by Fritz Leiber
First published 1995
Greta works as an entertainer in the Place, a sanctuary that exists outside normal space and time. She serves the soldiers and operatives fighting in the Change War, where two armies battle across history to control all existence. These forces constantly alter human history through their temporal conflicts. When someone arms an atomic bomb inside their refuge, Greta and her fellow inhabitants confront mortal danger. The trapped group consists of medical personnel, wounded soldiers, and other staff who support the time-traveling armies. They cannot escape the Place, and the weapon continues its countdown toward detonation. Greta tells their story as paranoia spreads through the sanctuary. Anyone among them could be the saboteur who triggered the device. The mystery deepens as accusations fly and trust crumbles. Each wrong decision brings them closer to total destruction in their temporal prison.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, mystery, time-travel, thriller
Vibes: claustrophobic, paranoid, suspenseful, tense, thought-provoking
Tropes: countdown-to-disaster, locked-room-mystery, paranoia-and-distrust, unreliable-narrator
Setting: The Place
Period: Beyond Space and Time
130 pages · Hardcover · Collier Books
Content warnings: death, violence