What if you could change the world with one action? What if that action could change the course of history and alleviate the suffering of millions and save lives? These are the questions posed to Hugh Stanton when he visits an old professor at Cambridge in 2024. Professor Sally McCluskey, always one for challenging students with “what if” questions, lulls Stanton into that same discussion from his student days. She then drops a bomb on his traditional thinking. What if time travel existed and he could go back in time to change the world? Would he do it?

A man tempted by danger hoping an adventure will take his life and save him the trouble, Stanton is supposedly the perfect candidate. He is an ex-soldier, an adventure enthusiast, and very capable of fitting into any situation and taking on a dangerous job. He is also a man without a family. His wife, Cassie, and their two children were killed in a car accident, and since their deaths, all he can think about is his own death and the numerous ways he hurt his family. He’s emotionally unstable but also a man with nothing left to lose.

"TIME AND TIME AGAIN is a fascinating look at human nature and our need to change actions that we hope, and sometimes believe, will make life better --- and make us better in the process."

McCluskey convinces Stanton that by going back in time, he can change the world for the better. He can be the catalyst for a new and improved world with less suffering --- all it will take is his stopping a murder and committing another. Can he change history with a single shot? What Stanton finds is that simple acts are far from simple. His trip back in time sets in motion a new, and decidedly just as destructive, history. Stanton is unable to stop what he’s put in motion. But he’s an ex-soldier and survivalist, so basically he’s a man with a plan.

Alternate history always fascinates me. The question “what if?” can be so intriguing and hold so many possibilities. Ben Elton poses a number of alternatives and does justice to all the questions and answers he throws at readers. He pulls you into this story so quickly, and while you might start out as an unbeliever much like Stanton, that soon changes. Elton doesn’t make it easy to answer that simple “what if” question. And that’s a very good thing for readers!

TIME AND TIME AGAIN is a fascinating look at human nature and our need to change actions that we hope, and sometimes believe, will make life better --- and make us better in the process. Go read it. It’s very much worth your time.