Have you ever wondered if life would be better if you’d been born in another time? Do you get nostalgic for a simpler days? What if you could have your bachelorette party in the old west with Doc Holliday? Or if you could go watch The Lincoln Douglas debates in preparation for law school?
Ash has some pretty typical Gen Z malaise. A theater major, she backed away from acting and has just been fired from her executive assistant job for “her heart not being in it.” She is soon hired to be a Travel agent for Retro, a billionaire founded Time Travel agency. Guests, known as “explorers” book wildly expensive vacations to times in the past, and its Ash’s job to accompany them and ensure they get home safely.
I don’t think I am going to give you any more than that, but know that this is big on plot, setting and theming. Short on science. If you are hoping for scientific answers, you won’t find a lot of that. We are going to go deep on the theoretical— and how capitalism makes decisions and sees money and power as the ultimate source of truth. If you’ve ever heard “Make America Great Again” and wondered “when exactly are you thinking?” Then this book is for you. It’s so thought provoking and generous in its creativity. I really enjoyed Ash and her insecurity…. Her approach to relationships and to how she gets day to day in life.
I think critics of this book will likely want MORE. I didn’t want it to end, yet I am satisfied with how it did. Like the old “Twilight Zone” series, this storytelling pattern gives the reader a “what if?” scenario and lets your imagination do the heavy lifting.
I will be thinking about this book a long time. It would be a perfect pick for your book club!
a best speculative fiction book of 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC. Book to be published July 22, 2026
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