Paratime

This book is a collection of five short stories, written by the incomparable H. Beam Piper, and set in his Paratime universe (or more correctly, multiverse). In this milieu, human society has developed the technology to move laterally between parallel universes. This advanced society looks upon itself as "First Level." Second Level contains societies that are about as advanced as First Level, Third Level is less advanced, our own "Europo-American" world is firmly on the Fourth Level, and Fifth Level contains worlds where (for one reason or another) human life does not exist. Within each of these levels (except First), there are many parallel worlds, many only marginally different, and totaling up to ten-to-the-hundred-thousandth time-lines! Protecting the secret of the existence of this multiverse is the Paratime Police, and these are their stories. 1) He Walked Around The Horses reveals the fate of an unfortunate Napoleonic diplomat accidentally moved to a parallel time-line where the American and French Revolutions were crushed. 2) Police Operation introduces Verkan Vall, Special Chief's Assistant, who needs to clean up a dangerous Venusian pet, which was accidentally left on our time-line. 3) In Last Enemy, a Second Level society has scientifically proven reincarnation, and now it's up to Vall to rescue his ex-wife Hadron Dalla from the resulting explosion. 4) Time Crime pits Vall and the Paratime Police against a well-organized band of criminals, who are jeopardizing the Paratime secret. 5) And, in Temple Trouble, when a group of First Level workers fall into the hands of a Fourth Level king, it's up to Vall to ensure that the Paratime secret isn't wrung from them. These stories are interesting to read. They are somewhat outdated, but then again, considering that they reflect a completely different story, a certain amount of tolerance should be exercised. This is a great book, one which any fan of alternate time-lines should consider reading.

This book is a collection of five short stories, written by the incomparable H. Beam Piper, and set in his Paratime universe (or more correctly, multiverse). In this milieu, human society has developed the technology to move laterally between parallel universes. This advanced society looks upon itself as "First Level." Second Level contains societies that are about as advanced as First Level, Third Level is less advanced, our own "Europo-American" world is firmly on the Fourth Level, and Fifth Level contains worlds where (for one reason or another) human life does not exist. Within each of these levels (except First), there are many parallel worlds, many only marginally different, and totaling up to ten-to-the-hundred-thousandth time-lines!Protecting the secret of the existence of this multiverse is the Paratime Police, and these are their stories. 1) He Walked Around The Horses reveals the fate of an unfortunate Napoleonic diplomat accidentally moved to a parallel time-line where the American and French Revolutions were crushed. 2) Police Operation introduces Verkan Vall, Special Chief's Assistant, who needs to clean up a dangerous Venusian pet, which was accidentally left on our time-line. 3) In Last Enemy, a Second Level society has scientifically proven reincarnation, and now it's up to Vall to rescue his ex-wife Hadron Dalla from the resulting explosion. 4) Time Crime pits Vall and the Paratime Police against a well-organized band of criminals, who are jeopardizing the Paratime secret. 5) And, in Temple Trouble, when a group of First Level workers fall into the hands of a Fourth Level king, it's up to Vall to ensure that the Paratime secret isn't wrung from them.These stories are interesting to read. They are somewhat outdated, but then again, considering that they reflect a completely different story, a certain amount of tolerance should be exercised. This is a great book, one which any fan of alternate time-lines should consider reading.

Consists of "He Walked Around the Horses", "Police Operation", "Last Enemy", "Time Crime", and "Temple Trouble".Briefly, paratime travel consists of not going backward or forward in time, but crosstime - from one version of history to another. Paratime is divided into levels, sectors, belts, and finally individual timelines, based on how similar the histories are. Level is based on how successful humans were in colonizing Earth, ranging from First Level (where the Paratimers originate) to the uninhabited Fifth Level.The paramount law for the paratimers is to preserve the Paratime Secret - never let other timelines realize that the paratimers are among them, siphoning off resources to preserve their own civilization. The stories in this book cover the Paratime Police, who preserve the Paratime Secret by any means necessary.Another reviewer has already covered "He Walked Around the Horses". Another Piper story in that vein would be "Crossroads of Destiny" in The Worlds of H. Beam Piper."Police Operation", the first proper Paratime Police story, introduces Tortha Karf, chief of the Paratime Police, and his assistant Verkan Vall. How do you cover up, in the 1950s USA, the appearance of a Venusian nighthound?"Last Enemy" introduces Hadron Dalla, a First Level psychologist working undercover on a Second Level timeline, who inadvertently turns the political structure of that civilization on its ear..."Time Crime" explores First Level civilization in more detail, as Vall and Dalla uncover a huge paratime slave trade.In "Temple Trouble", Transtemporal Mining Corporation runs into trouble with their uranium franchise among the Hulgun. The temples of Yat-Zar on that timeline, which they operate as a cover, have suddenly acquired a competing religion...Other books in this vein: - Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen, by H. Beam Piper - Crosstime Agents, by Andre Norton - Quest Crosstime, by Andre Norton (A number of Norton's books involve crosstime travel, but these two are closest to the Paratime universe).

This collection of the Paratime Police stories from 'Astounding' are definitely interesting reading. Readers might be less impressed by the Science Fiction, as by the stories themselves. The first 'He walked Around the Horses' was described by Piper to Jerry Pournelle as having happened to the author in an earlier life (Piper was a believer in re-incarnation...perhaps that can explain his suicide in the early '60's escaping debt and depression). The remaining stories center around the Paratime Police, and are more police procedural stories than hard SF. The impressive part of the SF is in the relatively simple description of what would now be described as 'quantum time'...the theory that all time is simultaneous, and all probabilities are happening at the same time. The Paratimers surf the worlds of probability, and live in secret, benign parasitism throughout these worlds. While the science in these stories is most definitely on the level of 'space opera', the characters are sufficiently compelling to keep the reader in the book to its end.