Books › Roadmarks
Roadmarks
First published 1979 · 189 pages
A surreal, non-linear joyride down a cosmic highway where history is just a series of exits and assassins lurk in the rearview mirror.
What it feels like
Reading this feels like taking a road trip through a fever dream, where the scenery shifts seamlessly from ancient antiquity to far-future dystopias. The narrative structure is playfully non-linear, alternating between two distinct tracks that barrel toward an inevitable, chaotic collision. It is a brisk, pulpy adventure wrapped in philosophical musings about the nature of time, memory, and the paths not taken. The prose is sharp and wry, carrying a hardboiled edge that grounds the wild, time-hopping concepts in gritty reality. It delights readers who love their science fiction weird, witty, and structurally inventive, offering a nostalgic yet timeless experience that feels like a classic pulp magazine story elevated by New Wave literary ambition.
- Mood
- trippy
- surreal
- cinematic
- adventurous
- Tone
- wry
- playful
- philosophical
- detached
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the fluidity of time · burden of immortality · historical interconnectedness · search for meaning
- The writing
- Crisp, witty, and economical, blending hardboiled pulp sensibilities with poetic, philosophical musings.
- The arc
- Moves from a detached, wandering curiosity through a chaotic convergence of timelines, landing on a sense of purposeful continuation.
- Who it's for
- Fans of classic New Wave sci-fi who enjoy non-linear storytelling, timey-wimey shenanigans, and a mix of high concept with pulp action.
Content notes
- gun violence
- assassination attempts
About the book
The Road runs from the unimaginable past to the far future, and those who travel it have access to the turnoffs leading to all times and places--even to the alternate time-streams of histories that never happened. Why the Dragons of Bel'kwinith made the Road--or who they are--no one knows. But the Road has always been there and for those who know how to find it, it always will be!
Description from Open Library.
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