Diachronic Operations

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been reading through Neal Stephenson's The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. and its sequel.

The Allure of a Good Book

I will say though, as much as I loved and devoured this series, the 2nd one went woke. Ugh. Reader beware.

If you do not want a spoiler (though this is implied by the summary on the back of the book), stop reading now.

Spoiler Alert

Diachronic Operations are, in this book series, the D.O.D.O. team's official bureaucratic name for time travel.

Mini Review

This series is thought provoking in a way that I have only other encountered in one other novel: Seveneves. Incidentally, that is also a Neal Stephenson book. This guy is good. There are also heavy elements of humor within; I laughed out loud several times at the audacity of some of the characters and their situations throughout time (intentionally being vague here, avoiding spoilers). If you want details with the spoilers, see the bottom of this post.

Some situations depicted are so utterly mind boggling that even the protagonists were confused and commented something along the lines of:

> Yeah, don't think about it too hard, it'll make your head hurt.

Ironically, this confusion is, in context, fitting. Remember that we're talking about the practicalities of (albeit fictional) time travel here. Spoiler alert: without revealing too much, there is a situation where the characters save another character who is stranded else-when [sic], and when she is back, the guy responsible for the act that ultimately saved her had not even done said act yet.

Within, you'll also find out what happens when Diachronic Operatives introduce (intentionally or mistakenly, it makes no difference) too much change to the past in one swoop. Let's just say that the space-time continuum is described as self-healing via destruction, and it ain't pretty.

!!! MAJOR SPOILERS !!!

Just some of the comical scenarios within this series are:

An asshole being sent back to Hungary, 500 years ago, with no warning or even confirmation that time travel can be done yet at this point in the plot. He meets his doom and the story of his death even makes it into Wikipedia within minutes in the present day. This delights the witch who sent him back: "I made it into Wikipedia! I bet my enemies never made it into Wikipedia!".

Literal vikings surprise-invading a Walmart to scour the internet for maps of New World (the Americas) gold

A 200 year old witch turning her permanent appearance into that of a 20 year old

Adventure stories of Frodo and Mordor, as told to 4th century Roman girls, presented as if they were actual accounts of 21st century events. The girls loved the story.

One of the protagonists' actions in one time period cause him to be regarded as a saint a century and a half later, a time in which he also goes to work. He even visits his 'own' shrine! This can of worms ends up causing all kinds of problems.