What would you change in the past to save the environment in the future? Will Saving Schrödinger’s Cat be enough? Find out in this book by Mark Jenkins.
Location: 1920s post-apocalyptic London, England
Saving Schrödinger's Cat synopsis
In the 25th century, deep under the Earth’s shattered surface, the dying remnants of humankind live in a dwindling Colony devoid of Nature and are desperate for a way to change the past.
Humanity’s future rests on the unlikely shoulders of Proteus. Born with a unique genetic mutation, scientists discover that he is the only one capable of surviving the ravages of time-travel. After decades of preparation, Proteus is sent backwards to early 20th century London to disrupt the science that ultimately led to nuclear weapons … but Time doesn’t want the past to change and it pushes back.
Book review
The main character, Proteus, lives below the surface in the 25th century. In his timeline, the environment is beyond saving and the only solution seems to be to send someone back in time to disrupt the work of Ernest Rutherford, so that certain technological discoveries miss their timeline and are discovered too late for the historical events in which they were used. But there is one big problem: is it even possible to change the future that is his present? If he pushes too hard, time itself pushes back to make violation impossible, causing unwanted accidents.
How would you go about saving Schrödinger’s cat?
Nature over people
The narrator’s thoughts are expressed in a very straightforward manner, leaving hardly any room for the reader to think about the concepts present in the story. While this may be fine for other readers, it does not work well for the type of reader I am. The way the narrator approaches his life task does fit his upbringing, so the characterization is on point. If the person sent back to the past had been more fascinated by meeting the key characters, the narrative could have been more exciting. There are two things that do fascinate Proteus, namely nature and the woman he meets in the past, but his feelings are described rather than brought to life.
Time-resistance
Saving Schrödinger’s Cat focuses less on science and philosophy of time and ethics than I expected after reading the blurb and title. I wish the plot had gone in a different direction, namely a more philosophical one with more words devoted to the concept of time-resistance, because that is the aspect that fascinated me most in this book. However, it seemed that the resistance was mostly in the form of spy action with only a small role for nature. The plot execution made me enjoy the book less, but it’s entirely possible that Saving Schrödinger’s Cat succeeds in captivating readers with different expectations and interests.
Regardless of people’s expectations: this book was not fast-paced or mysterious enough to be a mystery/thriller, nor scientific enough to fulfill the promise of its intriguing title. It tried to be too many things at once. If there had been less focus on the spy agency and time travel, the book would have fared better as historical fiction.
Interested?
Book details
Title: Saving Schrödinger’s Cat
Author: Mark Jenkins
Language: English
Publisher: Mark Jenkins Books
Pages: 300
ISBN (13): 9781735206134
Publication date: 1 November 2021
About the author
Mark Jenkins is a British-American author of speculative fiction — primarily sci-fi, thrillers, and historical fiction. He is a physician and life-long seeker of knowledge, who thrives on deep dives. Mark is as excited by the challenge of exploring a new subject in a book, as he is by learning to solo-climb glaciated stratovolcanoes — and centers these moments of discovery in his fictional works. He is the author of Klickitat – and other stories (speculative mountaineering fiction tales), and the novel, Saving Schrödinger’s Cat (Sci-fi/time travel/historical fiction – Fall 2021).
Mark is an avid cyclist, open water swimmer, and admirer of seals. He currently lives in the Pacific Northwest where he and his wife, Joanna, enjoy hiking, climbing, stand-up paddle boarding (when Mark can stay upright), photography, and quiet walks in nature.
Many thanks to Mark Jenkins Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
