Tom Lynch

One of the reasons time travel has intrigued us over the many years of its hypothetical existence is that it offers us the chance to return to the past, right our wrongs, and lead comfortable lives without regret. Chicago writer and O. Henry Award-winner Charles Dickinson gives us "A Shortcut in Time," a work that introduces a new take on tinkering with time--the "sentimental" adventure. With fantasy must come patience, and Dickinson weaves his way through the book quite casually, effortlessly finding success.

While walking through a woodsy path in his hometown, Josh Winkler, struggling artist and narrator, stumbles upon an avenue that places him fifteen minutes into the past. The mystery that this "shortcut" holds intrigues Josh at first, but when he is unable to convince his wife that he's not having a nervous breakdown, the event discourages him. His daughter, Penny, is unsure whether to be excited or embarrassed, as the town slowly begins to find out about Josh's "trip" and immediately begins to judge. Then, a teenage girl named Constance Marceau mysteriously appears in the town claiming to be from 1908, and Josh becomes determined to help her find her way home.

The novel reads quickly--it's both humorous and lonely, which evokes a certain longing in the reader that Dickinson creates in each of his characters. He eloquently questions the nature of time travel; fifteen minutes may seem insignificant, but brief specific action can certainly deliver consequences different from those that existed before. Is it our place to alter what has already happened? Is regret preventable? Can it possibly be our choice to change the mistakes we have made?

Dickinson's novel ultimately succeeds as both an adventure tale and a family photo album. It's a witty, complex story that finds its own shortcut into a realm of fascination and endless possibilities.

A Shortcut in Time

By Charles Dickinson

Forge Books, $24.95, 288 pages

(2003-02-26)

Also by Tom Lynch

Notes from the Madden Underground
The hoodlums are gathered around televisions, hunched over, listening closely to the sounds of beeps coming from the speakers.
(2003-01-29)

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