JUST LOVE EVERYBODY

Debut author Ware delivers a sci-fi novel about one man’s journeys through time.

In 2031, Dr. Jacob “Jake” Love is having a picnic on a Pensacola, Florida, beach with his fiancee, Sondra, when two small, mysterious rocks fall from the sky. Curious about what they might be, Jake takes them home. The next day is September 11, the 30th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City. Jake watches a news special on the event while holding one of the stones, and offhandedly mentions that he wishes that he’d been there to help on that tragic day. Soon enough, he finds himself in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. He knows that there isn’t much time before the first plane will hit, so he attempts to warn people of the imminent attack. Unfortunately, all his warnings do is attract the interest of security guards. Eventually, he’s transported back to 2031. There, he finds that he’s still a successful doctor, but he has new memories of the FBI watching him closely for the past three decades. Now alert to the rocks’ power, he embarks on a largely spiritual journey to figure out how best to make use of it. Meanwhile, the government remains suspicious of his motives—and even his loyal girlfriend has concerns about him. This story certainly offers a novel take on the time-travel concept, and it’s one that incorporates a great deal of religious material; specifically, Jake spends a lot of time researching different faiths. Unusually for a book in this genre, he doesn’t use his new abilities to amass wealth or rewrite history, although, like many fictional time travelers, he does fantasize about killing Adolf Hitler. Instead, he’s much more interested in unusual ways to use his power, such as testing Jesus Christ’s DNA. The details of his day-to-day life in the future can seem a bit run-of-the-mill, such as when he orders food from a holographic menu. The real fun comes from seeing what he’ll do with his time-hopping powers; after he researches the Mormon leader Joseph Smith, Bible Student movement founder Charles Taze Russell, and the prophet Muhammad, readers will definitely wonder what exactly it is that he’s planning.

A romp through the ages that’s full of surprises, aside from some ordinary futuristic touches.