Echoes in time Book

In these later books (this one is from 1999), the coauthor is often an important key to whether a reader will like a particular book. Having read several other books coauthored by Sherwood Smith (those were in the Solar Queen series), I knew that I found Smith's take on things interesting, while Norton's firm grasp on lesser-known Earth cultures and histories was a solid backdrop.

The dedication is by Smith: "With heartfelt thanks to Dave Trowbridge, tech wizard extraordinaire, for unstinting help."

I might as well state up front that I LIKE the linguistic and cultural elements. I found the idea of a language that requires the speaker to whistle and hum at the same time more than a little daunting (I did manage it, once or twice, but I don't think I could've sustained it), but fascinating. I liked the elements of archaeological/linguistic detective work, and I found myself trying to figure out the solutions based on my own history in the subjects.

Some of the aliens are more than a little odd--there's one species, for example, which seems to exchange genetic material by stealing things from each other, then stealing them back. coated with the pollen (?) from the partner-in-theft. The Jecc are also, I gather, all bisexual and marsupial--and odd mix, but not unimaginable.

I kept expecting the time travelers to go back to the time of the First Expedition, because there was evidence that at least some of the travelers had been to the planet at an earlier time (at least one was evidently expected). Though I had encountered the idea of beings that didn't live in linear time before, I didn't think of this as leading to prophetic visions--my mistake.

I still think there was room for negotiation in the situation. Possibly this was later tried, with a fully briefed new team which could (possibly) establish communication before irreversible changes took place--and maybe even negotiate a truce.

I picked this up at a used bookstore. I had known there were books in the Time Traders series which I hadn't read--but I realized as I read this one that there are others, as well. I don't have a complete listing of the series, and some seem to've been published under more than one title.

So, for example, I did look at a copy of Key Out of Time, but I was pretty sure it was one of the ones I already had, and I was right. On the other hand, there was an earlier volume I had read, but I still don't have a copy. In that one some of the original characters went to the same planet which was the setting for this book. When I'm pretty sure I have all of them, I'll make a list myself. I THINK there are two (3?) remaining which I don't have copies of. I also suspect that I have read at least one of the older ones, but have never owned a copy.