The Didymus Contingency

I have to admit...I'm late getting to this, the first novel by Jeremy Robinson. I'm not sure why it took me so long. It's right up my alley in terms of my interests...time travel and biblical accounts. I've read most of Robinson's books with gusto. But for some reason, this book wasn't much of a priority on my list of books to read. What a mistake that was! I absolutely loved it! And honestly, after reading this book, it's no wonder that Robinson went on to become one of my favorite authors out there.

One of the things that struck me most was the insight he had into the biblical account of Jesus's ministry. Even more, was the insight he had into a few of Jesus's personal relationships with His disciples and with his friends. I have a Master's Degree in Biblical Studies. I specialized in the New Testament. And while Robinson did take artistic liberties in creating this tale (it's a time travel story...focused on a period in history in which we have little recorded. How could he not take liberties?), much of it was very well researched and depicted accurately. I was completely intrigued with his portrayal of Judas, in particular. Especially the enigmatic account of his part in the Last Supper. In Scripture, the scene where Jesus hands Judas the bread, indicating who will betray him, isn't very clear. But Robinson's portrayal of this event is believable and as good a guess as anyone could make.

Furthermore, I read one negative review that criticized the book for flat characters and nothing but fast-paced action. Really? The action is what it's all about. Want a coming of age story of someone overcoming impossible personal odds to cope with something? Find a literary fiction book. This is a thriller. Action is where it's at! However, I'll say that I enjoyed the characters in this story...good and evil characters alike. But no matter how well-developed characters are, without action in a thriller novel, the author would have failed miserably. Thankfully, Robinson knows his action very well.

Other negative reviews of this book have focused on the lack of time paradoxes, I personally say, “Bravo!” I loved this story because of the fact that Robinson used a different approach to time travel than most sci-fi stories. Whereas, in Doctor Who, there are certain fixed points in time that can't be changed, Robinson posits that all of time is fixed. This, to me, makes the most sense...especially if the universe is created by an all-powerful and organized God (which I believe).

Of course, this brings us to the topic most of the negative reviews seem to harp on. It's Christian perspective. I'm sorry. Did these readers NOT read the book's description? How could you not know what you were getting when you read it? I don't fault a person who doesn't like the story for its theistic worldview. That is a matter of taste and choice. But I don't understand how people can penalize an author for writing what is on his heart. I've read tons of books by authors who attempt to tear the Christian faith apart. I've never once written a negative review because of that fact. Still, I personally loved the Christian viewpoint in this tale, and will wholeheartedly spread the word of the wonders of The Didymus Contingency to all my friends and family. As a matter of fact, I've already bought a paperback edition specifically to give to my mother. And in my opinion, there should be no greater compliment to Mr. Robinson than that.

Oh, side note: I also listened to the Audible edition of this book, narrated by R.C. Bray. Once again, Mr. Bray killed it. His performance was top notch. His vocalization and characterizations were superb. Especially his portrayal of the demon-horde, Legion. Amazing!

This continues to be one of my favorite books from Robinson, and indeed it was the very first book of his I ever read - I've now read all but less than a handful. Yes, it was that good that it got me hooked for about four dozen books over the last decade. You really can't go wrong with this book - even if you're not a Christian. It is simply an amazing story that has stood the test of time. (And hey... maybe it could yet be used in his Avengers Level Event he recently kicked off in another book...)

If you could jump to any point in time and anonymously observe history, what time would you travel to? Its a question many fantasize about. And its the question on which Jeremy Robinson based The Didymus Contingency. The book centers around two physicists: Dr. Tom Greenbaum and Dr. David Goodman. Together they pioneer a new technology that lets them travel through time.

Through an interesting and compelling turn of events, Tom Greenbaum has suffered a lapse in his religious faith. This leaves him somewhat at odds with his research partner, David Goodman. Finally, Tom decides to prove to David that his faith is unfounded. He jumps into the past arriving at a period several years before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He plans to witness the supposed miracles of Christ and with a scientific mind, debunk them. David ends up chasing Tom back through time in an effort to prevent him from interfering with history. Together they spend a great deal of time witenessing biblical events first hand.

The novels biblical central plot almost turned me away from the book. I'm not a particularly religious individual and I don't tend to enjoy religious debate and have little patience for those who try to foist their ideals upon others. Early in the book it became obvious that this was not the goal of the story. Though the plot centers on biblical events, it does so from a historic perspective and is not the least bit preachy while finding a remarkable balance that both religious and non-religious readers can enjoy.

What would you do if you could go back in time? What what would you see? What would you try to change? Did events unfold as history has recorded? These are all questions covered as the story unfolds. The Didymus Contingency is a well written work of science fiction that takes readers on a truly unique time travel adventure.

As I mentioned, the central subject almost led me to pass this book by. But I have become a big fan of Jeremy Robinson's other works and felt compelled to give this book a try. Not only was I not disappointed, but I am also happily recommending it to anyone interested in the time travel genre.