Genetic Time Travel

[fiend]

Hi there,

I'm searching the web for information but without much luck!!

I read a fantastic book, probably about 10 or 15 years ago.

It was about time travel but was achieved by descending back through your own families genes by taking some form of drug.

I only remember a couple of bits - going back to ancient rome, the french revolution (I think there was a brother and sister plotline there).

Does anybody have any idea what this book may be (and incidently any reccomendations for other sci fi time travel books)

Thanks for any help you can give me

[Leto]

Was it real time travel, or travel through your families memories (i.e. ancestor's life) ? Sounds familiar, like a short storie, have to check it.

[fiend]

Definitely not a short story - I distinctly remember a whole book.

It was travel through genes, so yes through your family, but you could interact in the past - not just an observer.

If fact I think they shared the same body surpressing the hosts personality

[Leto]

At least that eliminate the Frank Herbert story I thinked of at the first read.

Now the story sounds so familiar, have to check through my collection. Are your sure about the host personality suppression ?

[dwndrgn]

It sounds a lot like the story behind the TV show Quantum Leap although it was a machine that allowed him to travel through the past, through his ancestors. I don't know of any books with stories like that but there are many time travel stories.

Here are a couple that immediately come to mind:
Kage Baker's Company books
Suzanne Frank's Mediterranean books
Marianne Keesee's Time Tripper series

[Tsujigiri]

Damn, I remember reading something like this when I was younger...back in the dewy newness of the planet....

I can't for the life of me remember the title or author though.

[fiend]

Defnitley not quantum leap!!

I checked out the books of Kage Baker, Suzanne Frank and Marianne Keesee and its not one of them

I'm glad to hear it rings bell with somebody else though

[Leto]

Sounds similar to some Robert Silverberg work as Letters from Atlantis and Star of the Gypsies, I'm sure these two ones are not the novel your looking for, but as he uses mind time travel into ancestor host body in both, he may have used it in another novel.
However, your novel feels familiar too connected to another author, an feminine one. Do you remember anything else more ? Even the slightest thing ?

[Tsujigiri]

Originally Posted by Leto

However, your novel feels familiar too connected to another author, an feminine one. Do you remember anything else more ? Even the slightest thing ?

Celax...let your mind open to the thought waves...you see....a book cover....there is a picture and some letters...concentrate now fiend....concentrate...WHAT DO THE LETTERS SAY????

[fiend]

Can't remember book cover unfortunately.

I think the main character was maybe a university professor.

An elderly member of his staff took some the drug to go back to the time of christ and spent a number of years living there - and when he returned his punished by not being able to use the drug again

Is that any help??

[Tsujigiri]

It rings more bells, the problem was that I used to be able to read up to 7 novels in a day, I didn't so much read as devour books.

So of course now I have a hell of a time trying to remember specific works.

Still, it did encourage me to be more discerning in my choice of titles and to actually read the books instead of absorbing them via osmosis

[Leto]

Originally Posted by fiend

Can't remember book cover unfortunately.

I think the main character was maybe a university professor.

An elderly member of his staff took some the drug to go back to the time of christ and spent a number of years living there - and when he returned his punished by not being able to use the drug again

Is that any help??

Yep, now I just have to find the english original title.

[fiend]

Oh fantastic you know what it is??

If you could let me know the title I would really really appreciate it (english or otherwise - I'm sure I can track it down)

Thanks alot

[knivesout]

These book-search threads are such the spectator sport.

[fiend]

At last - after 18 months I've found it!!!! (well not literally searching every day - in fact it took all of 20 minutes to track it down again when I remembered I was looking for it)

Its called Memories by Mike McQuay (and its in the post to me now)