A greater infinity Book

This book has been sitting on my shelf for a long time, but each time I started reading, I was put off by the frat boy dialogue. I finally I made it through that first part, and the story got better as it went along.

The story: At one point a young man is going out for beer for his buddies. The next he is dodging laser-toting Neanderthals through time and space. If he is not careful, Earth will become a battleground in a war between parallel universes.

Any problems with this story? This book is a compilation of a series published in Analog magazine. The transitions are reasonably smooth, but the writing itself feels like that for short stories rather than a novel. This is the author's first book, and since I've read other books by the author, I know his writing improves considerably.

The other problem is the improbable number of coincidences. The story explains why this is, and I suppose it makes sense, but it was still a little too much. There is also a tendency by the author to use strange dialogues about time travel almost as if he is trying to make a pun, but it doesn't quite work. An editor should have pointed this out.

Finally, the main character, Duncan MacElroy, has a fickle heart. He seems to fall in love with any woman remotely interested in him. I found it annoying.

Any modesty issues? Yes. Sex happens, but it is not described in any detail. I don't recall any vulgar language.

I doubt I will read this book again.