Author Robby Joshi’s science-fiction thriller is set predominantly on an alternate Earth in the year 2025. The novel focuses on the time-traveling exploits of Maxilon “Max” Renner and his time-traveling companions.
The group was sent back through time from the distant future on a dangerous mission to resolve a historical glitch in the 21st century that threatens to eradicate their 26th century utopia. Their task is to ensure that a messianic 21st century architect, Joshua DeWine, completes a book titled The Manifesto of Eleven Elements, the publication and distribution of which will ultimately lead to humanity’s and Earth’s salvation.
To ensure their success, the team must overcome a series of challenges, including 21st century law enforcement officials, sinister covert operatives, Renner’s time-travel induced amnesia and DeWine’s abrupt disappearance.
Joshi ably fuses pulpy science-fiction elements related to time-travel with philosophical meditations on religion, the fate of humankind and the nature of utopian and idealistic societies. The resulting adventure-filled narrative is both exciting and intellectually stimulating.
The author does a commendable job depicting Max’s idyllic home city of Megapolis and contrasting it with the pollution and spiritual malaise of 21st century America. Max is an appealing main character whose emotional and psychological struggles as he battles memory loss anchor the narrative, ensuring the story remains dynamic, immersive and consistently surprising.
The novel also benefits from a well-rounded, expansive cast of supporting characters, such as architect-turned-spiritual-guru DeWine, Joshua’s fawning psychologist, Dr. Ronick Dupray, and Lieutenant Captain Katrina Patilova, whose character arc is one of the novel’s most interesting.
Overall, this first novel in the proposed Eleven Elements series is a stimulating read, packed with socio-political intrigue and existentialist musings. It will appeal to a wide range of science-fiction fans, although readers on the lookout for a cerebral new series will likely benefit most.
Also available in paperback and ebook.