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Post by myrthman on Feb 24, 2011 0:31:19 GMT -5
fantasy-themed technobabble. Love it! BTW, thanks for the input, anomaliens! I have some really solid ideas to build on now. |
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Post by fluke on Jul 15, 2011 10:50:37 GMT -5
Just remembered one of my favorite novels (for many reasons) is a fantasy dealing with time travel. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett. The story starts as a time snag from Thief of Time becomes a major storm over Anhk-Morpork. At the same time, the City Watch chases a homicidal maniac named Carcer Dun to the top of the Tower of Art at Unseen University, the premier university of magic on the Disc. Sir Samuel Vimes, Commander of the Watch, insists on making the capture, not for the glory, but out of concern for his men. During the fight, the storm breaks and Carcer and Vimes are both pulled into the vortex. They awaken 30 years in the past. Carcer kills John Keel, Sam's mentor (young Vimes is a new recruit), and old Vimes takes Keel's place as the newly transferred sergeant from the city on the plain.
Vimes sets out to capture Carcer and return to his own time. But this is a troubled time for the city. Sam knows; he lived through the revolution the first time, but many of his friends didn't, watchmen whom he has been reunited with just today. He decides to change history. A nudge here, a tug there, and maybe the revolt will not be necessary. Then his friends won't die. But he's told by one of the Monks of History that if he succeeds in his attempts, the future will be very different. Vimes will have no guarantee of being commander of the Watch. Vimes is fine with that, as long as the men live. The monk points out that if the revolt happens and succeeds, the old noble families of the city will surely be executed, including the entire Ramkin family. Vimes married a Ramkin.
He is now forced to choose futures. Will he let his friends die while he has the power to stop it or will he condemn his future wife to death and his son to never being born? If he succeeds, he loses everything that matters to him. But if he doesn't try, he won't be Sam Vimes.
Spoiler below. Highlight to read.
Sam tries. He partially succeeds. The revolution starts but the men die in the second battle not the first (which they win this time around). They are regarded as heroes who kept atrocities down instead of the renegades they were before Sam's actions.
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Ginny
Junior Member
Posts: 53
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Post by Ginny on Nov 18, 2012 22:46:53 GMT -5
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