The Plot To Save Socrates
Encyclopedia
The Plot to Save Socrates is a time travel
novel
by Paul Levinson
, first published in 2006. Starting in the near future, the novel also has scenes set in the ancient world and Victorian New York.
The Plot to Save Socrates deals primarily with the concept of time travel, and while the novel rarely discusses time travel directly, it poses several questions about its validity and possibility (or lack thereof). In particular, the characters are trapped in endless Time loop
s, effectively deprived of free will
and having no choice but to take an action which - due to time travel - they already know they have taken.
The story begins in Athens
, Greece
in 2042 with the main character, Sierra Waters, thinking to herself, at which point the rest of the story begins as a flashback
(both in her head and in the sense that the characters constantly flash in and out of historic eras).
Sierra Waters, a graduate student, receives a copy of a previously unknown dialogue
in which Socrates
is being offered an escape from his death sentence in ancient Athens
by a person named Andros offering to take him into the future and leave a clone behind.
The document appears to be genuine, and this takes Sierra onto a path that leads her to a time traveling adventure of her own. On her path she meets up with the great historic inventor Heron of Alexandria but soon realizes that not only is Heron a time traveler himself (from a future later than hers) but is a suspicious and ruthless character. Later on she would encounter the renowned Athenian general Alcibiades
, help save his life at the time when history records his death in 404 BC, become his lover and fall deeply in love with him, and help set him on a very extensive and fruitful later long life which would remain unknown to historians.
The story tangles itself a bit as more and more characters appear to be intertwined with each other and on occasion even the same person at different points in life. However, the novel ultimately untangles itself, somewhat satisfying the plot's plausibility although leaving unanswered any deeper metaphysical
qualms the reader might have.
Together with various fictional characters, the story also involves Plato
, and of course Socrates
- who only comes onstage in the last part - as well as the 19th Century publisher William Henry Appleton
. There are scenes across time, placed in the Ancient Library of Alexandria
, Victorian New York City
, and Roman London.
At various points it is mentioned that Sierra Waters would eventually become the famous mathematician Hypatia of Alexandria. This theme is taken up in a sequel, "Unburning Alexandria", of which the first two chapters were published as a standalone novelette in the November, 2008 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact
and which had not yet been published in full as of October 2011.
and published by Tor Books
, an imprint
of Tom Doherty Associates
. The first edition appeared in February 2006, and it is now (August 2006) in its third printing. The book is 266 pages in length, containing 11 chapters. A trade paperback edition was released on February 20, 2007.
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Paul Levinson
Paul Levinson
Paul Levinson is an American author and professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University in New York City. Levinson's novels, short fiction, and non-fiction works have been translated into twelve languages....
, first published in 2006. Starting in the near future, the novel also has scenes set in the ancient world and Victorian New York.
Summary
Time loop
A time loop or temporal loop is a common plot device in science fiction in which time runs normally for a set period but then skips back like a broken record. When the time loop "resets", the memories of most characters are reset...
s, effectively deprived of free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
and having no choice but to take an action which - due to time travel - they already know they have taken.
The story begins in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in 2042 with the main character, Sierra Waters, thinking to herself, at which point the rest of the story begins as a flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
(both in her head and in the sense that the characters constantly flash in and out of historic eras).
Sierra Waters, a graduate student, receives a copy of a previously unknown dialogue
Socratic dialogue
Socratic dialogue is a genre of prose literary works developed in Greece at the turn of the fourth century BC, preserved today in the dialogues of Plato and the Socratic works of Xenophon - either dramatic or narrative - in which characters discuss moral and philosophical problems, illustrating a...
in which Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary ...
is being offered an escape from his death sentence in ancient Athens
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
by a person named Andros offering to take him into the future and leave a clone behind.
The document appears to be genuine, and this takes Sierra onto a path that leads her to a time traveling adventure of her own. On her path she meets up with the great historic inventor Heron of Alexandria but soon realizes that not only is Heron a time traveler himself (from a future later than hers) but is a suspicious and ruthless character. Later on she would encounter the renowned Athenian general Alcibiades
Alcibiades
Alcibiades, son of Clinias, from the deme of Scambonidae , was a prominent Athenian statesman, orator, and general. He was the last famous member of his mother's aristocratic family, the Alcmaeonidae, which fell from prominence after the Peloponnesian War...
, help save his life at the time when history records his death in 404 BC, become his lover and fall deeply in love with him, and help set him on a very extensive and fruitful later long life which would remain unknown to historians.
The story tangles itself a bit as more and more characters appear to be intertwined with each other and on occasion even the same person at different points in life. However, the novel ultimately untangles itself, somewhat satisfying the plot's plausibility although leaving unanswered any deeper metaphysical
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
qualms the reader might have.
Together with various fictional characters, the story also involves Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
, and of course Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary ...
- who only comes onstage in the last part - as well as the 19th Century publisher William Henry Appleton
William Henry Appleton
William Henry Appleton was an American publisher, eldest son and successor of Daniel Appleton.-Biography:...
. There are scenes across time, placed in the Ancient Library of Alexandria
Library of Alexandria
The Royal Library of Alexandria, or Ancient Library of Alexandria, in Alexandria, Egypt, was the largest and most significant great library of the ancient world. It flourished under the patronage of the Ptolemaic dynasty and functioned as a major center of scholarship from its construction in the...
, Victorian New York City
History of New York City (1855-1897)
The history of New York City started with the inauguration in 1855 of Fernando Wood as the first mayor from Tammany Hall, an institution that would dominate the city throughout this period. There was chaos during the American Civil War, with major rioting in the New York Draft Riots...
, and Roman London.
At various points it is mentioned that Sierra Waters would eventually become the famous mathematician Hypatia of Alexandria. This theme is taken up in a sequel, "Unburning Alexandria", of which the first two chapters were published as a standalone novelette in the November, 2008 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
and which had not yet been published in full as of October 2011.
Publication history
The Plot to Save Socrates was edited by David G. HartwellDavid G. Hartwell
David Geddes Hartwell is an American editor of science fiction and fantasy. He has worked for Signet , Berkley Putnam , Pocket , and Tor Books David Geddes Hartwell (b. July 10, 1941) is an American editor of science fiction and fantasy. He has worked for Signet (1971–1973), Berkley Putnam...
and published by Tor Books
Tor Books
Tor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
, an imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
of Tom Doherty Associates
Tom Doherty
Tom Doherty is an American publisher, and the founder of Tor Books. After working as a book salesman in the 1950s and 1960s, Doherty became publisher of Tempo Books in 1972; in 1975, he became, in addition, publisher of another company also owned by Grosset & Dunlap, the science fiction imprint...
. The first edition appeared in February 2006, and it is now (August 2006) in its third printing. The book is 266 pages in length, containing 11 chapters. A trade paperback edition was released on February 20, 2007.
External links
- Paul Levinson's Home Page
- Review of The Plot to Save Socrates on "sfreviews.net"
- Review of The Plot to Save Socrates on "Curled Up with a Good Book"
- Review of The Plot to Save Socrates on "sfsignal.com", February 2007
- "Publication News about 'Unburning Alexandria' - the sequel to The Plot to Save Socrates - Sierra Waters' story continues" (February 23, 2008)