Time's Eye

A Time Odyssey, Book 1

By: Stephen Baxter, Arthur C. Clarke

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

For eons, Earth has been under observation by the Firstborn, beings almost as old as the universe itself. The Firstborn are unknown to humankind - until they act. In an instant, Earth is carved up and reassembled like a huge jigsaw puzzle. Suddenly the planet and every living thing on it no longer exist in a single timeline. Instead, the world becomes a patchwork of eras, from prehistory to 2037, each with its own indigenous inhabitants.

Scattered across the planet are floating silver orbs impervious to all weapons and impossible to communicate with. Are these technologically advanced devices responsible for creating and sustaining the rifts in time? Are they cameras through which inscrutable alien eyes are watching? Or are they something stranger and more terrifying still?

The answer may lie in the ancient city of Babylon, where two groups of refugees from 2037 - three cosmonauts returning to Earth from the International Space Station, and three United Nations peacekeepers on a mission in Afghanistan - have detected radio signals: the only such signals on the planet, apart from their own. The peacekeepers find allies in nineteenth-century British troops and in the armies of Alexander the Great. The astronauts, crash-landed in the steppes of Asia, join forces with the Mongol horde led by Genghis Khan. The two sides set out for Babylon, each determined to win the race for knowledge...and the power that lies within.

Yet the real power is beyond human control, perhaps even human understanding. As two great armies face off before the gates of Babylon, it watches, waiting.

©2005 Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"An exciting tale full of high-tech physics, military tactics and larger-than-life characters in the first of two novels related to the bestselling senior author's Space Odyssey series." ( Publishers Weekly)

pretty good,

pretty good, would gave preferred a different ending but good nonetheless, should be sequels. x

Great listen for free

I think this is one of Clark's best works the story was something that really click with me in the what if's catagory can't wait to see if the next 2 books are as good

Genghis Khan and Alexander the great cage match

in chapter 36 there is a description tying off a femoral artery that is so accurate I actually tensed up myself as I read the words.this story was engrossing.

Great series - vast scope

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Wonderful combination of the two author's ideas and visions

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Viewing history through modern eyes - as if you had to live through it - the challenge was to make the ending believable

Did Time's Eye inspire you to do anything?

Look to more jointly authored books

Delightful...

You just get enjoy the flow of the tale & the immense detailing of it.

Great concept, poor delivery.

I am a fan of ACC's work, and I enjoyed his collaboration with Baxter, in The Light of Other Days. This one, feels a little dated and it drags a little. The characters are not very well developed, and (SPOILER-ALERT) they end up killing off the more interesting ones. Despite this tenuous start, I am going to take a swing at books 2 & 3: call it optimistic loyalty for ACC. I look forward to being surprised!

Forced "optional" headline

I didn't care for the voice that the narrator did for the women, it was so much like the other characters. Very hard to distinguish between them.

If you like time travel novels, this one's for you

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I enjoyed the book, but I will say it is not up to Clarke's best, Childhood's End or the Rama series.
The ploy of having Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great duke it out, was a lot of fun.
I am intrigued enough to get the next book and hope the excitement starts to build.
John Lee as always is a wonderful reader.

What other book might you compare Time's Eye to and why?

Timeline by Michael Crichton. I enjoyed Timeline better but then it wasn't written with a sequel in mind. There was more character development in Timeline and a definite ending.

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is one of my favorite readers. He could read me the phone book and I would be entranced!

Could you see Time's Eye being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes. For Sable I would like to see Madonna, the killer queen...
Besesa would be played by the beautiful Padma Lakshmi.
Josh played by Ben Affleck
Rudyard Kipling by Adrien Brody
Alexander the Great by Brad Pitt
Genghis Khan by Dwayne the rock Johnson.

Definitely worth listening to

A nice combination of science fiction and history. As ususal with Clarke's books, he does not develop a compelling central character but the other factors more than make up for it.

Good series, worth your time.

The authors do a great job in knitting together several storylines in a classic sci-fi what-if scenario. Of the series, I liked book 2the best, but all are worth reading. Book three ends with room for a fourth book, but it’s not available yet.