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Timecaster (Insane Sci-Fi Action! Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.1 out of 5 stars 407 ratings

FUNNY! SEXY! ACTION-PACKED!

It's the science fiction epic you didn't even know you wanted! You're welcome!

CHICAGO, 2064: MANKIND CAN REWIND

Talon Avalon is a timecaster--one of a select few peace officers who can operate a TEV, the Tachyon Emission Visualizer, which records events (most specifically, crimes) that have already happened.

With crime at an all-time low, Talon has little to do except give lectures to schoolkids--and obsess on his wife's profession as a licensed sex partner.

Then one of her clients asks Talon to investigate a possible murder. When Talon uses the TEV to view the crime, the identity of the killer is unmistakable--it's him, Talon Avalon.

Someone is taking timecasting to a whole new level and using it to frame Talon. And the only way he can prove his innocence is to go off the grid--which in 2064 is a very dangerous thing to do.

Time is NOT on his side.

Featuring all of the action, thrills, and humor of other Konrath books, but set in an outrageous never-before-seen future, the Timecaster series is ecopunk on super steroids. Add in healthy doses of sex, some characters from Konrath's previous books (Talon is Jack Daniels's grandson), and a lot of outrageous ideas about technology, society, and politics, and Timecaster is a book that will appeal to anyone who likes to be entertained, even if they don't dig on sci-fi.

If you are a more sensitive (or adventurous) reader, this handy scale rates specific categories from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) to give you some idea if this is your kind of book.

TIMECASTER by JA Konrath
Technobabble - 7
Action - 9
Sex - 8
Humor - 8
Crossovers - Features characters from the Jack Daniels Thrillers series, the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, and the Codename: Chandler series.

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There are 3 books in this series.
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From the Publisher

This Is The Science Fiction You've Been Looking For

Timecaster

WHAT MAKES GREAT SCI-FI

Checklist for Eco-Punk
  • Fun With Spacetime
  • Future Tech
  • Utopian Society
  • Universe-Ending Drama
  • Over-The-Top Action
  • Bad Jokes
  • A Hero To Root For
  • More Twists Than Twister
FAST-PACED

You'll need a neck brace and a seat belt while reading...

The Timecaster Series

GET READY TO HAVE YOUR MIND MELTED!

Looking for crazy, futuristic thrillers jam-packed with insane science and ridiculous technology?

Looking for some funny parts, and sexy parts, in your speculative fiction?

Looking for physics so convoluted it makes your brain break a little bit?

Look no further. The Timecaster series was written for you.

GRIPPING

Editorial Reviews

Review

What They're Saying About Joe Konrath's Writing

"It's the best piece of fiction I've read in several years. It simply NEVER lets up." - James Rollins, author of The Last Odyssey

"Fast and ferocious, this is a dangerous thriller that will take a bite out of you." - Jonathan Maberry, author of V-Wars

"Bring on the sequel!" - BookPage

"A startling novel, from its thrilling onset to horrific closing pages." - Michael Laimo, author of Dead Souls

"Oozes with stylistic violence." - Shots.uk

"A bloody, terrifying, hurtling assault across a landscape of non-stop mayhem. A guilty, guilty pleasure." - F. Paul Wilson, author of The Keep

"An absolutely relentless nightmare. Horror fans will be wiping blood out of their eyes with glee." - Jeff Strand, author of Pressure

"Fans of gross-out horror will love it." - Publishers Weekly

"You'll probably need a shrink when you're done." - Edward Lee, author of The Backwoods

From the Author

An Informal Q & A with Joe Konrath

Q: You're known for thrillers and horror novels. What made you write Science Fiction?

Joe: Sci-fi is the most fun to write. There are no boundaries. If I can think it up, I can write about it. I had such a great time writing the Timecaster books.

Q: What's the tone of the series?

Joe: We've all read about dystopian futures where the government is terrible and everything is gray and no one is happy. I went in the other direction. My future is bright and green and truly a utopia... until everything goes to hell.

Q: You have a lot of humor in these.

Joe: Yes. They're funny. I laughed so hard while writing these that I peed my spleen out.

Q: What does a spleen actually do?

Joe: I have no idea. But lemme tell you, the only thing worse than peeing out your spleen is shoving it back in.

Q: These books feature some graphic sex...

Joe: Hell yeah! In the future, prostitution is legal. So are drugs. It's utopia, remember? Smoke up and get naked.

Q: Why did the sex have to be so gratuitous?

Joe: Have you ever had sex? It's always gratuitous. That's the point. Don't be so prude. Open your mind up. Sex is natural, and normal, and a part of life.

Q: The sex in these books is not normal.

Joe: Save that talk for church, Mr. Puritan. And while you're there, feel free to pray for my soul. But it won't help.

Q: How do these books tie in with your other, non-science fiction titles?

Joe: I have a cop character named Jack Daniels who has been in a bunch of my books. Talon, the hero of the Timecaster series, is Jack's grandson. So Jack and various other characters from my other books appear in the Timecaster books.

If you like my other books, you'll like Timecaster, even though it is futuristic. If you like Timecaster, you'll like my other books, even though they aren't futuristic.

It's strange that the fans of each don't do more cross-over reading. I'm the same writer, folks. I'm going to entertain you whether the year is 1995 or 2064.

Q: These books have a lot of science and gadgets in them. Is any of it based on fact?

Joe: Some of it. Some I just made up. But I love thinking about how the world will improve in the future, and what cool new stuff man will be able to do. So I get to play with space elevators and Tesla fields and nanotech and transhumanism and parallel universes and talking dinosaurs and giant squids and green roofs and all sorts of fun things.

Q: Are you planning more books in this universe?

Joe: All of my books take place in this universe! Timecaster crosses over with my Jack Daniels thriller series, my Konrath Dark Thriller series, my Jack Daniels and Associates series, the Codename: Chandler series, and even the smut I write under the pen name Melinda DuChamp. Read it all! Read it now!

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008JHYIF4
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 9, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.0 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ Insane Sci-Fi Action!
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 407 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
407 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers love this sci-fi action book for its fast-paced narrative and engaging plot, describing it as a fun Utopian comedy with interesting futuristic ideas. The writing style receives positive feedback for its great dialogue and easy readability, while customers appreciate the well-developed characters and humor throughout the story.

51 customers mention "Enjoyment"51 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and entertaining, with several mentioning they loved it from the first page, and one describing it as a mind-boggling page-turner.

"...over the course of the day, trying to save the City of Chicago, is fun and engaging...." Read more

"...Well, no, he doesn’t. This is a fast, fun read...." Read more

"...But overall it was a great read, and a great opener to what is a fun sci-fi series. I've got the follow-up books on my TBR list." Read more

"I liked this book. I like most books where the story moves quickly and doesn't go off on too many (if any at all) unimportant tangents...." Read more

29 customers mention "Humor"29 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, describing it as a fun utopian sci-fi comedy with true-to-life vulgarities.

"...This book had me interested from the start. It is funny and well written. It is set up to be a series and ends on a cliff hanger...." Read more

"Out of the box. Funny, strong, tough detective Talon leads you on a wild adventure. Konrath/Kilborn created a unique futuristic read I enjoyed!" Read more

"...I thought it was a decent writing style. There was humor, sex, and lots of action...." Read more

"...an excellent science fiction-action-adventure tale with plenty of humor mixed throughout...." Read more

26 customers mention "Imagination"21 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the book's interesting futuristic ideas and how it builds a different future, with one customer noting its incredibly well-fleshed out universe.

"...I like the vision of the future of Chicago and enjoyed the action...." Read more

"...The future was actually really cool (I'd never read any ecopunk before) and all of the technology Konrath introduced served to further the..." Read more

"This is a fun story that plays out in a not-so-realistic, yet interesting future where the nation's way of life has drastically shifted due to..." Read more

"...I'm glad I did. TIMECASTER was a great look into a futuristic world which will most likely be just as effed up and Konrath portrays it...." Read more

20 customers mention "Character development"17 positive3 negative

Customers love the characters in the book, with one review noting they are colorful and another mentioning the hero is a very believable "everyman" type.

"...As is the norm with a Konrath book, larger than life, whacky characters fill every page...." Read more

"...Talon is such a great character. I loved him. Life keeps knocking him down, literally and figuratively, over and over, but he keeps getting back up...." Read more

"...Good plot, good characters, and good explanations on all the tech without bogging down in so much detail that my eyes start glazing over...." Read more

"...The main character is good and worth rooting for. His damsel-in-distress is hot, so that's always worth fighting for...." Read more

17 customers mention "Writing style"17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style of the book, finding it easy to read and appreciating the dialogue, with one customer noting the witty dialect.

"...This book had me interested from the start. It is funny and well written. It is set up to be a series and ends on a cliff hanger...." Read more

"Great Writing, Awful Serialization..." Read more

"I love Konrath's writing, I love the Jack Daniels books and these are even more fun. Very fun and tons of action for those of us with ADHD." Read more

"...So, it was quick, easy to read, fun, and entertaining...." Read more

11 customers mention "Pacing"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fast-paced and easy to read.

"A very fun and fast read with an interesting take on the future. I'm a sucker for time travel stories and this delivered." Read more

"...It's fast, frenetic, and action packed...." Read more

"...I read the whole book over a few hours on Sat & Sun. So, it was quick, easy to read, fun, and entertaining...." Read more

"I liked this book. I like most books where the story moves quickly and doesn't go off on too many (if any at all) unimportant tangents...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I love Konrath's writing, I love the Jack Daniels books and these are even more fun. Very fun and tons of action for those of us with ADHD.
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Talon Avalon is about to get a cure for his boredom. In the future, nearly all violent crime has been erased thanks to the ability to see into the past and catch any criminals in the act. The people who use this technology are called Timcasters. Talon is one of very few left and, since people stop committing crimes before they're even committed, his life has been reduced to giving lectures to school children. That is until Neil, one of his wife's (a State Licensed Prostitute) clients asks Talon to look into a possible murder. When Talon investigates using the Timecaster tech, he finds the murderer alright. It's himself.

    Think TimeCop meets Demolition Man, meets Deja Vu, meets The One and you'll get a pretty good idea of what you'll get when you first start reading Timecaster. It's fast, frenetic, and action packed. The book reads like a very imaginative sci-fi blockbuster but, it's smarter than your average popcorn flick. Konrath/Kimball uses his vivid imagination to paint a picture of the world 50 years in our future. Electricity flows through the air, not through wires. Because vegetation is primarily used for fuel, America, even its buildings, is covered in plant life. Even the roads and rooftops are made from vegetation. Casinos sit on the edge of space, tethered by Space Elevators. The world of the future as seen through the author's eyes is nothing short of fantastical and every bit of technology plays a role in the book. What's more, he explains how these future techs work and where they stemmed from while not taking the reader out of the story. It's impressive.

    As is the norm with a Konrath book, larger than life, whacky characters fill every page. Talon Avalon is good at what he does, but he's not flawless. He gets his butt handed to him constantly. What I liked about this character from the future with old world sentiments was that while he cracks wise with just about everyone and he's good in a fight, he knows when he's beat and he never comes off as snarky or jaded. It's told in the first person and reading Talon's inner monologue as he's run ragged over the course of the day, trying to save the City of Chicago, is fun and engaging.

    As is also the norm with a Konrath book, Timecaster is over the top. That's both good and bad. Sometimes the action scenes (and even one of the more saucy scenes) are a bit too over the top and do tend to go on a bit too long. I won't put any spoilers in here, but a couple of these sequences seemed to be there just to be there which made the pacing hiccup a little bit.

    In addition, when the 'bad guy is revealed' it wasn't that much of a surprise.

    Still, this is as fun an action/sci fi book as I've read. The dialogue is top notch, the characters are great, the conflict ramps up with every page, and the imagination put into creating the world of the future is incredible.

    Konrath never seems to be at a loss for ideas and Timecaster is patent proof of that. Fun!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This book was an excellent science fiction-action-adventure tale with plenty of humor mixed throughout. Basically, in the year 2064, violent crimes no longer exist (at least in civilized society). This is thanks to Timecasters, cops who can use a sort of time travel device to catch criminals basically 100% of the time. It's enough to stop anyone from even bothering to commit a crime, leading to a practical Utopia. But something has gone wrong. One of the few remaining Timecasters, Talon has been framed using the technology, even though that's impossible. Even though he watches himself commit the murder using his timecasting equipment, he knows he didn't do it. This leads him on a quest to clear his name and catch the real killer. And to amp things up, he's also shown to have blown up Boise, Idaho, killing a half-million people. You better believe he now has to dodge every authority figure in the country while doing so. This one is filled with graphic violence and sex, so it's not for the faint of heart, but the action and humor throughout definitely make this a worthwhile ride. Give it a shot.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Konrath, aka Kilborn, aka Etc., puts his hero through nearly unimaginable troubles and expects him to find his own way out. And that's OK for this kind of story.

    But, in addition to being a thriller, this is science fiction, and the science part is dubious to wrong. For just one instance, Konrath puts a space elevator in Chicago. Space elevators, if they ever exist, will need to be on or very near the equator. They won't work in Chicago, except in Konrath's dreams.

    The characterization is good, however. And the action is nonstop and believable, giving the science the benefit of a lot of doubt. The ending is a shameless attempt to make the reader buy a sequel, and makes the book worth only three stars.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Talon Alalon is a timecaster--one of a select few peace officers who can operate a TEV, the Tachyon Emission Visualizer, which records events (most specifically, crimes) that have already happened.

    With crime at an all-time low, Talon has little to do except give lectures to schoolkids--and obsess on his wife's profession as a licensed sex partner.

    Then one of her clients asks Talon to investigate a possible murder. When Talon uses the TEV to view the crime, the identity of the killer is unmistakable--it's him, Talon Avalon.

    This book had me interested from the start. It is funny and well written. It is set up to be a series and ends on a cliff hanger. I like the vision of the future of Chicago and enjoyed the action. Toward the end I felt like it lost a little steam and momentum but in the end it got exciting again and made me want to know what would happen next.

    A very enjoyable sci fi time travel crime book
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Talon, a peace officer, is approached by Neil, who wants a wellness check for his Aunt Zelda. Sadly, Aunt Zelda is dead, stuffed in her refrigerator. (NOTE: READ THE GLOSSARY!!!) Talon uses a gadget (glossary, remember?) to see who killed her. Imagine his horror when he realizes it was HIM! He knows that isn’t right, he was home with his wife.

    Knowing the entire Chicago peace department (no more police because of aforesaid gadget) will be looking for him, he enlists the help of his friend Harry McGlade to find the real killer.

    In the meantime, he blows up Boise. Well, no, he doesn’t.

    This is a fast, fun read. Full of sly humor and outright laughs, the adventures of Talon while clearing his name is different in so many ways than any other Konrath book. READ THE GLOSSARY. Not suitable for kids.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Misfit Malice
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
    Reviewed in Canada on November 30, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A funny, witty novel with non-stop action! I love the fact that the characters are connected with previous ones in the past. Hail to the obnoxious McGlade!
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    An excellent book, funny, violent, sexy and a really great story. Looking forward to more books in the series. Tbh really want to know what happens next!!!
  • reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very imaginative and fun to read
    Reviewed in Canada on April 13, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This was a humerous fast action story. Very imaginative and fun to read. The dialogue kept the story moving.
  • N. A. Stephenson
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good, fast-paced read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2012
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Talon Avalon is a man on the run in the future world of 2064's Chicago - a dazzling world of roof-top greenery, casual sex and recreational drugs - where violent crime is a thing of the past thank's to TEV technology that allows trained "van-dammes" the ability to see into the past and catch criminals red-handed. Within the first chapter, our hero is called upon to investigate a mysterious disappearance, which turns out to be Chicago's first murder in over a decade, and he quickly identifies the murderer as himself.

    Rather understandably, Talon is a little taken aback by this and decides to clear his name - pursued by the entire Chicago police force and his partner Teague who has more than just a grudge to settle, Talon soon discovers the shocking reality of his predicament.

    I enjoyed this book's premise and the style in which it was written - very similar to the author's other work, especially the Jack Daniels mysteries series. You can easily tell that the author is enjoying the freedom that self-publishing brings; no idea is too wild and no plot twist is too outlandish. Thankfully, the multiple twists and turns never go too far and just about keep you within the realms of reality (however you might define that term). The book was a good, quick read, funny at times and full of original and wild ideas. I'm looking forward to reading the second book "supersymmetry".
  • TomMG
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on October 29, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Great story well written flows nicely look forward to reading more of this saga

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