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Time Tunnel, Book II, by Murray Leinster
Another plug for www.abebooks.com. I found a copy of the book there and it was delivered from an American bookshop in less than a week. You can’t get better service than that in the UK!!! This book is obviously markedly different from Allen’s 60s TV series although they share covers. The difference this time is the art is on a black cover when the later book has it in white. Don’t be confused. The TV series edition has a photo on the backcover. This story also has nothing to do with Project Tic-Toc. It is set in France where the American (who never gets a Christian name) Harrison and colleague Pepe Ybarra follow a series of disturbing news items of how back in 1804, an individual called de Bassompierre had been filling leading scientists of that year with things they shouldn’t have known for another century and reality is slowly changing. They locate Professor Carroll, an old University lecturer of theirs, who is now part owner of a shop selling obvious antiques but at low prices. Harrison also reacquaints himself with Valerie, Carroll’s step-daughter, for the added love interest for the story. Carroll had discovered an old cannon which when walked through as a tunnel returns to the past. One of his relatives regularly uses it to exchange perfume for the curios that is sold in the shop. Carroll is disturbed by the fact that de Bassompierre’s revelations in the past are affecting the present with China on the verge of nuclear war, France and Formosa liked to be nuked any day and those are just the good points. An expedition is then carried out into the past to resolve these problems and to avoid any grandfather killing paradox that might jeopardise their own existences. The descriptions of 19th century France, not to mention the accents of the French characters capture the mood perfectly. Occasionally, I wondered if Tim Powers had some of his inspiration for his ‘The Anubis Gates’ novel here. Certainly the solution is not what would have been expected, especially in 1964. About the only area of criticism would have to lie with the rather deux ex machina technique of visiting the past but then, what time travel story doesn’t employ such devices? I’d swear Michael Kube-McDowell’s ‘Alternities’ novel employs the same kind of tunnel. If you like Leinster’s work or interested in seeing an interesting take on time travel, then this book is worth seeking out even without the Irwin Allen connection. GF Willmetts
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OTHER REVIEWS - May 2002
NEW NOVELS Bewitched
Forever by Herbie J. Pilato The
Last Underclass by Dean Warren Perceptualistics:
Art By Jael. Time
Tunnel by Murray Leinster The
Shadow Sorceress by L.E. Modestitt Effendi:
The First Second by Jon Courtney Grimwood The
Tomorrow People Volume 2: The Medusa Strain Star
Wars: Attack of the Clones - Visual Dictionary Star
Wars: Attack of the Clones - Incredible Cross-Sections
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As
noted last month when I reviewed Leinster’s first tie-in to the
Irwin Allen TV show, ‘The Time Tunnel’, there was a need to back
to his original novel also of the same name sans the ‘The’. 
With
another set of producers looking at this book as a means to kick-start
a different Time Tunnel series from the one already mentioned in
the press, this reviewer decided to check it out. 
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