K.A. Bedford. Time Machines Repaired While U Wait. Fremantle Press,  Fremantle, 2009.

Review by Jan Napier

The Wellsian concept of time travel has been debated, explored, and expanded upon many times, but never before in such a compulsively readable format. From the opening statement onwards, I had the sense of being directly involved in a series of occurrences, which although weird — even eerie — contained commonplace incidents. This feeling was further accentuated by the book's setting within my city of birth, plus references to familiar locales. A bond was instantly forged.

K.A. Bedford's award winning novel has a plot as twisted as a Narwhale tusk. It also boasts more mysteries than an archaeological dig, includes enough criminal activity to keep aficionados of the oeuvre beguiled, and of course, there's Spider's selfless love for Molly to consider. Such a plethora of universal themes renders Time machines... user friendly to a widely divergent readership.

The story itself is fast paced, and graphic. Dialogue is expressive, natural, and often very droll.

"Yes, Dickhead. How wrong I was to get all concerned about a dead person," Spider comments when his boss tells him how he should have handled the situation.

Time machines excepted, technological advances dreamed up by Bedford's imagination are all the more credible for not being radical breakthroughs, but instead the small mundane advances (phone patches, coffee droids, watch tops), which the public at large never equate with the term 'science.'

Characterisations are superb. The writer has managed to tap into the popular psyche with the creation of our main protagonist Aloysius 'Spider' Webb. This disillusioned battler is just trying to break even, and salvage the wreck of his marriage. A failed career in the police force lies behind him, he detests his boss, his dead end job, and most of all, the stupidity of his customers.

As he told us, "Most people, no matter how often you explained things to them, simply couldn't be made to understand."

An unlikely choice of hero perhaps, but people love reading about the failures of others. It makes their own seem trivial, or at least more easily justifiable.

My only issue with this novel, is that inflicting players with jocular appellations like 'Malaria,' and 'Dickhead,' negatively affects the work's veracity and tone.

K.A. Bedford is obviously a keen student of human nature. He captures the small time humour and despair of our lives, and translates it into something of much greater magnitude.

Time Machines Repaired While U Wait, is dynamic, convincing, and a winner. A sequel, Time Never Sleeps, is due for release later this year.

Note: K.A. Bedford is going to be a guest at the Writer's Festival in Perth, late February. He is also going to be a guest at the World Sci Fi Convention in Melbourne !!!

Jan's stories of her years in side-show alley, All the Fun of the Fair, is available for $20, (includes postage), at PO Box 1127, Nedlands. WA.6909.