The Corridors of Time - Poul Anderson Book Review

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Review Summary

Storm Darroway, a queenly beauty and time-traveller from the earth's far future is trapped in the twentieth century by her enemies. To stand a fighting chance of making it back through a time gate she needs help, and ex-Marine Malcolm Lockridge, falsely accused of murder and now in jail, is the man she has to spring before he can help her. In the Denmark of 1827BC she is regarded as an earth-goddess, and there they must go if she is to recoup her powers. But the war of the timelords rages there too, and it turns out that she is not all she makes herself out to be. Malcolm himself masters their time travel and must chose which side his instincts lead him to. Poul Anderson's skill lies in the way he builds believable worlds, moves between them, and maintains control of all the elements. The language barriers are elegantly surmounted, the culture-gaps, the gaffs they make and their escapes, the ancient peoples, the flea-ridden sixteenth century, and the moral dilemmas are all very real. A great blend of the paraphernalia of sci-fi and a good story to boot, you won't be able to predict the ending.
Michael JR Jose, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of The Corridors of Time

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%

Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Time Travel: - into past and future equally
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - rescue mission/escape from confinement
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - state secrets
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Time Travel story? Yes
Story largely takes place in - Middle Ages-1899

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - warrior/knight
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status: - dictator
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an above average amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Terrain - Forests - Domed/Underground City
Earth setting: - 20th century - general past - distant future
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - an average amount of scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog

Most similar books to The Corridors of Time
Stormbound by Paul Peters
The Otherhood by Lytchcov Zammana
The Life of the World to Come by Kage Baker
Ishmael by Barbara Hambly
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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