Review: A Long Time Until Now

A group of US soldiers in Afghanistan find their survival skills put to the test when they are unexpectedly transported back into prehistoric times. Once they recover from the shock, they start rebuilding civilization from the ground up with their limited resources and knowledge of technological development.

At the same time, they have to deal with the locals, other groups of accidental time travelers, and their own differing worldviews. In some ways it’s no more dangerous or foreign than the world they left. In others, it’s far more frightening and lonely.

The story

What starts as a normal day in A-Stan for a small US military transport turns into a two-year fight for survival in prehistoric Asia when they and their two vehicles are suddenly dropped in the paleolithic era. With limited supplies, they have to rely on their training and discipline. Mostly strangers at the start, they also have to learn to rely on each other. Fortunately (conveniently?) each member of the unit has some knowledge or skill that makes building a piece of civilization possible.

They soon find that they’re not alone. First they encounter the local paleolithic tribe, who welcome them as strangers with magic gifts from strange spirits. Later they have to deal with other bands of temporally displaced peoples, including a less-friendly tribe from the near future, and an arrogant group of Romans that keeps doing what Romans do: conquer for Rome. The US soldiers do their best to keep the peace and not become too personally entangled, but they’re only human. The primary focus is to survive, mentally and physically. Plagued by various health and mental conditions, they don’t always make wise choices. 

Hope comes with the arrival of a pair of visitors from a far, far distant future. These perfect specimens of human evolution seem friendly and helpful. Still, in an unprecedented situation it’s only logical to question their motives. Can they be trusted? Can they really get everyone back home? And at what cost?

The characters

With ten main characters, I won’t attempt to summarize all of them here. Author Michael Z. Williamson does an admirable job of giving everyone equal time and character development without falling into stereotypes. It’s a diverse crew, with a wide range of ethnicities and religious beliefs. The most controversial character may be the militant feminist, and while her portrayal in that aspect may be flawed, she (like everyone else) is more than one note.

The world

Williamson did his homework. This is a world with almonds that are still poisonous, mammals that are now extinct, and the language barrier is significant but not insurmountable. It’s a hard world where those who mean to survive must sometimes be cruel, sacrifice their convictions, or die. Yet it’s balanced with moments of grace and beauty. It could have very easily been written as ugly place, and thankfully Williamson does not take the easy path.

The politics

Good fences make good neighbors. When all else fails, kill or be killed. The conversations about religion and feminism are far more involved than liberal/conservative ideology.

Content warning

Our soldier characters are only human, and even a devout Christian can’t help but swear, have a couple of drinks, and maybe some porn saved to his phone. They’re lonely people, who justify doing things they know are wrong, and feel shame. Everything here strives to be as realistic as possible given the premise, which means a fair amount of sex, language, and violence.

Who is it for?

A Long Time Until Now is for engineers who tolerate time travel stories. The involved descriptions of every construction project will be painfully tedious to readers who just want plot and adventure, which is how I would describe myself. However, I grew attached to the characters and the piece of civilization they built from practically nothing. It’s not for fans of military fiction per-se, yet there’s enough here to satisfy them as well.

Why read it?

Ultimately, it’s a sci-fi survival story, with interesting characters in meticulously built world. It has all the qualities that make good fiction: humor, heartache, excitement, and hope.