Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell

By: Pat Murphy

Narrated by: Johanna Ward

Award-winning author Pat Murphy takes us aboard a luxury cruise ship and into the strange confluence of time and space known as the Bermuda Triangle, in an engaging science-fiction romp that recalls the work of Kate Wilhelm.

Susan Galina and her friend Pat have escaped their normal lives into the elegant, isolated world of the Odyssey, a luxury cruise ship heading from New York to Europe via Bermuda. Pat is working on her doctoral thesis in quantum physics, and Susan is recovering from a recent and unhappy divorce.

To Susan's delight, she discovers that her favorite author, Max Merriwell, is also aboard ship, teaching a writers' workshop. Susan's life becomes even more interesting when she meets Tom Clayton, the handsome chief of security. This cruise looks very promising indeed. But the pleasant shipboard vacation turns dark as the Odyssey passes into the Bermuda Triangle.

Each year, Max Merriwell writes three novels, a science-fiction novel under his own name, a fantasy novel under the pseudonym Mary Maxwell, and a mystery novel under the pseudonym Weldon Merrimax. The trouble begins when Max receives a threatening note that appears to come from Weldon Merrimax, Max's own pseudonym. Susan hears wolves howling in the night, the ship's passengers are seized with a dancing mania, and monsters lurk in the ship's corridors. An eyewitness reports a murder, but the victim of the crime is not on the passenger list and the body is nowhere to be found. While others struggle to understand these strange events, Pat seeks the explanation in quantum theory.

Out of these elements, Murphy builds a suspenseful, funny, fast-paced novel of shifting and intersecting realities that is a joy to read.

©2001 Pat Murphy (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Smart, funny, thoroughly addictive." (Booklist)
"In this cerebral equivalent of a roller-coaster ride....questions of who is in charge, who is real and whether the answers to those questions matter will leave readers pleasantly dizzy." (Publishers Weekly)
"An eerie mystery that recalls the works of Lewis Carroll and the theories of quantum physics. Highly recommended for sf collections." (Library Journal)

Not as good as I had hoped

Given the reviews written, I had hoped for a lot more wit and interesting characters. It just isn't like Jasper Fforde, Neil Gaiman or any of those authors who seem to be more about humanity rather than a news magazine snapshot of science and psychology. Sorry.

Very bizarre, very entertaining

If you like quirky plotlines, this is for you. If you like writers like Jasper Fforde, you will appreciate this book. At times it is a bit hard to follow due to the quirkiness, but always enjoyable. A good read!

A really fun story

Fun and unexpected twists, story keeps you interested cover to cover.

Quirky & Smart, if not perfect

Any additional comments?

Adventures is one of those books that tries to interweave it's story with metaphysical quirkiness, and mostly succeeds (I enjoyed the listen). I certainly give Pat Murphy kudos for trying something different. Some reviews have compared it to Gaiman, but it is less urban fantasy and more of a playful postmodern romp a la Coleman & Perrin's The Jamais Vu Papers. If that's your sort of thing, then definitely give it a try. If you read the description and the premiss sounds intriguing to you, then it's worth a listen -- this will not be everyone's cup of tea, but Pat Murphy is a capable writer, and I definitely got a few smiles out of it.

Loved it!

Schrodinger's cat, quantum physics, the Bermuda Triangle...I was looking for a light listen after the holidays and was delighted with "Adventures.." This was an impulse buy of a new author for me, and was just what I was after...light, a bit whimsical, with a blend of 'possibilities' that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Strap yourself in for the ride of your life!

This was a terrific book, one of the best I've heard at Audible thus far. Imagine a cruise ship where a famous author's characters take on a life of their own. I highly recommend this not only for a great read, but the narrator was perfect as well.

A joy from beginning to endnote!

"Adventures in Time and Space..." is a frolic not to be missed. I knew nothing about this book, but was in a mood for something light and whimsical so I took a gamble on a "stranger." I am so glad I did. Fans of Jasper Fforde will enjoy "Adventures...", so will those who loved Alice's Adventures, mystery lovers and anyone who ever pondered Schrodinger's cat. It defies classification by genre. Just try it; I'll bet you will love it too.

waste of time

This was the worst book I have ever read or heard. I kept thinking that it would eventually lead to something interesting, but alas it never did. Reading it might have been a better experience, but the audio version was just annoying.

Interesting Concept

Interesting concept for a book, but it never really takes off. The author spends too much time exploring Susan's past and current feelings, which are not very interesting. If I wanted to listen to a psychotherapy session, I would have been a psychologist.

Dull !!!

Dull, Dull, Dull........