Pros
- One great feature of time travel stories and alternate universe stories is that readers can see an alternative life for the protagonist, similar to “Inner Light” in Star Trek The Next Generation
- Return of a favorite supporting medical doctor character who was conspicuously absent in the series so far
Cons
- Perhaps not as many, if any, action scenes as present in previous stories with battles
- A bit lonely without the other characters—almost as though the story is on hold while another obstacle resolves itself
Ryan’s Reboot Review
Ryan’s Reboot by Craig Robertson is a bit of a strange book in The Timeless Void series in that it takes a brief (or book-long) pause or detour from the main plot of the series to answer the question, “What if?”
One of the fun aspects of time travel and alternate universe stories (and episodes of science fiction shows) is wondering, “What if?” What if you had asked out your high school crush instead of giving into your crippling anxiety and fear of the inevitable soul-crushing rejection and its accompanying persistent mocking from classmates?
Some stories are well done, like Star Trek TNG‘s episode “Inner Light,” where Captain Picard, a lifelong bachelor with no children, is given, like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, a glimpse of what could have been. Likewise, Jon Ryan in Ryan’s Reboot is not only given, but allowed to experience a life domestic happiness with the one true (human) love of his life often mentioned throughout the Ryanverse thanks to the meddling with time.
This opportunity at an idyllic life does not come free, or cheap, for that matter. The universe must be in balance, and the cost is the suffering of his other (alien) love, Sapale. With extreme happiness comes extreme suffering, if one believes in balance.
The story, or reboot, of Ryan’s life comes at a pivotal point for the Ryan: a beautiful summer day where a car malfunction stalls a young Jon Ryan and his parents from reaching their summer destination just long enough for the young Jenna to drown in a pond. But this time around, Jon is compelled to by an unknown force to disregard his parents and rush to the pond on schedule, saving Jenna and dramatically altering not only his life, but the course of time and history.
Jon’s meddling with time and his attempts to restore the timeline do have repercussions. The biggest of which is the appearance of an astronomically sized-organism that swallows entire stars, planets, and anything that is in its path, a path that leads directly to Earth.
But there’s no conflict with this monster in the story. Jon’s nemesis in this story is not this being. Nor it is some all-powerful alien or deity. Instead, he’s his own worst enemy. Without the memory of his android self, Jon has to make the decision to give up his idyllic life and return to an immortal life that he has no memory of.
To help him along in this story is a favorite character Toño, his robot creation Miguel Cervantes (yes, that one), and a fragile theater girl with big aspirations. Missing in the story are the battles with enemies that readers have come to enjoy.
Ryan’s Reboot by Craig Robertson gives readers an alternate version of a life that could have been for Jon Ryan, the immortal savior of the galaxy. For a being who has live billions of years and has saved countless lives, perhaps this is kind of temporary reward, a glimpse into a life that could have been that many readers often wonder about.
Read reviews of other great science fiction books about time and time travel.
