Novikov Windows: A Time Travel Novel
A mind-bending time travel tale...
In the year 1996, David Singh, a time traveller from the future, coaxes a group of experts to the desolate farmstead of Blackwell's Rest in remote Australia. He achieves this by showing each recruit an object which convinces them beyond doubt to follow him.
Their mission is to construct a time machine using advanced wormhole-generating and quantum computing technology sent to them from the future. However, as the group begin their task, they learn a grim truth.
Events of the past and future are unalterable. Free will is an illusion. Travelling back in time with knowledge of one's own future, yet not being able to change anything, can pose an immeasurable psychological burden. This is a Novikov Window, the scenario of being trapped within an unalterable sequence of events, like a passive actor living in a play scripted by fate.
To avoid Novikov Windows, knowledge about the future is closely guarded, breeding suspicion and manipulation amongst the team. Some refuse to accept their lack of control and attempt to alter history. What begins as a thrilling scientific adventure takes a dark turn as the group is faced with increasingly difficult and unethical missions.
Torn apart by their moral and ideological differences, the community frays and each individual struggles to find a sense of purpose and redemption. How can they find hope in the face of impossible decisions, in a universe where there are no choices?
Praise for Novikov Windows:
Chosen in the Top 10 Science Fiction Novels Published in 2023 on Reddit's r/printSF
Redditor Bweeb "asked 1200+ authors for their 3 favorite reads of the year", then "crunched the results to see what new and old books were the most-read of 2023".
Chosen in the 100 Best Science Fiction Books of 2023 (Books Published in 2023)
1,383 authors were asked for their 3 favorite reads in 2023. Novikov Windows appears in the list of books published in 2023.
"This is an incredible debut. Cosmain paints complex and believable characters that you can't help but care for."
Doctor Dinesh Palipana OAM, author of Stronger.
"If you're not already a fan of time travel, chances are you'll become one after you read this novel. If you are already a fan, this novel will go to the top of your list, and stay there as an accomplishment against which past and future time travel stories you may read will be judged."
Paul Levinson, PhD, author of more than a dozen time travel novels and stories, including It's Real Life: An Alternative History of the Beatles, The Plot to Save Socrates, Unburning Alexandria, Chronica (the Sierra Waters trilogy); The Chronology Protection Case; The Loose Ends Saga; Ian's Ions and Eons; and Marilyn and Monet.
Read the full review here: https://vocal.media/futurism/review-of-chris-cosmain-s-novikov-windows or click on the link button below:
Engaging and rife with twists and turns, creating a suspenseful atmosphere that keeps the readers on their toes
Posted by IndieReader.com, January 11, 2024
I found Novikov Windows interesting and very entertaining. Describing a possible mechanism for enabling time travel sets it apart from other sci-fi time travel stories I have read. While I cannot, at this stage of history, vouch for the scientific accuracy of the mechanism described, I can say it is plausible and I cannot find fault with the descriptions of the paradoxes and causal loops.
David Pegg, Professor Emeritus, Applied Mathematics and Physics, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, author of multiple scientific papers on the physics of time travel
Chris shows a unique flair with his written word, showing not telling ... and plenty of imagery. Something about the writing that strikes me is how well Chris changes the point of view of narration from one character to another. This is quite a common tool authors use to provide the reader with information that one character would know and not another, but the technique is used more fully here because the information now includes a deeper attention to the character’s thoughts about the other character or the situation they face.
Paul Wandason, time2timetravel.com. Time2timetravel is one of the largest time travel blogs on the internet and is dedicated to everything related to time and time travel and a website with the basics of time travel for beginners.
Novikov Windows Book Review by Readers' Favorite
Reviewed by Foluso Falaye for Readers' Favorite
"Novikov Windows by Chris Cosmain presents a thoughtfully crafted tale with various characters who must work with the little information they have to carry out mysterious time travel missions. Amnesia is only one of Aaron's worries. Even though he has been told that he traveled from 2012 to 1996 by a strange group, he finds it hard to believe the group's outlandish claims about time travel. Since Alex is passionate about relativity and quantum theory, he is eager to discover the adventure that comes with access to real time travel. At a low point in her life, Tori learns about the group's set-up on a farm and decides to give life another chance. Follow these unique characters as they endeavor to figure out their roles in complex time travel missions involving various paradoxes, travels to different times, and dire consequences.
I loved Chris Cosmain's observant and well-developed characters, especially because their unique personalities and goals are woven together skillfully. Their relationships develop into a more passionate and complex form as the story progresses, which allows for a deep connection with them, whether they're getting married or finding out consequential secrets. Additionally, the suspenseful and action-packed scenes had my heart racing. I was very eager to see a young Albert Einstein escape from danger. Though it felt somewhat complex at times, I loved the story. Novikov Windows offers a mentally stimulating experience, from well-explained paradoxes like the ex nihilo paradox to mind-blowing worldbuilding details like arriving in space during time travel. It had me endlessly staring into space while contemplating hypothetical situations. This is a must-read for time travel fans and all lovers of intricate sci-fi stories."
Readers' Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for Authors" and "Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
From the author: On writing Novikov Windows
Novikov Windows: A Time Travel Novel is my first book.
Time travel science fiction is one of my favourite genres and for many years I’ve wanted to write a time travel tale. In writing Novikov Windows: A Time Travel Novel, I wanted to achieve two aims:
The first was to explore the emotional impact upon the characters of the premise that the past, present and future are unalterable. How would each person cope with the revelation that they have no free will? And how would they deal with the psychological impact that the twisted causality and bizarre closed timelike curves of time travel might unleash?
The second aim was to dive deeply into how a time machine might actually work in terms of the science and plausible technologies that might be leveraged. This is certainly a hard science fiction novel. While I allowed myself the odd flight of technical fantasy, I endeavoured to interpret existing scientific theory and current technological trends as accurately as possible.
Both the science and the philosophy of time travel subsequently steered the plot in interesting directions.
I have immensely enjoyed writing this novel and I sincerely hope that you have as much fun reading it!
Warm wishes
Chris Cosmain
