{"id":675,"date":"2020-11-22T07:27:36","date_gmt":"2020-11-22T07:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/undinestudios.com\/blog\/?p=675"},"modified":"2021-08-19T03:18:15","modified_gmt":"2021-08-19T03:18:15","slug":"city-book-review-past-versus-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/undinestudios.com\/blog\/?p=675","title":{"rendered":"City Book Review: Past Versus Future"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"thisIsMeNow_CBRs_PVR\"<\/p>\n

I wrote an editorial review for Past Versus Future.\u00a0 It was a pretty good book!\u00a0 Here’s my review:<\/p>\n

Past Versus Future<\/i>\u00a0posits that\u00a0the <\/i>big\u00a0bang was merely one<\/i>\u00a0bang in a series of many. Like a cosmic reset button, each bang brings with it a whole new universe where civilizations rise and fall, where species venture beyond their solar systems and explore whole galaxies. And before the most recent bang that resulted in our universe, there existed a remarkably similar universe\u2014complete with an Earth look-alike called Terra.<\/p>\n

In Mark Grimshaw\u2019s\u00a0Past Versus Future<\/i>, a hodgepodge army of ancient monsters travels into the future and steps into a modern-day New York City equivalent (hence the title). This evil army goes on to wreak havoc across Terra, forcing the survivors to come together and fight for the future of their world.<\/p>\n

The odds are stacked in the enemy\u2019s favor. Horde of cloned soldiers? Check. Medieval Jason Vorhees with a giant sword? Check. Flying Godzilla? Double-check. But thanks to characters Erica Bareilles and Rose Apperin, who together are essentially the living embodiment of deus ex machina, readers will have a great time rooting for the good guys.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an origin story in here for nearly every supernatural character (buckle up, for there are many), and while the delivery is sometimes a little silly, the ideas are captivating and original. These vignettes also provide a nice change of pace from what is otherwise nonstop, comic-book action. All told, the novel covers an unimaginable span of time on par with Cixin Liu\u2019s\u00a0Death\u2019s End<\/i>. That\u2019s not to say readers will find complex metaphors here, however; this epic is more likely to please fans of the alien invasion movie\u00a0Independence Day<\/i>.<\/p>\n

If I were magically transported through time and space to the planet Terra, I\u2019d have little trouble assimilating. Indeed, it seems the only differences between Terra and our own world are entirely superficial. They have twelve months in a year, but with unfamiliar names like Resember and Karch. People yell through moose-horns instead of bullhorns and use heavy weaponry called engine-guns. Mileage will vary depending on the reader, but if you got a kick out of\u00a0the McDonald\u2019s scene<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a0Pulp Fiction<\/i>, you\u2019ll probably get a kick out of this running gag, too.<\/p>\n

Grimshaw\u2019s debut is undeniably rough around the edges, and his comic-book writing style won\u2019t please everyone, but I felt the plot and scope made it well worth my time. Further, I can\u2019t deny that the jokes (which rely almost are entirely on the \u201cCall a Rabbit a Smeerp<\/a>\u201d TV trope) got a few laughs out of me. I recommend this to fans of sci-fi looking for something bombastic and fun.<\/p>\n