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The Cutting Room #1-6
Cutting Room, The
In the future, there are many parallel Earths - but only one of them has time travel. Known as Primetime, its criminals break into the pasts of other worlds, far beyond the reach of conventional police.
Blake Din is the top agent of the Cutting Room, the group tasked with stopping these trespassers. After a mission to undo the murder of a young boy, he uncovers extensive damage to another world's timeline - and a conspiracy that reaches all the way back to Primetime.
Blake Din is the top agent of the Cutting Room, the group tasked with stopping these trespassers. After a mission to undo the murder of a young boy, he uncovers extensive damage to another world's timeline - and a conspiracy that reaches all the way back to Primetime.
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First published June 9, 2013
36 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Edward W. Robertson
68 books1,243 followersEd is the author of the post-apocalyptic Breakers series and the epic fantasy series The Cycle of Arawn. A former New Yorker and Idaho-guy, he currently lives in the LA area. His short fiction has appeared in a whole bunch of magazines and anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 4, 2020
Time travel! The multiverse! The apocalypse! Death! Deception! This story packs it all in. The book is very plot-driven and leaves the characters as pretty two-dimensional players, but it was highly entertaining and for that I give it 4 stars.
August 8, 2018
This was the first novel I have ever read in the old school serialized way that was popular back in the day of Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers.
When this was originally released, I would turn off my alarm in the morning and download the latest episode to my Kindle. By the time lunch was over that day, I would begin my week long wait for the next chapter to be released. I both envy and lament that new readers to this story can now download and read the complete season in a single volume.
The jumps that this book takes from episode to episode lets you experience Ed's writing style as he dabbles a bit in several different worlds, times & even genres.
Give this book a shot, and like me, you will put Edward W. Robertson on your list of Must Read Authors.
When this was originally released, I would turn off my alarm in the morning and download the latest episode to my Kindle. By the time lunch was over that day, I would begin my week long wait for the next chapter to be released. I both envy and lament that new readers to this story can now download and read the complete season in a single volume.
The jumps that this book takes from episode to episode lets you experience Ed's writing style as he dabbles a bit in several different worlds, times & even genres.
Give this book a shot, and like me, you will put Edward W. Robertson on your list of Must Read Authors.
August 9, 2013
Excellent science fiction, entertaining from the first page to the last. I've read plenty of time travel stories, but none involving multiple parallel worlds, until now. I found the story fascinating, and really liked Blake Din. There's a man that's dedicated to the spirit of his work. He follows the rules, at least until they prove to be an obstacle. He's a smart guy with definite values.
There was nothing I did not like in the book. All details and descriptions are related in Blake's thoughts and observations, without slowing the story's pace. His primary mission involves his home world and one parallel world, but he visits that world in several spots on its timeline. Another case puts him briefly on yet another world. As he travels, he relates comparisons between those and other worlds he's visited. The other primary characters in the book are nearly as well developed as Blake, and the bit players are distinct and interesting personalities. The plot is complicated without being confusing, and contains an unexpected twist or two.
The author indicates that future stories in the same universe are a possibility. I hope that proves to be the case, as I certainly enjoyed this one.
There was nothing I did not like in the book. All details and descriptions are related in Blake's thoughts and observations, without slowing the story's pace. His primary mission involves his home world and one parallel world, but he visits that world in several spots on its timeline. Another case puts him briefly on yet another world. As he travels, he relates comparisons between those and other worlds he's visited. The other primary characters in the book are nearly as well developed as Blake, and the bit players are distinct and interesting personalities. The plot is complicated without being confusing, and contains an unexpected twist or two.
The author indicates that future stories in the same universe are a possibility. I hope that proves to be the case, as I certainly enjoyed this one.
February 16, 2014
Review first appeared on SFFworld.com.
This is one of those amazing finds on Amazon that make it worth slogging through all the ‘less than perfect’ self-published novels. Once you start reading, this book is hard to put down. But before I start gushing too much about this time-travel tale of mystery and deception, allow me give you a rundown of the story.
Initially released as a serial, The Cutting Room’s first section introduces the reader to Blake Din’s world, a world where a young boy is on the cusp of being brutally murdered – again. But Blake has traveled back in time to stop it.
Okay, wait, back up.
Not our timeline. That’s Primetime, and strictly off-limits. No one goes back to mess with Primetime, but havoc can and does ensue in earth’s multiple, parallel timelines.
So why is Blake visiting a parallel universe to save one boy? Is one boy’s life worth the potential ripples of change that could drastically change that timeline?
Well, yes, it is, because the killer is from Primetime and preying upon the multiverse. It’s Blake’s, along with a cadre of time-travel agent’s, job to stop them.
When Blake arrives a week before the death of that six-year-old boy, his task is to find the killer before the killer can carve up the boy. Blake stakes out potential suspects using 1970’s technology and his instincts. He gets close, but he’s running out of time. He does the one thing that he shouldn’t – contact the victim. Together, the boy and Blake manage to allude the murderer. But when Blake returns to Primetime, his superior informs him that the boy ends up dying anyway. More than ten years later in his timeline, he has a fatal car accident.
Did Blake fail or was his death just fate?
Blake intends to find out. In the process, he tells us his own fate and it includes dinosaurs.
We travel with our hero to a futuristic world where Blake and his new partner, Vette, have seven days to thwart another murder. They soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that spans multiple timelines. They fail at saving their target, but they don’t give up. In the third part of the series, they travel as far back as the western frontier town of Brownville in hopes of finding the criminal time-travelers that are unraveling that timeline at the source of their meddling. The two find they are always one step behind the criminals. Blake and his partner try to outsmart the rogue elements, but only after spending a lifetime together do they get close to the answer.
A first person narrative that is steeped in hard-boiled detective language, I fell hard for our hero. For me, he’s a great character. Blake Din is nothing like most modern detectives we see on TV or in our fiction. He doesn’t have a drinking problem (thank goodness!), nor is he constantly chasing skirts. He’s smart, dedicated and does right by whomever he encounters. He’s just a good guy up against impossible circumstances. He wants to set the world(s) right. Frankly, he’s the sort I like to read about.
The pacing in The Cutting Room is quick, but the writing is vivid and poignant. I can’t begin to list all the profound and funny one-liners Blake doled out on a regular basis. I laughed out loud many times and was brought to tears a few times, too. Though his writing is spare, the author packs emotion into every scene. When I got to the end of the story, I just didn’t want it to end. Though there are inconsistency in the plot, don’t let it fret you too much. This is a time-travel story, and what time-travel story makes perfect sense? They just don’t. Read The Cutting Room and enjoy the journey through Blake’s many lives. I promise, you won’t regret it.
This is one of those amazing finds on Amazon that make it worth slogging through all the ‘less than perfect’ self-published novels. Once you start reading, this book is hard to put down. But before I start gushing too much about this time-travel tale of mystery and deception, allow me give you a rundown of the story.
Initially released as a serial, The Cutting Room’s first section introduces the reader to Blake Din’s world, a world where a young boy is on the cusp of being brutally murdered – again. But Blake has traveled back in time to stop it.
Okay, wait, back up.
Not our timeline. That’s Primetime, and strictly off-limits. No one goes back to mess with Primetime, but havoc can and does ensue in earth’s multiple, parallel timelines.
So why is Blake visiting a parallel universe to save one boy? Is one boy’s life worth the potential ripples of change that could drastically change that timeline?
Well, yes, it is, because the killer is from Primetime and preying upon the multiverse. It’s Blake’s, along with a cadre of time-travel agent’s, job to stop them.
When Blake arrives a week before the death of that six-year-old boy, his task is to find the killer before the killer can carve up the boy. Blake stakes out potential suspects using 1970’s technology and his instincts. He gets close, but he’s running out of time. He does the one thing that he shouldn’t – contact the victim. Together, the boy and Blake manage to allude the murderer. But when Blake returns to Primetime, his superior informs him that the boy ends up dying anyway. More than ten years later in his timeline, he has a fatal car accident.
Did Blake fail or was his death just fate?
Blake intends to find out. In the process, he tells us his own fate and it includes dinosaurs.
We travel with our hero to a futuristic world where Blake and his new partner, Vette, have seven days to thwart another murder. They soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that spans multiple timelines. They fail at saving their target, but they don’t give up. In the third part of the series, they travel as far back as the western frontier town of Brownville in hopes of finding the criminal time-travelers that are unraveling that timeline at the source of their meddling. The two find they are always one step behind the criminals. Blake and his partner try to outsmart the rogue elements, but only after spending a lifetime together do they get close to the answer.
A first person narrative that is steeped in hard-boiled detective language, I fell hard for our hero. For me, he’s a great character. Blake Din is nothing like most modern detectives we see on TV or in our fiction. He doesn’t have a drinking problem (thank goodness!), nor is he constantly chasing skirts. He’s smart, dedicated and does right by whomever he encounters. He’s just a good guy up against impossible circumstances. He wants to set the world(s) right. Frankly, he’s the sort I like to read about.
The pacing in The Cutting Room is quick, but the writing is vivid and poignant. I can’t begin to list all the profound and funny one-liners Blake doled out on a regular basis. I laughed out loud many times and was brought to tears a few times, too. Though his writing is spare, the author packs emotion into every scene. When I got to the end of the story, I just didn’t want it to end. Though there are inconsistency in the plot, don’t let it fret you too much. This is a time-travel story, and what time-travel story makes perfect sense? They just don’t. Read The Cutting Room and enjoy the journey through Blake’s many lives. I promise, you won’t regret it.
March 10, 2015
A pretty interesting time travel story, with lots of settings and a unique perspective on the fourth dimension.
There were several times I highlighted sections and made comments to myself about things that didn't make sense (as well as some choppy writing) but overall the series takes you on a thrilling ride and brings the story full circle with a satisfying ending.
There were several times I highlighted sections and made comments to myself about things that didn't make sense (as well as some choppy writing) but overall the series takes you on a thrilling ride and brings the story full circle with a satisfying ending.
August 13, 2013
Review originally posted at: http://digerbop.ca/2013/08/the-cuttin...
Every episodic adventure that I have seen out there gets flack. There is this idea that somehow each episode should be stand-alone enough to make an impact all on its own. Let me ask you a question. If you read the second, third, or fourth book in the series without reading the first, does it always make complete sense? There is always that feeling that you are missing something (well, most of the time… some series keep each book as a stand-alone). Now, let’s think about television. The idea behind episodic content is that it is episodes in a series. Yes, there are those TV shows that you can just jump right into and it doesn’t really matter whether you have been following it, but I find this to be more the exception than the rule. The beginning of a season usually starts off pretty slow as some new concepts or characters are introduced, but as the episodes ramp up to a conclusion, things get a little harry and you just have to keep going to find out what happens next. This is the case for The Cutting Room.
For simplicity’s sake (and the fact that I will say no more about the tired debate of episodic content) I will treat the complete season of The Cutting Room as a single entity. Yes, you can read a single episode, just like you can watch a single episode of a TV show… but is that really satisfying? Okay, enough of that. What is this book/season about? Time travel. After reading it, I briefly thought, “it this is about time travel, could I read the episodes in any order I want? Can I travel back and forth through the season and still have it all make sense in the end… as much sense as time travel makes anyway?” Sadly no, but this has nothing to do with the book. Enough idle rambling. Let’s get to the review.
The Good:
The Cutting Room consists of six episodes. Each episode tells a different portion of the same story, in the same way that a book split into “parts” or “sections” would. Edward W. Robertson uses this episodic style and mixes it with time travel in a way that sets each episode apart from the last yet still tied together to tell the same story throughout the season. Each episode has a different setting as Blake Din travels through the different parallel dimensions of the earth in search of nasty time travelling criminals. Little does he know that there is more to his job as a Cutting Room employee than catching the baddies. Every episode brings a fresh feel of its own as the reader is taken through settings spanning from the wild west, to a post-apocalyptic wasteland, to outer-space. How can the same story be told in so many different settings? Find out by reading The Cutting Room.
After reading the first episode I was intrigued by the concept and so went out and bought the whole season. The story continued on, almost as if the first episode was a prologue of sorts and had no real lasting effect on the rest of the season. This troubled me somewhat, but I set it aside as a minor gripe… until I finished The Cutting Room. The mystery is in how this first, seemingly disconnected episode fits into the over-arching plot. That is a mystery that I will not spoil for you, but suffice it to say, though Episode One seems disconnected, it is not. The season concludes beautifully, tying everything together with just enough left over to keep the reader interested in a Season Two ends up coming to the shelves.
There were a few times that some witty humour came through in the dialogue and I found myself laughing as I hope was intended. (What other intention would humour have?) I would have, however, liked to see more of this. Most of humour came in the dialogue exchanges between characters, and Robertson’s writing style opted out of choosing to include lengthy dialogue section, which I feel would have been quick enjoyable if they were present.
The Bad:
I wasn’t sure to put this under “the good” or “the bad” so just consider it a general comment I suppose. A lot of the nitty-gritty of events that happen in The Cutting Room are glossed over. Days will pass within the span of a single paragraph, not allowing the reader to be as invested in the world that they are to be placed in. Granted, world building must be difficult when each episode essentially has a different world, and purple prose could easily bog down the action and plot element, but I would have liked to see more description of the world around Blake Din and the other characters in the season.
Even though there isn’t a lot of description, there are still times when the story seems to slow to a near crawl while the characters figure out the mystery of everything going on. Often times the characters are left clueless as to what to do next, so they wander around aimlessly and take the reader with them through meaning strolling until something happens. Some episodes move along faster than others, and the slowest portions come in the middle, which is honestly the best place for them.
It seemed like the scope was a lot larger than maybe it needed to be. Entire sections are dedicated to particular elements that have little bearing on the over-arching plot. They aren’t poorly written, but get a lot more focus than seemed necessary. The plot is the driving force of this season, but sometimes I feel like it took a back seat while the characters ran around figuring out what it actually was. Granted, this allowed for some character development moments, but they were short-lived and detracted from the focus of the season as a whole.
Conclusion:
All in all, I don’t have many complaints about this book/season. Usually specifics stand out to me about what was exceptional and what was not so great, but nothing really stood out to me while reading The Cutting Room. I enjoyed it, and the use of the episodic model added an interesting element to things that really worked in the favour of the writing style. If you like all things time travel, this book is for you.
Every episodic adventure that I have seen out there gets flack. There is this idea that somehow each episode should be stand-alone enough to make an impact all on its own. Let me ask you a question. If you read the second, third, or fourth book in the series without reading the first, does it always make complete sense? There is always that feeling that you are missing something (well, most of the time… some series keep each book as a stand-alone). Now, let’s think about television. The idea behind episodic content is that it is episodes in a series. Yes, there are those TV shows that you can just jump right into and it doesn’t really matter whether you have been following it, but I find this to be more the exception than the rule. The beginning of a season usually starts off pretty slow as some new concepts or characters are introduced, but as the episodes ramp up to a conclusion, things get a little harry and you just have to keep going to find out what happens next. This is the case for The Cutting Room.
For simplicity’s sake (and the fact that I will say no more about the tired debate of episodic content) I will treat the complete season of The Cutting Room as a single entity. Yes, you can read a single episode, just like you can watch a single episode of a TV show… but is that really satisfying? Okay, enough of that. What is this book/season about? Time travel. After reading it, I briefly thought, “it this is about time travel, could I read the episodes in any order I want? Can I travel back and forth through the season and still have it all make sense in the end… as much sense as time travel makes anyway?” Sadly no, but this has nothing to do with the book. Enough idle rambling. Let’s get to the review.
The Good:
The Cutting Room consists of six episodes. Each episode tells a different portion of the same story, in the same way that a book split into “parts” or “sections” would. Edward W. Robertson uses this episodic style and mixes it with time travel in a way that sets each episode apart from the last yet still tied together to tell the same story throughout the season. Each episode has a different setting as Blake Din travels through the different parallel dimensions of the earth in search of nasty time travelling criminals. Little does he know that there is more to his job as a Cutting Room employee than catching the baddies. Every episode brings a fresh feel of its own as the reader is taken through settings spanning from the wild west, to a post-apocalyptic wasteland, to outer-space. How can the same story be told in so many different settings? Find out by reading The Cutting Room.
After reading the first episode I was intrigued by the concept and so went out and bought the whole season. The story continued on, almost as if the first episode was a prologue of sorts and had no real lasting effect on the rest of the season. This troubled me somewhat, but I set it aside as a minor gripe… until I finished The Cutting Room. The mystery is in how this first, seemingly disconnected episode fits into the over-arching plot. That is a mystery that I will not spoil for you, but suffice it to say, though Episode One seems disconnected, it is not. The season concludes beautifully, tying everything together with just enough left over to keep the reader interested in a Season Two ends up coming to the shelves.
There were a few times that some witty humour came through in the dialogue and I found myself laughing as I hope was intended. (What other intention would humour have?) I would have, however, liked to see more of this. Most of humour came in the dialogue exchanges between characters, and Robertson’s writing style opted out of choosing to include lengthy dialogue section, which I feel would have been quick enjoyable if they were present.
The Bad:
I wasn’t sure to put this under “the good” or “the bad” so just consider it a general comment I suppose. A lot of the nitty-gritty of events that happen in The Cutting Room are glossed over. Days will pass within the span of a single paragraph, not allowing the reader to be as invested in the world that they are to be placed in. Granted, world building must be difficult when each episode essentially has a different world, and purple prose could easily bog down the action and plot element, but I would have liked to see more description of the world around Blake Din and the other characters in the season.
Even though there isn’t a lot of description, there are still times when the story seems to slow to a near crawl while the characters figure out the mystery of everything going on. Often times the characters are left clueless as to what to do next, so they wander around aimlessly and take the reader with them through meaning strolling until something happens. Some episodes move along faster than others, and the slowest portions come in the middle, which is honestly the best place for them.
It seemed like the scope was a lot larger than maybe it needed to be. Entire sections are dedicated to particular elements that have little bearing on the over-arching plot. They aren’t poorly written, but get a lot more focus than seemed necessary. The plot is the driving force of this season, but sometimes I feel like it took a back seat while the characters ran around figuring out what it actually was. Granted, this allowed for some character development moments, but they were short-lived and detracted from the focus of the season as a whole.
Conclusion:
All in all, I don’t have many complaints about this book/season. Usually specifics stand out to me about what was exceptional and what was not so great, but nothing really stood out to me while reading The Cutting Room. I enjoyed it, and the use of the episodic model added an interesting element to things that really worked in the favour of the writing style. If you like all things time travel, this book is for you.
November 21, 2016
Here is a new time travel writer to keep an eye out for. This is the story of Blake Din, a top agent from the Cutting Room. There are many parallel Earths and some villains from other earths wreak havok on still others. But one Earth, known as Primetime, has the ability of time travel. Blake Din is sent back to try and stop the horrorific murder of a young boy. This plunges us into this very well realized and detailed world. The premise works quite effectively, what all us time travel junkies want. The story is taught and well told. It does have the feel of a novel written in parts. Novellas strung together. The author has tried to naked the story as seamless as possible with good results. i highly recommend this one.
January 13, 2019
I'm always a little afraid to start a new book by an author that I absolutely love! And I'm always glad when I push past that feeling and jump right in. I just LOVED this book (I read it as one book and not in the serial form).
Excellent story and characters, as per usual from Robertson. The time travel component was masterfully dealt with. It was so believable.
Mr Robertson, if you ever get the time and the desire to write more from this series, I just KNOW you will have a large audience to devour it (and pay you for it!!).
For those of you thinking about whether it is worth buying this stand-alone book, the answer is YES. You won't regret it. Techno/alternate universes/time travel/survival, it sounds strange, but Robertson makes it work flawlessly!
Excellent story and characters, as per usual from Robertson. The time travel component was masterfully dealt with. It was so believable.
Mr Robertson, if you ever get the time and the desire to write more from this series, I just KNOW you will have a large audience to devour it (and pay you for it!!).
For those of you thinking about whether it is worth buying this stand-alone book, the answer is YES. You won't regret it. Techno/alternate universes/time travel/survival, it sounds strange, but Robertson makes it work flawlessly!
June 9, 2025
Interesting standalone story where specialist go back in time to correct the timeline. For reasons /method not quite explained the Cutting Room are able to identify when someone from their world (the only parallel universe with Time Travel) has gone back in time and altered something on a parallel world. The Cutting Rooms agents go back and attempt to correct this and bring the world back to the correct timeline.
It's intriguing and moves at a reasonable pace. Too much of what happens isn't fully explained (why it's only 3 stars) and whilst I don't want a complete techo-dump of what is happening it's hard to get to grips with the nitty gritty when there is often no explanation of how this work.
It's intriguing and moves at a reasonable pace. Too much of what happens isn't fully explained (why it's only 3 stars) and whilst I don't want a complete techo-dump of what is happening it's hard to get to grips with the nitty gritty when there is often no explanation of how this work.
July 25, 2017
This book really left me wanting... I think the concept had promise, but it was in my opinion very poorly executed.
September 18, 2015
You have to travel forward In time to find out how this book ends
I bought this book because of the number of good reviews it got. But now that I have reached the ending , or should I say the so-called ending, I feel cheated. This is because there really is no conclusion . One of these days, the author says he'll get around to writing a sequel; I guess that's when we'll find out how the story tale really ends, except that I won't because I've learned my lesson.
The story is mostly well edited, but there is a chapter or two where there are a number of words left out. That normally wouldn't bother me. But it does because it comes on top of so many other problems. One of which is that the plot is episodic in nature. By that, I mean that there are distinct stories within the overall story. That wouldn't be so bad, but one of those stories has no point whatsoever so it could and should have been left out without any effect on the rest of the book.
I can't understand why there are so many positive reviews for this novel when it doesn't have an ending. It seems to me that the cardinal rule of telling a good story is that it should have an ending. The author even comments on how some stories don't have an ending in that chapter I mentioned above that should've been cut out. I guess that's another reason it should've been deleted.
While this book is billed as a time travel thriller, it also disappoints in that regard. This is because, instead of traveling to the past or future of the present world, and travels to the past of other worlds. This means that you're not so much traveling in time as you are among different universes in the multi-verse.
And it suffers from a common malady that besets many time travel stories , namely that it is confusing and has arbitrary rules that are not well explained .
Much of these faults could be forgiven if this characters were well-developed . Unfortunately this is not the case . For example, we never find out what the three main characters look like. They may have a backstory, but we never find out what it is. I will say this, characters are interesting enough that you would like to know more about their background and it only makes it that much more disappointing that you don't find out.
I cannot recommend this book to anyone who loves good science-fiction. And if you're not a science-fiction lover, you're really gonna hate it.
I bought this book because of the number of good reviews it got. But now that I have reached the ending , or should I say the so-called ending, I feel cheated. This is because there really is no conclusion . One of these days, the author says he'll get around to writing a sequel; I guess that's when we'll find out how the story tale really ends, except that I won't because I've learned my lesson.
The story is mostly well edited, but there is a chapter or two where there are a number of words left out. That normally wouldn't bother me. But it does because it comes on top of so many other problems. One of which is that the plot is episodic in nature. By that, I mean that there are distinct stories within the overall story. That wouldn't be so bad, but one of those stories has no point whatsoever so it could and should have been left out without any effect on the rest of the book.
I can't understand why there are so many positive reviews for this novel when it doesn't have an ending. It seems to me that the cardinal rule of telling a good story is that it should have an ending. The author even comments on how some stories don't have an ending in that chapter I mentioned above that should've been cut out. I guess that's another reason it should've been deleted.
While this book is billed as a time travel thriller, it also disappoints in that regard. This is because, instead of traveling to the past or future of the present world, and travels to the past of other worlds. This means that you're not so much traveling in time as you are among different universes in the multi-verse.
And it suffers from a common malady that besets many time travel stories , namely that it is confusing and has arbitrary rules that are not well explained .
Much of these faults could be forgiven if this characters were well-developed . Unfortunately this is not the case . For example, we never find out what the three main characters look like. They may have a backstory, but we never find out what it is. I will say this, characters are interesting enough that you would like to know more about their background and it only makes it that much more disappointing that you don't find out.
I cannot recommend this book to anyone who loves good science-fiction. And if you're not a science-fiction lover, you're really gonna hate it.
October 4, 2015
Interesting, but flawed and kind of a cliffhanger ending.
I think it's important to know going into this that it doesn't have a proper ending. At first I thought it was 6 semi-disconnected stories about the Cutting Room, but they all tie in, and then it's quite unsatisfying to not know how it ends.
I like the concept, and I enjoyed the storytelling, but there were a few things that didn't really add up. Like what the pods can and cannot do - the limitations seem a bit arbitrary.
I would maybe also have liked a bit more variety in where they went, and differences to our real world. What interests me about the many-worlds interpretation is how one deviation can potentially lead to an entirely different future. It would have been interesting to expand on that and maybe stretch it a bit further.
You also don't really get to know the characters, so though the ending is unsatisfying I don't care enough about the characters or what happens to them to be terribly interested in a sequel.
All in all this was an OK read for me. Entertaining, but not much more than that.
I think it's important to know going into this that it doesn't have a proper ending. At first I thought it was 6 semi-disconnected stories about the Cutting Room, but they all tie in, and then it's quite unsatisfying to not know how it ends.
I like the concept, and I enjoyed the storytelling, but there were a few things that didn't really add up. Like what the pods can and cannot do - the limitations seem a bit arbitrary.
I would maybe also have liked a bit more variety in where they went, and differences to our real world. What interests me about the many-worlds interpretation is how one deviation can potentially lead to an entirely different future. It would have been interesting to expand on that and maybe stretch it a bit further.
You also don't really get to know the characters, so though the ending is unsatisfying I don't care enough about the characters or what happens to them to be terribly interested in a sequel.
All in all this was an OK read for me. Entertaining, but not much more than that.
October 15, 2013
I loved this story about time- and inter-dimensional-travel and the one "parallel" world that has it. They police other worlds to prevent crimes perpetrated by bad guys from their world, to protect those worlds from interference that might change the course of those worlds' history. Complicated? Not really, if you buy the premise.
This was a really well done story that sucked me in from the very start and kept me enthralled. I was glad I read it as a complete series instead of in the serial form that it was originally published in, because I wouldn't have wanted to wait for new installments. I highly recommend it, as I've done with all of Ed Robertson's novels. He tells one heck of a story, and he can really write, too!
This was a really well done story that sucked me in from the very start and kept me enthralled. I was glad I read it as a complete series instead of in the serial form that it was originally published in, because I wouldn't have wanted to wait for new installments. I highly recommend it, as I've done with all of Ed Robertson's novels. He tells one heck of a story, and he can really write, too!
December 20, 2013
A sci-fi time travel thriller. I enjoyed this independently published series of short stories (that make up a whole) a lot - and read through them quickly. I didn't spend too much time worrying about the holes I thought were in the story because - hey - the entire series cost me 99c on my Kindle and it was an enjoyable read. The author needs to work on the editing because there were more errors than you'd expect. However, like I said, I enjoyed it.
A slightly superior read which is somewhat similar in theme/tone/etc is Brett Adams's "Strawman made steel". Check it out if you like detective novels with some sci-fi thrown in.
A slightly superior read which is somewhat similar in theme/tone/etc is Brett Adams's "Strawman made steel". Check it out if you like detective novels with some sci-fi thrown in.
August 2, 2013
The Cutting Room is a tour de force from Ed Robertson that is destined to become a modern SF classic. I really enjoyed his Breakers series, but this for me is a step up again. It's refreshing to read such an unusual and thrilling take on time travel and its implications, as well as the possibility of multiple universes and inter-dimensional travel. This book doesn't just entertain, it's food for the brain too. A white knuckle ride that will make you feel smarter at the end. Maybe Book of the Year for me so far. It's that good.
February 2, 2014
This is the first thing I've read from this author, Edward W. Robertson, but I was impressed. It's science fiction/time travel with a hardboiled edge, and I enjoyed the serialized structure (each "chapter" is its own mini-story with all of the stories adding up to a larger narrative). It's an engaging tale that I found hard to put down, but it also had some thematic and world-building elements that I think will stick with me even after the thrill of the story has dissipated. I would recommend this for those readers who enjoy time-travel sci-fi that has a crime/suspense focus.
October 13, 2015
Great idea, OK execution
The concept of the Cutting Room, a special police tasked to keep criminals from messing the timelines in parallel universes, is fascinating. The main characters are relatable and interesting. In all, the story has lots of the right ingredients. Unfortunately, however, time travel is a tricky subject, and some of the explanations leave me cold, feeling as if the author rushed a bit too much...
I'm still happy I read the book. There's always room for another time travel story.
The concept of the Cutting Room, a special police tasked to keep criminals from messing the timelines in parallel universes, is fascinating. The main characters are relatable and interesting. In all, the story has lots of the right ingredients. Unfortunately, however, time travel is a tricky subject, and some of the explanations leave me cold, feeling as if the author rushed a bit too much...
I'm still happy I read the book. There's always room for another time travel story.
December 26, 2013
Wow! I haven't been so immersed in a story's milieu in quite some time. If you like Dystopian Fiction, Sci-Fi or Cyber Punk Fiction, you'll connect with this series. The premise is presented clearly and succinctly as are the characters and the multiverse they inhabit. The action is presented like classic crime fiction and as the plot unfolds you'll be hooked!
I can't wait for the next installment
I can't wait for the next installment
January 20, 2014
Blake Din is an agent of The Cutting Room (aka CR). He travels back in time to parallel Earths rectifying murders committed by residents of his own Earth, known as Primetime. But then he, and his rookie partner Vette, uncover a conspiracy that threatens their very existence. This book is like Asimov's "The End of Eternity" meets "Time Cop" meets "Quantum Leap". If you liked any of those stories, then you will like this too.
October 17, 2015
An amazing time travel tsle
I'm giving this 5 stars because this story stands right up there alongside the time travel classics by H. G. Wells and Ray Bradbury. The idea of a time travel police agency itself isn't new, but Robertson makes it his own with Primetime and The Cutting Room. Very engaging as a thriller, and it works out to be almost several different tales in one that all culminate in a highly satisfactory ending.
I'm giving this 5 stars because this story stands right up there alongside the time travel classics by H. G. Wells and Ray Bradbury. The idea of a time travel police agency itself isn't new, but Robertson makes it his own with Primetime and The Cutting Room. Very engaging as a thriller, and it works out to be almost several different tales in one that all culminate in a highly satisfactory ending.
October 15, 2015
I was totally immersed from the opening chapter.
I've always loved time travel stories, particularly those that assume it's possible and move on from there. Cutting Room is just such a story where the hops from time to time don't bog you down with how...just why. I'm only left asking: If all this were possible, would one Blake Din be sufficient to protect us all?"
I've always loved time travel stories, particularly those that assume it's possible and move on from there. Cutting Room is just such a story where the hops from time to time don't bog you down with how...just why. I'm only left asking: If all this were possible, would one Blake Din be sufficient to protect us all?"
September 18, 2015
Agents travel back in time to prevent murders committed by rogue time travellers. Blake Din tells his story of time traveling assignments and of uncovering a conspiracy. Entertaining, hard to put down.
January 8, 2015
This series was amazing to say the least. I recommend it to any Time-travel fan. It had great mystery, great scifi, a love story for those softies and some nicely placed action.
March 26, 2014
Great time travel novel. One of my favorites along with Time Travelers Never Die and The Prodigal Hour.
March 20, 2015
am near the end and am pacing myself . I don't want it to end . If you are into time travel sci-fi you will love this .
July 19, 2015
This was a pretty good read. Time travel with a bit of a twist. Causality always makes my brain hurt.
September 7, 2015
A little convoluted in places but good fun and not too long. Recommended.
April 15, 2017
Not my favorite Robertson; I found myself slack jawed and drooling trying to understand the convoluted rules of this fictional time travel, but I really enjoyed the creative details (the island of Skald, for example). It ended so abruptly I assumed this was the first in a series but it looks like... no? I guess? I understand there were originally individual "episodes" and I read the full collection, it just feels like there should be more to the story.
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