Book Review - Time Crawlers: Stories from Parallel Universes by Varun Sayal

My Rating - 5 out of 5 stars
Published by - Self-Published
Genre - Sci-fi
Publishing year - June 2018
Language - English
ASIN - B07DRPPGK6
Pages - 100
Buy now - Amazon IN

My Review -

Time Crawlers by Varun Sayal is a sci-fi book. There are six stories of a parallel universe. This book is full of infinite possibilities. All the stories were different, but the core was the same. Something happening in the parallel universe, but their realities are different from our world in so many ways. 

Let's talk about the six stories - 

1. Eclipse - "Tomorrow is a luxury no one has."

We have seen in movies that aliens attack our planet, and the government tries to hide the presence of those creatures. This story told us that aliens have been living among us for a long time. But unfortunately, we are so distracted by world affairs that we don't even notice their presence. According to this story, Aliens are the one who changes the climate of our planet and guides monkeys to civilization. But they have weaknesses too, which humans use to destroy them. 

2. Death by Crowd - "All other species on this planet are simplistic, natural intelligence; they grow and learn at a limited pace, their evolution is gradual and well checked by nature. But we humans have grown unchecked."

This story is a part of the interview over the black site about crypto-currency and the live show where people burn themselves. A hacker is considered an alien because no one ever saw them. This story focuses on Artificial Intelligence, just like the movie Matrix. We humans don't know about our past clearly. This story left readers with a question of our existence. We are the one who creates AI, or what if we are the AI?

3. Genie - "I never heard of a female genie in any of the stories.
Genie - You are one sexist son of a bitch."

A man named Marco, lost in a jungle, finds an old oil lamp. Suddenly, a female genie appears in front of him. The conversation between the two of them is funny and fascinating. We never thought of a female genie; how sad. But the author's imagination is on the next level. This story told us that we humans always abuse the gifts we receive. The lamp is considered a high-tech communication device that creates a momentary wormhole. The genie appears in nanoseconds from another planet. 

4. Time Crawlers - "Those who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music."

This story is based on time travel. A person can co-exist in two moments at the same time. They experience multiple moments and can easily switch from one period to another at will. Who are they? Humans? Aliens? Strange humans? Those people who know about them are called time-readers. This story told a very different aspect of time travel. 

5. The Cave - "External senses may lie to you, but your brain always senses the true picture."

The story starts when highly trained seventeen soldiers are found dead in a cave. Soon they realized that it was not just a cave but an ancient warship. The dark lord of that ship is a type of bacteria that feeds on energy. They called a telekinetic, Kaaljeevi, a living teleporter, to save the planet. This story brings a scientific aspect to our world. 

6. The Hell Weapon - "There is no such thing as magic. It's all science."

The story is a perfect blend of scientific inventions and Indian mythology. It is about taking revenge. We heard the stories from Mahabharata and Ramayana, where bow and arrow can create mass destructions. What if those weapons are high-tech voice-guided weapons? This story is about nuclear warfare techniques and lethal weapons. 

The author did very well in his debut book. It's a short read. The approach towards the story is subtle. The stories are intriguing, convincing, and fascinating. There is a mix of humor and darkness. It is thought-provoking. I would recommend this book to those who like science fiction; these short stories are perfect for everyone.