I picked up "Time Patrol" wanting to read "The Sorrow of Odin the Goth," which had been mentioned elsewhere[1], and I was intrigued enough to read the rest of the book (which is basically just the first story).It's a collection of interconnected stories all set in Poul Anderson's Time Patrol universe. They're not bad; they're a nice blend of science fiction, historical fiction, and actual history. It was enjoyable and fast-paced enough to keep me entertained for the two weeks it took me to read ...

In the first story, I understand why science fiction is sometimes classified as young adult literature or simply entertainment. The villains are villains, and the heroes are heroes, with the villains essentially faceless. There are some interesting cultural peculiarities, but that's about it. After a brief initial scare, nothing much happens; the protagonist moves towards his goal, asks the right questions to the right people, behaves with dignity, everyone is helpful, and if anyone manages to s...

Just okay for passing the time. By the time I finished the second story (the book, "Time Patrol", contains two longer stories), I'd already forgotten what happened in the first. The second story drones on about some Goth problems in the 4th century somewhere in Ukraine. All those Armenarichs, Theoderichs, and other -ichs made my head spin, and the whole story was about as interesting as the news from two weeks ago.Anderson just isn't my kind of author, something I've noticed a long time ago (who...

Basically, this book is two B-grade sci-fi novellas bundled together. Mind you, the book description doesn't mention this, so it's a bit of a surprise. The first story is set in ancient Tyre, and the second in Ostrogothia. There's a recurring character and a time travel agency (the "patrol" part of the book's title, Time Patrol) that connects the two, but otherwise, they're unrelated. The stories are fun in a cheesy, nostalgic, 80s kind of way, but they're nowhere near Poul Anderson's best work....

Got through about two-thirds of this one. The stories are interesting enough, but the characters felt pretty shallow. Time travel stories have never really been my cup of tea. I just can't quite buy into the whole idea of going back in time to mess around just to make sure the timeline stays the same? Picked it up for 25 cents at a book sale, so I'm not exactly losing sleep over it. I'll donate "Time Patrol" by Poul Anderson back so it can continue its journey... Keywords: book review, science ...

It just goes to show you, doesn't it? Poul Anderson really hit his stride later in his career. I absolutely adored "The Sorrow of Odin". In some of the earlier stories, I felt the characters and plots were a bit…lacking. That's definitely not the case with Time Patrol. Honestly, I'm still reeling. We follow a Time Patrol officer who travels back to the mid-4th century to investigate lost Goth and Visigoth legends. But he falls in love, loses her, and thanks to immortality treatments, shadows h...

This collection brings together two Time Patrol stories, linked by a recurring character who stars in one and supports in the other. The first story is a straightforward adventure – well, as straightforward as time travel allows! The second delves deeper into both history and the complexities of time travel itself. The initial story is an enjoyable way to pass the time, but the second is truly excellent. It's the strength of that second story that earns this collection three stars. If you're l...

Six-word Review: Time travel is dangerous and paradoxical. This book, *Time Patrol* by Poul Anderson, is actually two novellas packaged as one. The connection between the two is Manse Everard, who is the main protagonist in the first novella, Ivory, and Apes, and Peacocks, and an overseer in the second, The Sorrow of Odin the Goth. The first takes place in 950 BC Tyre, which the time traveler administration has identified as a nexus, a point in time which, if messed with, will change the futur...

Sometimes, you stumble upon a book that's a truly welcome surprise because the blurb on the back barely scratches the surface of the story within. It makes you wonder why they didn't put in a little more effort to accurately describe its awesomeness and sell more copies while enlightening the world. Thankfully, *Time Patrol* doesn't suffer from that particular failure, but it does venture into tricky territory with a synopsis that left me utterly perplexed. This summary promises a tale of Odin t...

I read this book shortly after it was released in 1983 and I've loved it ever since. If you're into European myths, Ragnarok, and Viking tales, you absolutely shouldn't miss out on this one. The book, Time Patrol by Poul Anderson, contains two stories—you could call them novellas, I suppose. The first one is okay, but not particularly memorable. The second, however, is entitled "The Sorrow of Odin the Goth," and it’s a killer! In "Sorrow," Poul Anderson "retells" an Odin story with a sci-fi twi...