When Lightning Strikes Back

by Alice Baburek

How do you try to recapture what has been long lost and forgotten? Or correct past mistakes to ensure a more promising and productive future? The year is 2210 where the science of time travel has finally been perfected. Alexandria Bender, a well-renowned scientist for the new government, and her highly acclaimed assistant, Cindy Murnan, create the inconceivable—a time travel pod. When Lightning Strikes Back is the story of these two women’s undying determination to push forward and risk everything to embark on a journey that will change their lives and history forever.

64 pages, Paperback

First published October 8, 2007

Reviews

[Abraham · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s stories like these that make me smile when dreaming of publishing my own sci-fi, but produce entirely different effects when I read them. After reading just about half of this 60 something paged story I began to wonder how Ms. Baburek managed to have it published. As I look back and remember the blatant grammatical errors I could count on at least two hands, I begin to have doubts of the publisher itself. Grammatical mistakes should never be the only reason to dislike a book, but they are usually hallmarks of bad writing on a deeper level. The story takes place in the near future when man has invented teleportation, and the main character is part of a small effort to alter that technology for time traveling. (The story only mentions going back in time but I don’t see why it couldn’t go the other way, considering it’s completely impossible either way.)

A powerful government group called the “Agency” or “Federation” or some such generic name funds this project and oversees it with an iron fist. The main character gets in trouble for what seemed like little more than a silly bureaucratic reason to me, resulting in her demotion to a mundane job. Lucky for her and the reader alike, a good friend of hers happens to run the division she is demoted to. He provides the facilities for her to finish the job away from the organization, she has a lesbian love interest, and they do eventually build the technology. The plot is a sci-fi cliche from the beginning all the way to the predictable end, with writing that in no way eases the pain.