The Map of Time

Characters real and imaginary come vividly to life in this whimsical triple play of intertwined plots, in which a skeptical H. G. Wells is called upon to investigate purported incidents of time travel and to save lives and literary classics, including Dracula and The Time Machine, from being wiped from existence.

What happens if we change history?

Félix J. Palma explores this provocative question, weaving a historical fantasy as imaginative as it is exciting—a story full of love and adventure that transports readers from a haunting setting in Victorian London to a magical reality where centuries collide and a writer’s mind seems to pull at all the strings.

The Map of the Sky

1898. New York socialite Emma Harlow agrees to marry well-to-do Montgomery Gilmore, but only if he first accepts her audacious challenge: to reproduce the Martian invasion featured in H. G. Wells’s popular novel The War of the Worlds. Meanwhile in London, Wells himself is unexpectedly made privy to certain objects, apparently of extraterrestrial origin, that were discovered decades earlier on an ill-fated expedition to the Antarctic. On that same expedition was an American crew member named Edgar Allan Poe, whose inexplicable experiences in the frozen wasteland would ultimately inspire him to create one of his most enduring works of literature.

When eerie, alien-looking cylinders begin appearing in London, Wells is certain it is all part of some elaborate hoax. But soon, to his great horror, he realizes that a true invasion of Earth has indeed begun. As brave bands of citizens converge on a crumbling London to defend it against utter ruin, Emma and her suitor must confront the enigma that is their love, a bright spark of hope even against the darkening light of apocalypse.

The Map of Chaos

When the person he loves most dies in tragic circumstances, the mysterious protagonist of The Map of Chaos does all he can to speak to her one last time. A session with a renowned medium seems to offer the only solution, but the experience unleashes terrible forces that bring the world to the brink of disaster. Salvation can only be found in The Map of Chaos, an obscure book that he is desperate to uncover. In his search, he is given invaluable help by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lewis Carroll, and of course by H. G. Wells, whose Invisible Man seems to have escaped from the pages of his famous novel to sow terror among mankind. They alone can discover the means to save the world and to find the path that will reunite the lovers separated by death.

About The Author

Félix J. Palma

Félix J. Palma has been acclaimed by critics as one of the most brilliant and original storytellers of our time. His devotion to the short story genre has earned him more than a hundred awards. The Map of Time, his first book published in the United States, was an instant New York Times bestseller and received the prestigious 2008 Ateneo de Sevila XL Prize. It has been published in more than thirty countries. Along with The Map of Time Trilogy, he is also the author of The Heart and Other Viscera. Palma lives in Spain. Please visit FelixJPalma.es.

Product Details

Publisher: Atria Books (July 28, 2015)
Length: 1840 pages
ISBN13: 9781501110740

Raves and Reviews

Praise for The Map of Time

“Strange and wonderful. Magical and smart. Félix J. Palma has done more than written a wonderful novel, he’s concocted a supernatural tour de force. Time travel, tragic love, murder, and mystery all combine in what is nothing short of a surprising, satisfying, and mesmerizing read.”

– M.J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author

"The Map of Time recalls the science fiction of Wells and Verne, and then turns the early masters on their heads. A brilliant and breathtaking trip through metafictional time."

– Scott Westerfeld, New York Times bestselling author

“The Map of Time is a singularly inventive, luscious story with a core of pure, unsettling weirdness. With unnerving grace and disturbing fantasy, it effortlessly straddles that impossible line between being decidedly familiar, and yet absolutely new.”

– Cherie Priest, author of Boneshaker

"A big, genre-bending delight."

– The Washington Post

"Palma uses the basic ingredients of steampunk—fantasy, mystery, ripping adventure, and Victorian-era high-tech—to marvelous effect."

– Seattle Times

"Palma makes his U.S. debut with the brilliant first in a trilogy, an intriguing thriller that explores the ramifications of time travel in three intersecting narratives."

– Publishers Weekly (starred)

"Readers who embark on the journey . . . will be richly rewarded."

– Booklist (starred)

"Lyrical storytelling and a rich attention to detail make this prize-winning novel an enthralling read."

– Library Journal (starred)

"Palma is a master of ingenious plotting."

– Kirkus Reviews

Praise for The Map of the Sky

“The unreal becomes real, fantasy becomes history, and the reader is thoroughly entertained by an unending parade of bafflements and surprises. This book is a complete delight.”

– K.W. Jeter, author of Infernal Devices

“The Map of the Sky keeps the reader guessing, checking, and thinking, all the while providing many sidelights on the literary history of sci-fi itself.”

– The Wall Street Journal

"A cross-genre masterpiece"

– Associated Press

“Palma writes with shrewdness and glee.”

– The Washington Post

“Having used H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine as the starting point for 2011’s The Map of Time, Palma now takes The War of the Worlds as the basis for this top-notch sequel . . . Fans of intelligent science fiction as well as historical thrillers will be rewarded.”

– Publishers Weekly (starred)

Praise for The Map of Chaos

"The Map of Chaos is a vividly drawn odyssey spanning time and space that calls on three of the literary greats of the past century to answer the fundamental question of our place in the universe and to demonstrate the enduring power of undying love."

– Jack Du Brul, New York Times bestselling author

"Intricate. Compelling. A kaleidoscope of wonder."

– Mario Acevedo, author of the bestselling The Nymphos of Rocky Flats

"The finale to Félix J. Palma's fantastical trilogy is a veritable treat for the mind and senses alike . . . it literally will blow your mind . . . Pick up The Map of Chaos and prepare to leave behind this world, and a few others, for several days!"

– Book Reporter

"Palma displays a deft hand with this diverse group of characters and genres, blending them effortlessly into a fantastic yarn."

– Publishers Weekly

“A delightful puzzler . . . Palma's yarn is altogether a satisfying, thoroughly entertaining creature feature."

– Kirkus Reviews