Map of Time (Palma)

Discussion Questions
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Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for The Map of Time:

1. Author Felix J. Palma has written about how he prepared himself to write The Map of Time:

To do it, I'd have to immerse myself in the Victorian era and think like an Englishman from the nineteenth century.... I started to educate myself on the period so I could realistically portray what a fascinating time it was to be alive in London, the largest city on earth.

Does Palma succeed in bringing Victorian London to life? As you read his work, did you feel as if you were present in that world?

2. Palma has also said he wanted to present H.G. Wells as more than "two-dimensional, a stereotype with predictable behavior." Does the author's portrayal of Wells have heft? Was Palma able to endow him with a rich inner life and a world view that make him an arresting character?

3. Consider time travel: What would happen if you met your future self? What would you do, or say? If you could alter the past, what would you change—in your own life...or, on a grander scale, in the world?

4. Which of the three interrelated stories do you most enjoy...and why?

5. Were you caught off guard—surprised—by the twists and turns of the plots? Did you experience any "you got me there" moments? What about those "Ah-ha!" moments when things started to make sense, or come together for you...any of those?

6. What about Andrew Harrington? Is he too immersed in self-pity to admire? Or is he presistent and courageous in his attempt to save Marie Kelly from Jack the Ripper? Speaking of Jack the Ripper, are the descriptions of his murders overly graphic? Or are they integral to the plot, atmosphere, and sense of place?

7. Why is Claire Haggerty unhappy with her life? What does she wish for?

8. Talk about the way in which Palma portrays the year 2000. Does the year have anything in common with the actual 2000? Is it possibly symbolic of trends in technology? Is Palma's 2000 a totally alien world to ours, or is it a vaguely (and scarily) familiar one?

9. In the end, the book offers a compendium of cosmic speculation—parallel universes, loopholes in the time continuum, alternative histories, and the Map of Time. If you are not a science-fiction devotee, do you find these discussions intriguing or engaging? Or is it necessary to be a hard-core sci-fi fan to appreciate them?

10. How does this novel suggest, metaphorically, that time travel is actually possible? How does it suggest that right now, today, any of us may slip the bonds of this world and transport ourselves through space and time?

11. What do you think of the narrator? Do you find the comments engaging, perhaps humorous ... or tiresome and irritating? Why might the author have created an intrusive narrative voice?

12. With The Map of Time Palma has created a "pastiche"—a literary techique that "pastes" together historical with fictional characters, modern pop culture references with a Victorian setting, and the multiple genres of romance, mystery, sci-fi, and fantasy. A pastiche borrows from older works in order to build a fresh narrative. Does Palma succeed in creating something new and innovative? Or is his borrowing devoid of originality?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks)

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