35. To Say Nothing of the Dog

by Connie Willis (493 pgs)

Rating: 4

Ned is an overworked time traveler in need of a vacation. Too many trips in a short time have given him something like nitrogen narcosis and, in a fit of good timing, the boss needs some one to ferry a package to the Victorian era and they send Ned who can, while he's there, get some much needed rest. Unfortunately for Ned, he can't remember his instructions, what the package is, that he even has a package, or what he's supposed to do now that he's in Victorian England. This really is something of a problem and it gets worse as his presence seems to be creating more and more incongruencies in the timeline.

Set in the same world as Doomsday Book, To Say Nothing of the Dog is a much lighter story about time travel and the things that can go wrong. Instead of the Middle ages, this story is set in Victorian England. It's a far more lighthearted look at time travel than Doomsday Book but there is an underlying issue that is looked at soberly. I'm glad that I read Three Men in a Boat first, Willis references it frequently and having just read it, I did appreciate the humor.

Generally recommended but be willing to be a little patient. It's a long long book.