Is conflict inevitable? Are human beings doomed to repeat the cycle of destruction and creation? What is utopia? Adrian Tchaikovsky has explored a few of themes in other books but not with such cynical and black humour.

The author’s trademark existential questions lurk underneath the humour and science fiction. It is fast-paced and has so much contained into a small package. The characters are brilliant, and there is plenty of dark humour. ‘One Day All This Will Be Yours’ has everything going for it. So I jumped at the chance to read this novella, especially once I found out it involved time travel. I consider his ‘Shadows of the Apt’ decalogy to be one of the best science fiction/ fantasy series ever. Adrian Tchaikovsky explores various ideas and concepts here - time travel paradoxes with a twist, the effect of wars on the human psyche, the inevitability of conflicts, a love story, and so much more. Even though ‘One Day All This Will Be Yours’ is only a novella, there is just so much happening in this short length. Of course, I am just glossing over the surface of the story. And he is determined never to let this kind of war happen again. The sole survivor is the only person who has lived through this type of war and remembers what has happened. What if their ideology could be rewritten or that the reason for the war is not valid anymore? Now, imagine what would be the consequences if all the sides in the conflict had access to time travel, and used them indiscriminately.

Imagine what could be done if one of the sides in the conflict could go back and change time so that their opponent never existed.

But in this case, it might actually be true, since the weapons used are time travel devices. That epithet seems unlikely given how many wars the world has seen, with each conflict being named so. The novella’s protagonist is the sole survivor of The War to End All Wars. Hear the Review Apple Spotify Stitcher Watch the Review Youtube Tl dr: ‘One Day All This Will Be Yours’ is a wickedly funny and inventive look at time travel.

False Prophet by Rachel Dylan