Have become a "Glass Plain," a desolate, fused landscape from a far-distant future where the sun has burnt out.
The duo eventually travels to a futuristic Mexico, thousands of years ahead of their own time. Here, they learn that the "present" world is an experiment by an unknown intelligence and that most of these temporal zones are "ghost worlds" destined to vanish soon. The novel ends with Richard choosing to remain in this future civilization, while John returns to his own time. Major Themes
Exists in its "Golden Age" (roughly 425 BC), under the rule of Pericles. October The First Is Too Late
The narrative follows , a celebrated pianist and composer, and his friend John Sinclair , a brilliant scientist. Their journey begins with a hiking trip in the Scottish Highlands, where Sinclair mysteriously disappears for 13 hours and returns without a birthmark he once had—hinting that he is a "copy" or from a different timeline.
The future civilization has abandoned "progress," having seen humanity repeatedly destroy itself through war and overpopulation. Critical Reception Have become a "Glass Plain," a desolate, fused
As the world begins to unravel, they discover that Earth has been divided into distinct time spheres: Remains in the present day (1966).
Hoyle uses the characters (specifically Sinclair) as mouthpieces to discuss the idea that time does not "flow" but exists as a four-dimensional spiral where all points are equally real. The novel ends with Richard choosing to remain
Reviewers often note that while Hoyle’s prose can be "functional" or "pedestrian," the intellectual depth and "startling depictions" of a fractured world make it a minor classic of British SF. Some critics from WordPress.com find the final chapters particularly "dismal and despairing" due to the cynical view of human history. Purchasing Options