A Review of MYRIAD, by Joshua David Bellin
By Marshall L. Moseley
As a private cop for LifeTime—a time-traveling "fix-it" organization that tries to erase crimes before they occur—Miriam Randle smokes too much, drinks too much, and has too much forbidden sex with her hunky partner, Marty. This high-adrenaline, high-stakes profession helps her avoid facing the traumatic childhood event that scarred her forever and led her to this work.
On a job that seems like any other, things go sideways, and she accidentally commits the type of crime she was sent to prevent. If that’s discovered, she will become her employer’s next target. As she desperately tries to remedy the situation she is pulled into a labyrinthine multiple-timeline hot mess in which her past, her well-being, and the future of everything are suddenly at risk. To prevail all she has to do is face the trauma that defined her—which is not easy.
She is chased by her own organization across multiple timelines while learning of its corporate crimes, both of which make this a thriller and espionage story as much as it is science fiction. It excels in all three areas. It would be easy to grow tired of Miriam’s grim, self-hating view of the world, but author Bellin’s characterization makes the reader identify with her and root for her. He reveals her character through actions and choices—the very choices that we might make in that same moment. There is very little "telling" here and a lot of "showing," and it works incredibly well.
More than anything, this story reminds me of David Gerrold's The Man Who Folded Himself. Multiple timelines and multiple versions of the same people—with different experiences at different ages—commingle in a plot that's half mystery, half family drama, and 100% bizarre. It's tough to find a new approach to time travel, but author Joshua David Bellin skillfully does just that. The book moves quickly, and if the astute reader can guess the key revelation about two-thirds of the way through, that's perfectly fine because the ride itself is so entertaining.