After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall

March 19, 2012
Nebula- and Hugo-winner Kress mixes time travel, global catastrophe, and mysterious aliens in this strong postapocalyptic tale. Gruff teenager Pete makes brief runs back in time from the desolation of the year 2035, using alien technology that can only transport children, to pick up fresh supplies and recruits. Julie, a mathematician in 2013, finds a pattern in a series of kidnappings. They are, of course, Pete’s expeditions, and as the two head towards their inevitable collision, the clock ticks down on the catastrophe that will turn Julie’s orderly world into Pete’s devastated landscape. Kress handles the crisscrossing timelines with cool elegance, making a complicated story clean and easy to read. Some readers may find both the setting and the characters a little severe, but the ultimate message of hope and understanding resonates strongly.

April 15, 2012

An alien invasion of Earth leaves 26 human survivors locked inside an enclosed habitat, protected from the ecological devastation around them. The alien Tesslies sporadically deliver a random assortment of supplies, including a device that opens brief time portals into Earth's past. The dwindling population, having produced only six genetically mutated offspring, uses these portals to kidnap children with undamaged genes to rebuild the human race. Two decades earlier, mathematician Julie Kahn assists the FBI in finding a pattern in the apparent random kidnapping of children even as an escalating environmental catastrophe approaches. With an expert eye for essential details and an economy of style, veteran sf and fantasy author Kress (Beggars in Spain; Probability Sun) weaves together past, present, and future in a compelling ecothriller. VERDICT While the puzzle at the center of the story is not hard to solve, the process in which the characters--both past and future--discover the truth behind their situations provides a fascinating and satisfying journey for the author's many fans and time-travel aficionados everywhere.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.