Michael Sullivan - Hollow World

This book is dedicated to the people at Tachyon Publications who are leading the way in publishing done right. I hope more organizations follow in their footsteps.

Time travel as described in this novel isnt possible. Its important to mention this up front. Im not saying, Dont try this at home. Im simply clarifying that this is as much a work of fantasy as it is science fictionbut, then again, most science fiction has a dash of fantasy thrown in, that artificial what if spark that ignites the chain reaction that propels everything forward.

In the classic The Time Machine, H. G. Wellss high-tech explanation for how his device was able to skip through years was: Now I want you to clearly understand that this lever, being pressed over, sends the machine gliding into the future, and this other reverses the motion. Thats pretty much the extent of his hard science. Of course his story, while named The Time Machine, really wasnt so much about the machine or the science behind it, but rather speculations on the future of mankind.

So is Hollow World.

The Time Machine was first published in Britain in 1895. Apparently, back then, you could get away with stating that pressing a lever resulted in doing something otherwise known as impossible. Of course back then, they didnt have the Internet. The average reader today knows that you cant travel faster than the speed of light, or through a black hole. This education may be due more to the success of science fiction entertainment such as Star Trek than to high school teachers, but here we are. The modern-day reader is better educated and demands plausibility.

To this end I did research into time-travel theory, and I drew inspiration from a handful of sources, most notably Time Travel in Einsteins Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time by renowned astrophysicist J. Richard Gott. Mr. Gott provided a plausible explanation for how a stationary object could move significantly forward in time by overcoming the g-force restriction of linear travel by moving interdimensionally. This is theoretically possible if you could put yourself in the near-center of a black hole while maintaining a defensive shell using electrostatic repulsions of like charges. Thats the theory, but as I said, time travel of the sort required for this story isnt possibleat least not in an urban garage. I fudged the matha lot. I aimed for a dramatic blend of faade, plausibility, and smoke-and-mirrors illusion so that if you dont look too closely, you can almost imagine it working.

Like H. G. Wellss tale, Hollow World really isnt about time travel any more than reality television shows are documentaries. I hope you wont allow a little creative license to get in the way of enjoying the ride. I felt providing a good reading experience superseded an adherence to strict probability. Hollow World isnt a story about the science of time travel.

So, what is this story about?

Read ona world awaits.

When she said he was dying, and explained how little time he had left, Ellis Rogers laughed. Not a normal responsethe doctor knew it, Ellis did too. He wasnt crazy; at least he didnt think so, but how does anyone really know? He should have seen visions, flashes from his life: kissing Peggy at the altar, graduating college, or the death of their son, Isley. He should have fixated on all of the things that hed never done, the words he had spoken, or the ones he hadnt. Instead, Ellis focused on the four-letter word the doctor had said. Funny that she used that wordhe never told her what was in his garage.

The pulmonary specialist was a small Indian woman with bright, alert eyes and a clipboard that she frequently looked to for reference. She wore the familiar white lab coatstethoscope stuffed deep in one pocket. She sat, or more accurately leaned, against the front of her desk as she spoke. At the start of her speech, the doctor had begun with a determined, sympathetic resolve, but that train had been derailed by his inappropriate outburst, and neither of them seemed to know what to do next.

Are youall right? she asked.

First test I ever failed, he said, trying to explain himself, hoping shed swallow it and move on. Given the news she had just delivered, he deserved a little slack.

The doctor stared at him concerned for a moment, then settled back into her professional tone. You should probably get another opinion, Ellis. She used his first name as if they were old friends, though hed only seen her the few times it had taken to get the tests performed.

Is someone working on a cure for this? Ellis asked.

The doctor sighed, keeping her lips firm. She folded her arms, then unfolded them and leaned forward. Yes, but I honestly dont think anyone is close to a breakthrough. She looked at him with sad eyes. You just dont have that much time.

There was that word again.

He didnt laugh, but he might have smiled. He needed a better poker face. Ellis shifted his sight away from her and instead focused on three jars sitting on a counter near the door. They looked like they belonged in a kitchenexcept that these contained tongue depressors and cotton swabs instead of sugar and flour. He couldnt tell what was in the last one. Something individually packaged, syringes, maybe, which reminded him to double-check the first-aid kit to make sure it had a good supply of aspirin. Not all of them did.

The doctor probably expected him to cry or maybe fly into a rage cursing God, bad luck, the industrial food complex, or his own refusal to exercise. Laughter and smiles werent on that menu. But he couldnt help being amused, not when the doctor was unwittingly making jokes.

No