One Second Per Second (The One Second Per Second Series Book 1)

I've been a fan of science fiction for close to 50 years, and have read a lot. I tend to prefer hard science (like Greg Bear (RIP), Neal Stephenson, Clarke, Asimov, etc. but have always loved fun stuff like Douglas Adams, Ron Goulart, Cory Doctorow and Robert Asprin.Time travel stories are one of my favorite subject, where it's kind of hard to be hard-science, because the whole idea of time-travel always requires a lot of hand-waving, especially with regard to potential paradoxes. Mr. Unwin handles this pretty smoothly while still allowing for the fact that time travel can lead to all kinds of complex scenarios. This book certainly isn't a comedy, but it is fairly light-hearted and has some humorous moments in it. It's serious enough that you care about the consequences (unlike Adams, where what happens really doesn't matter, because it's all just vehicle for the author's razor-sharp wit), but not something dark and depressing, which it could easily be in an era where dystopian science fiction is really popular.Mr. Unwin does not have some incredibly cool extrapolation of advanced physics to explain how his time travel mechanism works, but... he doesn't really need one. The whole point of this story is to get to the time travel itself. It's there. It has rules. The nuts and bolts don't matter that much. And this is a world where those rules play out. The story was engaging, and a lot of fun. I didn't find it particularly deep... it's no "Primer", but he's taking the idea of time travel and playing around with it, building a believable and interesting world in which it exists, and letting events play out.There are some mysteries to ponder, and a lot of potential for future fun. It occurred to me after the fact that the visits through time in this story are rather limited, but the reason becomes evident in the fact that there's a sequel. This is a world that has a lot of potential for future stories, and I'm betting he's laid groundwork in this book for things that will pay off down the road. (Spoiler: I've read the sequel, and he does.)The writing style is very informal first-person. We are inside the head of our protagonist, and he thinks like regular folks, even if he's got advanced scientific training. I thought the style worked great with the story, and didn't get in the way of communicating what was happening, or my interest level. The plot is quite simple, and I found the motivations of the antagonist to be overly simplistic, but there's always the potential for more context in future books (in fact, in book 2, we get a little better understanding of the motives of people like the antagonist in this book).I feel like Mr. Unwin deliberately kept his first story on the simple side, perhaps because he's still developing as an author, and perhaps to ease his audience into a world that can easily get crazy-complicated. Either way, I'm in for the long haul and eagerly await more.

I had never heard of this series or read S.D. Unwin before. Picked it up as a free read (which I don't usually do - not generally very adventurous when it comes to new authors), but I like Time Travel stories and thought "why not?" It was a very enjoyable read! I am on to the second book in the series.

A first-person narrative about how time might actually work. Not too bizarre but there is a little discussion of time physics, philosophy, and paradoxes. Worth a read by anyone interested in time.

Many folks have commented on the 'bad' writing style. I get it ... because the author has a *different* writing style.It's *severely* first person ... something along the lines of 'I see this. I think about that. This happens. I didn't expect that. Reminds me of this.'Along the way, there are laugh-out-loud phrases, as well as this example: "She’s been the only point of quiet for me in a tornado of lunacy. I need to see [female heroine]. Maybe we’re en route to [safety]. But maybe not. No point asking this schmuck. I look him over and I’m pretty sure I could take him. But then what? The worst kind of prison is one without boundaries."My opinion: the ride is worth it, typos (and there are quite a few) and all.

Love lost. Love gained. Love changed. All in its own time. Being inconsiderate and mean can come back to haunt. So in the end was everything right? Neat reading a bit jumble at times.

As one with a bit of a science background, I found the story engaging. The plot mixes pieces of the theoretical with the historical. I found it difficult to put down.

I seem to be a sucker for time travel books. I have read a bunch and I have loved quite a few. Why some are great and some stories just sort of lay there on the page is a mystery. I can't tell you why this one wasn't very good but... I did make it to the end. But I won't bother with the sequel.

It's always amazing to me how writers are able to turn their thoughts into books. This story barely gives you a minute to catch your breath. And who knows? This might just be one possible reality. We can only hope that the universe will share it's secrets with us some day. Enjoy!

This book grabs you from the start and hurdles you back and forth through the centuries. It cleverly turns every time travel plot you’ve read on its head and what especially appeals is the real science thrown into the mix. If you like sci-fi that doesn't pull its punches you wont be disappointed.

I really tried to like this book. I thought the premise was really interesting, but sadly I found the writing very pedestrian and I just got bored with the book. I only managed about 30 minutes reading before I gave up.

A very good time travel story with plenty of action and adventure. Too often the author just focuses on everyday life in the past.

A very original story about time travel, excellently written, and based on real science! Thoroughly enjoyed this book