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The Futility of Vengeance
The Futility of Vengeance is the second book in the Many Worlds series which follows Gary Jackson through a multitude of realities. If you’re unfamiliar with the series, the key things that you need to know are that the Many World series is a science fiction/crime series that follows protagonist Gary Jackson through alternate realities. The series second installation, Futility of Vengeance picks up right where Wordlines left off. In one world, Sinead and Gary Jackson are about to become husband and wife, where alternately they are simply friends, and there is another Gary who sits in prison planning revenge on the Gary that killed his girlfriend. Additionally, as Gary explores these Worldlines, he aims to explore more worldlines as we see his obsessiveness continue to grow throughout the book.
Like the first book, the use of alternate realities is an entertaining plot device that can be enjoyed by a variety of readers, myself included. However, compared to Worldlines, Futility of Vengeance explains the science fiction elements better and we go deeper. For example, we can visit the future of one Gary and then the past of a different Gary. Expanding beyond real time, there is a lot more we get to see in the second novel which I enjoyed immensely. While I liked the idea of additional Worldlines I felt that they were sometimes hard to follow.
The supporting cast of characters continue to be interesting, Gary Jackson’s character goes through a drastic change. In the first book, I found myself rather sympathetic towards Gary, but in this book he’s less likable. This could likely be attributed to the events that are taking place, as I felt that the way he treats the people in his life in Futility of Vengeance can be cruel at times. This gives a different dimension to his character that I was not expecting. Author Adam Guest continues to expand his creative sci-fi world in the second installment so that it is even deeper and more complex, and will appeal to hard science fiction fans.
The Futility of Vengeance has a story that is fascinating and takes readers in unexpected but entertaining directions. The story has a lot of substance, with a storyline that is intellectually invigorating. This is a story that has the potential to be massive in scope. Fans will be thrilled to continue the Many Worlds series and see the story go in some very intriguing directions.
Pages: 320 | ISBN: 1913777057
A Funny Fish-Out-Of-Water Adventure
The Modern Aztec’s Guide to Dating and Time Travel follows a savvy woman who must protect her DIY time travel device from some dangerous people. What was the inspiration for the setup to this fun story?
First off, thank you for your review and kind words about my novel! It’s always a thrilling and humbling moment when I hear that someone actually enjoyed it!
The list of things that inspired The Modern Aztec’s Guide to Dating and Time Travel would take up about 514 pages, but here’s the very condensed version. Time travel stories like Back to the Future, the delightfully comedic works of authors like Christopher Moore, Alexander C. Kane, and Jenny Lawson, the current socio-political climate, my own experiences as a Mexican-American, and, of course, my love of strong, female leads.
I wanted a story about a very exceptional but downtrodden character who, despite all her gifts and skills, just wants a normal, simple life. But because of those gifts and skills, normalcy just isn’t in the cards for her. With supervillains, evil corporations, and guardian demons and angels alike coming after her, the story really is about Quality having to decide whether she’s going to rise to the challenge and reluctantly embrace her role as badass heroine.
I wanted a funny fish-out-of-water adventure where this character has every reason in the world to be a jerk…yet somehow remains positive and committed to protecting this pesky little thing called the space-time continuum.
Quality Jones is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind her character development?
I wanted her to be, at heart, a good, moral character despite a lifetime of never fitting in, never being accepted, and forever living under the fear of persecution and even death. It was important for me that she remain true to her core despite all the temptations to just give in and make lots of money off of her time travel technology. More importantly, I wanted her to be real. She’s not perfect by any means. She’s kind of selfish, a little bit immature despite her age, a little bit ditzy despite being very clever, and not the wisest person despite being a technical genius.
But I wanted her to endure lots of suffering, including the loss of her great love, but still be able to bounce back and fight through. Even though she prefers to live an anonymous, normal life, things outside of her control push her into extraordinary circumstances, and how she chooses to respond is at the heart of this planned trilogy.
Finally, I really wanted Quality to serve as a lens through which to view our own reality. She is, after all, an outsider that grew up in a parallel timeline where there never was a United States. Now, she’s in a world where corporations can invasively enforce brand loyalty, where corrupt police can do whatever they want to whomever they want, and where it’s illegal for someone like her (i.e., half Mexican) to hold a good job. Quality’s earnest observation of things is, in my opinion, the perfect vehicle for some much-needed satire for this day and age.
This novel delivers some very entertaining scenes. What was the funnest thing about writing this novel?
Without giving too much away, there are some characters that serve as perfect foils to Quality, and it was a blast to just put them in the same room and see what happened. When you have a character as relatively straight-laced as her, and when she has to deal with some genuinely absurd people (I’m looking at you, Sevastian), the results were often unpredictable. I’d have plot ideas, yes, but the most fun part of writing this was just letting loose and letting the characters’ respective foibles play off one another.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m torn between doing the sequel to my second novel, The Perfect Teresa (which you also reviewed, by the way!), and the sequel to this one. The good news is that the sequel to The Modern Aztec’s Guide to Dating and Time Travel is already kind of written. I began this story much farther along before realizing that the backstory was just too much (and too funny) to leave as backstory. So that’s how this particular book came about, and why I’m technically far along into writing the sequel.
And while I’d love to say, “Oh, the sequel is coming out in 2021,” every time I put a date on things, I tend to jinx myself. So let’s just say, it’s coming out in the near future!
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She’s survived two time-travel accidents and grown up in a timeline where the Aztecs defeated the Spanish. Her DIY time-travel technology could vaporize the space-time continuum. Her cat is abusive and her Guardian Demon is a jerk. She can’t even afford a real pair of Uggs. But all Quality wants is normalcy—and to start her own business.
Even normalcy is too tall an order when she runs into the world’s most lovable band of supervillains out to conquer the world in the name of EVIL. Turns out there are people who would do anything to get their hands on her time-travel technology. Who would have thought?
Now, Quality must work with friends and frenemies alike to protect her time-travel secrets at all costs. And she’ll need all the tacos and dating advice she can get if she’s going up against Amazon Prime battle tanks, quantum cataclysms, and one alarming possibility.
That maybe those time-travel accidents that completely upended her life weren’t accidents at all.
The Modern Aztec’s Guide to Dating and Time Travel
Quality Jones possesses more unique qualities than just her name. She is, by all rights, a time-traveling phenomenon and an exceptionally strong and resourceful young woman. The target of regular biases and racism, she bounces back quickly and never allows society’s ills to affect her. She is, quite literally, one in a million. When a chance meeting with a ridiculously unsuccessful bank robber places Quality in front of law enforcement and accused of the crime herself, everything she believed she knew about the battle of good versus evil is put to the test. Quality might be an experienced time-traveler, but she is about to face her biggest challenge to date.
The Modern Aztec’s Guide to Dating and Time Travel: A Quality Jones Book, by Ulises Silva, is a real rollercoaster ride of science fiction-meets-comedic timing. The story’s main character is, by and large, the straight man in this unique blend of time travel and satire. Quality Jones is always ready with a retort that cuts deep. Her frustration with the Sevastian’s inadequacies is beyond obvious and the eye-rolling responses she gives to his ridiculous decisions are palpable to readers.
If I had to place Silva’s work in a genre, I am not too sure I would choose science fiction as its primary category. Cover to cover, Silva provides readers with satirical elements that keep readers on their toes. The author addresses current events in a way readers in 2020 easily recognize and with which they will quickly relate. From the names of stores and banks to the references regarding the lack of social distancing, Silva hits on every conceivable social convention.
Each and every character Quality Jones encounters brings to mind those of comic books. They are bigger than life, have dialogue that is a fantastic blend of humor, satire, and science fiction terms and offer stunning visuals for readers. Quality Jones herself is a stand-out main character who begs to be recognized for the way she calmly handles the chaos surrounding her.
I am giving The Modern Aztec’s Guide to Dating and Time Travel: A Quality Jones Book, by Ulises Silva, 4 out of 5 stars. Readers who relish humor in conjunction with their science fiction plots will be able to instantly sink their teeth into Silva’s work. For those who seek satire and an occasional break from overly-technical science fiction work, Silva’s work will be a wonderful treat.
Pages: 527 | ASIN: B08N5BSZBJ
LITERARY TITAN 