Third Rule of Time Travel

Philip Fracassi

Book cover for Third Rule of Time Travel
Book cover for Third Rule of Time Travel

Third Rule of Time Travel

Third Rule of Time Travel

Philip Fracassi

Member Benefits

  • 30% Off All Books - Savings that support storytellers, not stock prices.
  • Fight Book Bans - Every membership sends a book to LGBTQ+ youth in affected states.
Member Book Price
$18.99 $13.29
Non-Member Book Price $18.99

An annual membership will be billed at $48/year.

Discount applies to first-time members only. Already a member? Log in here.
View full details

Description

Rule One: You can only travel to a point within your lifetime.
Rule Two: You can only travel for ninety seconds.
Rule Three: You can only observe.
The rules cannot be broken.

In this electrifying science fiction thriller from acclaimed author Philip Fracassi, a scientist has unlocked the mysteries of time travel. This is not the story you think you know. And the rules are only the beginning.

"Tense, fast-moving, surprsing, and above all else, entertaining." - Owen King, New York Times bestselling author

"A clever premise digs its heels into a sci-fi thriller that breaks into a fast gallop from the first page - exciting, haunting, compelling stuff." - Chuck Wendig, author of The Book of Accidents

Scientist Beth Darlow has discovered the unimaginable. She's built a machine that allows human consciousness to travel through time--to any point in the traveler's lifetime--and relive moments of their life. An impossible breakthrough, but it's not perfect: the traveler has no way to interact with the past. They can only observe.

After Beth's husband, Colson, the co-creator of the machine, dies in a tragic car accident, Beth is left to raise Isabella--their only daughter--and continue the work they started. Mired in grief and threatened by her ruthless CEO, Beth pushes herself to the limit to prove the value of her technology.

Then the impossible happens. Simply viewing personal history should not alter the present, but with each new observation she makes, her own timeline begins to warp.

As her reality constantly shifts, Beth must solve the puzzles of her past, even if it means forsaking her future.

"Part Crichton, part Bradbury, and all Fracassi, The Third Rule of Time Travel further demonstrates why Fracassi is one of the best writers working today, regardless of genre." - Tyler Jones, author of Midas

About the Author

Philip Fracassi is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of the story collections Behold the Void and Beneath a Pale Sky. His novels include A Child Alone with Strangers, Gothic, and Boys in the Valley. His stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Best Horror of the Year, Nightmare Magazine, Southwest Review, Interzone, and Black Static. Philip lives in Los Angeles and is represented by Copps Literary Services.

Critical Reviews

"Fracassi paints this gloomy tale with painfully beautiful and detailed prose."

--Library Journal on Boys in the Valley

"[Fracassi is] especially skillful at creating, and sustaining, suspense."--The New York Times

"This Fracassi guy is damn good."

--Richard Chizmar, New York Times bestselling author

"A page-turning adventure with a mind-bending conclusion."--Les Johnson, futurist and space technologist

"A novel of frighteningly plausible science fiction, Fracassi blends deft character work with suspense to create a story that's simultaneously focused in its approach and massive in its implications. Part Crichton, part Blake Crouch, part Bradbury, and all Fracassi. Chilling and unpredictable, The Third Rule of Time Travel further demonstrates why Fracassi is one of the best writers working today, regardless of genre."--Tyler Jones, author of Midas and Burn the Plans

"A clever premise digs its heels into a sci-fi thriller that breaks into a fast gallop from the first page--exciting, haunting, compelling stuff."--Chuck Wendig, author of Wanderers and The Book of Accidents

"tense, fast-moving, surprising, and above all else, entertaining."--Owen King, New York Times bestselling author

Publishing Information

Publisher: Orbit
Pub date: 2025-03-18
Length: 336 pages

The Allstora Membership

Membership Perks:

  • Save 30% on all online store purchases
  • Exclusive access to author's content
  • You pay less, but authors still earn double

Membership Terms:

First Month: $0.00
Monthly price: $5.00
  • To access membership discount simply log in and add to cart, discount applied automatically.
  • One month free trial, cancel anytime. Membership renews on the 15th of each month.