Concurrence by Marc Rokoff
Phillip has dedicated his life to achieving cross-time communication through the NOLTEX assembler. He only breaks away from his work once daily to visit Justin, his comatose boyfriend, in the local hospital. When a sudden breakthrough allows Phillip to talk with himself three months in the future, there’s plenty of reason to celebrate the success. He has single-handedly invented one of humanity’s greatest scientific achievements.
The celebration soon gives way to confusion when Phillip begins receiving strange messages from himself much further in the future. Adding to the intrigue is a curiously timed spatial anomaly that appears to be approaching Earth from a distant point in deep space. Is the timing of these two first-of-their-kind scientific events a coincidence? Or is there a connection between Phillip’s communications with the future and the approaching anomaly? When a shocking global event upends Phillip’s attempts to investigate, he suddenly finds himself alone to resolve the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced.
An exciting piece of science fiction literature, Concurrence is an engaging, quick read that’s fun yet thought-provoking. This mind-bending scifi book offers up a satisfying time travel adventure for genre fans and newbies alike.
Purchase Link: Amazon.com
Review
*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review *
Rating: 4 stars
Phillip is a scientist who has dedicated his life to his work. His boyfriend Justin now lies in hospital in a coma and Phillip is convinced that his sudden breakthrough will help him to change the past and save Justin. His breakthrough allows him to communicate with his future self at various points in time, but then Phillip realises that there is much more to it than that. And when a global catastrophe occurs, Phillip realises that he is humanities only hope.
Concurrence is an engaging novella. Phillip is a well-rounded character, with imperfections that are relatable and sympathetic. His closure and the end of the novella is bitter-sweet but filled with hope for the future. The author successfully blends science fiction and dystopia to create a very thrilling and enjoyable read.
Shari Sakurai 