It's Just The Chronosphere Unfolding As It Should by Ira Nayman

a Radames Trafshanian Time Agency novel (Transdimensional Authority Book 4)

Review by The Mole

In Random Dingoes we met Radames Trafshanian - a Time Agency agent - after Noomi and Crash's case was shown to involve time travel. In this book we follow a case of Radames' as she tries to unravel the occurrences of déjà vu that seem to be causing time anomalies and threaten the stability of the multiverse.

These stories are extremely funny - I am careful with the word "hilarious" as it invokes memories of watching Morecambe and Wise as a child and laughing until my ribs, quite literally, hurt. But who really wants that in a book? You'd never get the book finished as you kept having to find your place on the page! But Nayman's books are just short of that but...

Time travel is one of those things that it's so easy to get totally obsessed with as an author and as a reader, and the concept of the multiverse further complicates that. Nayman somehow sidesteps those problems and leaves you with a novel that almost feels plausibly real - until you think about it.

My own view is that Nayman is actually getting better at these stories and the books (I've only read 1 and 3) were never anything but good but do improve. I know that when I turned the last page to find the appendices came next I was disappointed - disappointed that there was no more and I would have to wait for book 5!

A read for YA/adult readers that love humour and scifi and don't take their reading too seriously.

Genre - YA/Adult Humour, Sci-Fi
Publisher - Elsewhen Press

Random Dingoes by Ira Nayman

Review by The Mole

A new drug is in town, Joy Joy, that causes the user to see their lives in other multiverses - at the same time! Noomi and Crash (see "Welcome To The Multiverse") are sent to track the dealer down but along the way another, more important, case comes up so they team up with Radames Trafshanian, a Time Agency agent, to find the user of an unlicensed time machine that threatens the fabric of the multiverse.

Nayman's work is always funny and quirky but here, more so than in the other books I have read by him, the plotting is deeper, more consistent and the story is stronger. It's almost a more serious novel except that it's not - it's still hugely entertaining making you smile on most every page - if not laugh out loud.

The study questions, at the end of each chapter are something not to be taken seriously (obviously, when you read them) but add to the humour - in case you are taking things too seriously.

Sci-Fi fans may not take Nayman seriously but here, in this novel, he approaches that hot potato of time travel that no-one gets 100% right and does a remarkably good job of trying. Come on Sci-Fi fans,stop taking it so seriously and take a trip aboard the Transdimensional Delorean - you may just enjoy yourselves.

Genre - Adult Humour, Sci-Fi
Publisher - Elsewhen Press

The Street Finds Its Own Uses for Mutant Technologies by Ira Nayman

Review by The Mole

In this collection of news articles from alternate realities around  the multiverse we encounter not only more of the weird realities but even stranger people and politics.

Nayman once again reflects on people and events slightly outside of normal reality and injects humour into everything. His brand of humour - Pythonesque, Feldmanish, Milligan-like - his work has a wide appeal to those who would contemplate "what if the universe... ?". And it's very easy to see parallels back into our own universe and how silly people really are without anyone actually adding humour on their behalf.

I have to admit to being a fan of this brand of humour which we encountered constantly years ago but still has a big following today although it is far less prominent than it was.

Take a look and raise a smile today (Amazon has a 'look inside' option) and do yourself a favour.

Publisher - Aardvarks Eyes Press
Genre - Adult Humour, Sci Fi

Buy The Street Finds Its Own Uses for Mutant Technologies from Amazon

Alternative Reality News Service Guide to Love, Sex and Robots by Ira Nyman

Review by The Mole

"Relationships are hard. And, when you find yourself in a new, unusual situation, who can you turn to for advice? Other than your Priest, Rabbi or Ventrosian Blitzvoort, I mean. And, your shrink. Arguably, you should definitely be asking your shrink for advice. Oh, and, come to think of it, your Aunt Bertha (because every family has a sympathetic Aunt Bertha. Okay, there are lots of places you can go for advice. But, if your Ventrosian Bliktvoort stops returning your calls, your shrink is away at an academic conference talking about his paper on your "condition" and your Aunt Bertha is no longer welcome at family gatherings because of the guacamole incident, there's always Amritsar and the Tech Answer Guy. For the first time, the Alternate Reality News Service has collected the wisdom of its award pining advice columnists in a single volume, the Guide to Love, Sex and Robots. Read through these pages to see if your particular problem is addressed. Amritsar and the Tech Answer Guy may not be your Aunt Bertha, but who among us is? REMEMBER: if you have a burning personal issue that you need help with, you can write Amritsar or The Tech Answer Guy at: questions@lespagesauxfolles.ca. Neither of them may be Deepak Chopra, exactly, but who among us, including Aunt Bertha, is?"

This is a little like a joke book in that is there are lots of short 'letter exchanges' between the agony aunts and readers. The readers though are not all human or from earth or even from this universe. This opens up the possibilities of some really crazy exchanges on subjects you may have never even conceived of.

Always amusing, often funny and sometimes laugh out loud, this book is one that I found I enjoyed most when picked up, read on a few exchanges and then put down again. But that may be just me.

Whatever, this is not a book to take seriously so just enjoy it and if you like the author's sense of humour then you will love his "Welcome to the Multiverse". It's a sense of humour that I appreciate.

Publisher - Aardvarks Eyes Press
Genre - Adult humour, Sci-Fi

Buy The Alternate Reality News Service's Guide to Love, Sex and Robots from Amazon

Welcome to the Multiverse * Sorry for the inconvenience By Ira Nayman

Review by The Mole

Noomi Rapier has joined the Transdimensional Authority and joins Crash Chumley on what is Noomi's first case. A man is found dead beside his Home Universe Generator but while his death doesn't appear suspicious the case is based around what he was doing to the insides of the Home Universe Generator - tampering with their workings is an offence. Noomi ends up chasing across multiple dimensions and meeting herself where ever she goes. Is she being played for a fool?

It's difficult to sum this book up. Think Douglas Adams. Think Tom Holt. Think Robert Rankin. Stir it all up with a little Spike Milligan and you start to get close. It didn't have me laughing out loud but it kept me smiling, amused, intrigued and reading. A great read that is highly entertaining and while it is funny throughout it isn't the kind of story that relies on one-liners and punchlines.

The story is sort of sci-fi but then again it also feels like fantasy as the sci-fi is SO different and extreme. It feels like a whodunnit but you won't be presented with enough suspects to even start guessing. There's a LITTLE sex in there but no real romance - it's all done in the best possible taste.

One thing I am confident of is that if you want something to not take seriously and lighten your mood then this will suit you.

Genre - Adult Humour, Sci-Fi
Publisher - Elsewhen Press

Buy Welcome to the Multiverse: Sorry for the Inconvenience from Amazon