A Long Time Until Now

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First edition

A Long Time Until Now is a

paleolithic era
. The novel was praised for its characters and survival elements.

Publication history

A Long Time Until Now takes place in a setting different from Williamson's previous novels.[1] In an essay on the Baen Books website, Williamson describes the research he undertook to enhance the realism of the story. This included reading papers on paleolithic Central Asia, experimenting with making fire with friction, and cooking bugs.[2]

A Long Time Until Now was released in hardcover and as an e-book in May 2015.[3][4] A paperback release followed in July 2016.[3] The cover by Kurt Miller shows soldiers from different time periods defending against prehistoric animals.[5] Miller is a frequent illustrator of military science fiction covers, known for his detailed and vivid depictions of warriors.[6]

Plot

The book tells the story of ten US soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan. They are transported back into the paleolithic past where they meet people native to that time period as well as other groups displaced in time, including imperial Roman soldiers. The plot incorporates survival story elements as the soldiers must use their wits and equipment to survive in a hostile, foreign environment.

Reception

The novel was favorably received. In a review for

Galveston Daily News praised the "different and fully developed" characters and described the book as "outstanding entertainment".[1] Bill Lawthorn of SFRevu criticized the depiction of female characters but called the book a "good novel".[9]

Sequel

That was Now, This is Then, a novel by Michael Z. Williamson, was released in 2021, a direct sequel to A Long Time Until Now.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b Lardas, Mark (May 24, 2015). "Survival story grabs readers from the beginning". Galveston Daily News.
  2. ^ Williamson, Michael Z. (2015). "The Distant Past: A Setting for Science Fiction". Baen Books.
  3. ^ a b "Michael Z. Williamson". Baen Books. Archived from the original on 2019-08-04. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  4. ^ "A Long Time Until Now / Michael Z. Williamson". Baen Books.
  5. ^ Miller, Kurt (May 20, 2015). "A Long Time Until Now". fineartamerica.
  6. ^ Westfahl, Gary (August 10, 2015). "Miller, Kurt". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.
  7. ^ Sakers, Don (November 2015). "The Reference Library". Analog Science Fiction & Fact. 135 (11): 107.
  8. ^ Robson, Seth (December 13, 2016). "'A Long Time Until Now' draws on vet's experience, imagination (book review)". Stars & Stripes.
  9. ^ Lawthorn, Bill (September 2015). "A Long Time Until Now (Temporal Displacement)". SFRevu.
  10. ^ Williamson, Michael Z. (2021). That was Now, This is Then. Baen.
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