Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
Many of us who participate in Wyrd And Wonder have a secondary passion which is Science Fiction – hence why a lot of us cross-participate in @SciFiMonth! Today I am featuring a story which isn’t entirely a fantastical story per se in the context of how it was written as it is much more of a Speculative Fiction narrative as it moves through a time travelling narrative. For me, time travel is one of those niche areas of SpecFic which can either work wonderfully or fall a bit flat for my own curiosities.
I had intended to read The Time Traveller’s Wife ahead of the film adaptation but in the end opted to see the film in lieu of reading the novel. It was one of those soul-crushing films and stories which nearly did me in whilst watching it – similar to how my soul crumbled into oblivion at the end of The Notebook. Some stories grip you so wholly whole you feel as if pieces of you have been left behind in the wake of them. Time travelling stories take a lot out of me as there is such a lot of drama and life being lived inside them that sometimes they can become a bit soul consuming. Not that I mind, as that is part of what I enjoy about them but I have to temper how oft I enter into those worlds and lives as well.
As I love focusing on Indie Fantasy storytellers myself every #WyrdAndWonder – I was thankful I would have a chance to showcase this author during our 4th Year. The reason I love Indie Speculative Fiction is because the writers of those stories are happily giving me wicked good stories to ruminate over and enticingly intriguing worlds to explore.
Sometimes the lines between the fantastical and the science fictional can blend and merge and crossover into each other. As I haven’t read the full story within this novel and have only the chapter sampler to go by – I am not sure if it merges into some elements of Fantasy vs Science Fiction or if it holds true to its niche of being a time travelling story start to finish.
Either which way this story travels into its own journey, the concept of it is what was most alluring to feature during Wyrd And Wonder as isn’t it a bit of a wonderment how time travelling can exist and how despite the challenges therein, we still speculate on how it can happen and of course, of the consequences if the threads of time are altered by our own interferences? I wonder if that is also explored — as it had been in The Time Traveller’s Wife. Along with the concept of course of how limited are you as you travel? Which is one reason I enjoyed the adventures of Dr Samuel Beckett throughout the years of Quantum Leap.
The Other Times of Caroline Tangent
by Ivan D. Wainewright
Source: Author via Storytellers on Tour
If you could travel back in time to see any concert, who would you go to see?
Caroline Tangent’s husband, Jon has invented a time machine so they can visit iconic gigs in history: Woodstock, David Bowie, Edith Piaf in 1930’s Paris – an inexhaustible bucket-list. But they can’t tell anyone they’re doing so; Caroline’s life as an artist in North London goes on with her friends and family, and their concerts remain a secret.
As their trips to the past continue, they begin to realise how Jon’s invention could change a devastating moment from their own past. And for Caroline, it’s clear that she and Jon don’t want the same outcome.
Until, on a trip to 1978, one of them does something unthinkable which will change both their lives forever.
For fans of Matt Haig, Audrey Niffenegger, Stephen King’s 11/22/63 – or anyone who likes time travel or music!
Please note the CW: Miscarriage, Abortion, Death/Dying, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Disease
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781838367008
on 17th May, 2021
Format: Chapter Sampler | Online
Converse via: #SpeculativeFiction or #SpecFic and #TimeTravel
as well as #storytellersontour & #WyrdAndWonder as #JorieReads
The small tagline attached to this novel is “Do you ever wish you had more time to listen to music?” and being a girl whose entire life has been adventuring after music and sound alike I can definitely answer with a positive YES to that particular question! I have oft travelled down corridors of music both known and unknown to me – as I adventure after different sounds, different soundscapes and different genres of exploration. I am not limited by century nor style – I listen to a very broad range of music and with Spotify I can amplify which genres and artists I listen even more by how they’ve arranged their libraries therein.
Music to me speaks on a different level of intuitive grace than spoken words – it can even push through the earthquake after effect of a stroke (hence why my Dad can remember lyrics to songs better than he can remember his memories) and it can speak to a child on the Autistic spectrum as well in a way where spoken language cannot filter through, too. To theorise a way to travel in time and out of time in the pursuit of hearing and seeing the musicians and artists who give us the sound of our generations – to pursue their artistry and to re-see the patterns of how music is produced, created and cast out into the world would be a brilliant concept for a story; which is of course one reason this story caught my own eye of attention!
I believe all of us desire to capture more ‘time’ – whether that is to accomplish something we cannot always fit into our everyday timetables of life or whether that is something left undone, unsaid or unpursued. Time is a fickle mistress as they say, it doesn’t yield and bend to our whims nor our desires. We all cast our own hours against the hourglass and to each of us we are all given the same set of hours to clock and yet, if you could erase that measurement of ‘time’ and travel anywhere in time at your own choosing – now that is an interesting proposition and why I am immediately curious about each writer who casts their pen into writing time travelling narratives.
I am going to see if I can submit a purchase request for this novel (via my local library) as what allures me the most about the story is the concept of it and how the writer handled the time travelling itself. Were there any effects on the timeline in the historical presence of time or were his characters able to move through time without their presence overly known to where they could blend in rather than stand out? One film comes back to me time and again – wells, in truth, two films – Kate & Leopold and Somewhere in Time. Both chase after the concept of time travelling and both have very unique endings for their characters – if this novel can eclipse the joys and inspirations of those two stories I know I’d be in for a wicked good reading!
And, now dear hearts – what are your thoughts on time travel and music?
In particular, which generation of musical influence would you travel back to visit?
And, on which continent and in which country would you traverse?
About Ivan D. Wainewright
Ivan lives in Kent (England) with his partner, Sarah and their neurotic rescue Staffie. Before moving to Kent, Ivan lived in North London, Leeds and Singapore. When not writing, he can be found watching (and occasionally) playing football, running, attending gigs (when that’s possible), arguing over politics and trying to cook. He has been an independent IT consultant for many years, working solely with charities and non-profit organisations.
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NOTE: Similar to blog tours wherein I feature book reviews, book spotlights (with or without extracts), book announcements (or Cover Reveals) – I may elect to feature an author, editor, narrator, publisher or other creative person connected to the book, audiobook, Indie film project or otherwise creative publishing medium being featured wherein the supplemental content on my blog is never compensated monetarily nor am I ever obligated to feature this kind of content. I provide (98.5%) of all questions and guest topics regularly featured on Jorie Loves A Story. I receive direct responses back to those enquiries by publicists, literary agents, authors, blog tour companies, etc of whom I am working with to bring these supplemental features and showcases to my blog. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them: I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers. Whenever there is a conflict of connection I do disclose those connections per post and disclose the connection as it applies.
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Enjoying my fantastical reviews about the worlds of Fantasy?
Ever since the beginning of Jorie Loves A Story, I have embarked on a Quest to seek out stories within the worlds of Fantasy which would heighten my awareness of the genre and give me wicked good reads – across the subniches of a genre I’ve loved since I was seventeen. Every May, I happily co-host @WyrdAndWonder – whilst throughout the months of the year, I regularly read & discuss the Fantasy reads I am discovering.
Visit my full archive for ALL my #EnterTheFantastic wanderings! As well as take a walkabout through my archives for #WyrdAndWonder – or take a walkabout through my archive for everything deemed wickedly fantastical!
{SOURCES: Book cover for “The Other Times of Caroline Tangent”, book synopsis, author biography of Ivan D. Wainewright as well as the book tour banners were all provided by Storytellers on Tour and are used with permission. Post dividers and My Thoughts badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Wyrd And Wonder 2021 banner and button created by Imyril (Image Credit: Pegasus by Svetlana Alyuk on 123RF.com) and is used with permission.Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Book Spotlight banner and the Comment Box Banner.}
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Hallo, Hallo #WyrdAndWonder!!
Let's discuss #TimeTravel and #music!
What would you do if you could travel in time?
Esp if you chase after something you were passionate about pursuing?Let's chat via #JLASblog??
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— Jorie | #WyrdAndWonder?♀️? (@joriestory) May 27, 2021
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
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A time machine looping between 1930s and 1978? Intriguing! Haven’t read much time travel fiction beyond Time Traveller’s Wife and Wrinkle in Time, so this looks promising.