The Life of the World to Come
Kage Baker
Tor, Dec 2004, $25.95, 336 pages, ISBN: 0765311321
reviewed by Harriet Klausner

In the twenty-fourth century, Dr. Zeus, Incorporated discovered time travel. However, rather than benefiting humanity, the firm plundered history taking valuable artifacts so the shareholders became wealthy. One of the top agents - the botanist Mendoza - fell in love with an apparent sixteenth century English native only to watch him die at the fiery stake; next Mendzoa fell in love with his doppelganger in nineteenth century Hollywood only to see him murdered. This time the cyborg killed the culprits. Threatening to expose Dr. Zeus while grieving, the firm exiles her to 150,000 BCE ("More or Less").

The millenniums pass as Mendoza waits for rescue until the arrival of a time-shuttle piloted by the twenty-fourth century, one of the wealthiest people in the world, Alec Checkerfield. He is a triplet to her deceased beloveds and wants to destroy Dr. Zeus. Mendoza wants to believe him as he is identical to her two loves, but has doubts about his sincerity and questions three men born in different centuries over a millennium looking like identical triplets. Dr. Zeus must be involved, but how?

Each book adds to the complexities of the previous novels yet keeps the underlying theme and principles, and Mendoza consistent as no series (at least that this reviewer can think of) has previously accomplished by book five. THE LIFE OF THE WORLD TO COME is an excellent entry that can stand alone yet enhances the story lines from the previous tales making them and this entry even more enjoyable and multifaceted. If a reader was stranded in 150,000 BCE with one series of novels to accompany them, Kage Baker’s masterpiece would be on most sci fi fans’ short lists.