapbook/mini-collection A Time Foreclosed *is* a republication of my Analog novella, "Time Out" -- something I've done my best to be upfront about. I was explicit about this, for example, in this post to which you offered your comment. Similarly, the provenance of both stories in the mini-collection appears on the copyright page (and so, is a part of the preview available to shoppers on Amazon).

Best regards,

- Ed