Garison Fitch, the star of the story, is a scientist who grew up in a world where the Soviets ruled and the United States had only lasted for a few years in the 1700s. But then, through an accident, he winds up back in the 1700s. When he gets back to the 21st century, the world has changed. But it's changed to what we know. So he must decide whether to go back and change things to "normal"--or what he knows as normal.

The book is 400 pages long but the story is so fast paced I couldn't put it down and read it in a weekend. The writing is crisp and the way White turns phrases had me reading passages over and over because they just blew me away.

Time travel is not a new concept in the world of sci-fi/fantasy, but "First Time" will assure you'll never think about it the same way again!

7 of 9 found the following review helpful:

SHOULD BE LISTED AS CHRISTIAN FICTION  Mar 09, 2011
By Bibliophile
Unfortunately, I made it barely a quarter of the way through what I hoped to be a good book. The religious references became increasingly more frequent the further I progressed in the book and got to the point of overwhelming any further enjoyment. I had to stop when I got to:

"There is also no doubt in anyone's mind that there is a God and that the Bible is his word. Of course, we sometimes argue as to how to interpret that Word, and some people live very little of their life by the Word, but virtually no one doubts the veracity of the Word itself."

Everyone is entitled to their religious beliefs, or lack thereof, but this book just beats you over the head with it. Combine that with exceptionally sloppy editing (or, more likely, none at all), and this book barely warrants one star.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:

UnSci-Fi Time Travails (Kindle Edition)  Apr 10, 2011
By James Tepper
About the best I can say for this is that it wasn't the worst thing I ever read. And it was only 99 cents. But "First Time - The Legend of Garison Fitch" was mostly lame on several levels. There was no science in the fiction. There was a half-hearted attempt at some, but it quickly became abundantly clear that the author knew very little about physics, current (or older) theories about time travel or anything scientific, or even cared. There is an interesting subplot about parallel dimensions and an alternate history, but again that is damaged by the author's obvious lack of due diligence in his historical research. The writing itself is also flawed. There is a multitude of spelling, typographical and grammatical errors, including improper use of "were" in place of "was" that the author actually has Garison comment about, while using it incorrectly in dialogue. Finally, there is gratuitous Christian proselytizing scattered throughout.

The plot had potential, hence the two stars, but the author did not do his homework, and really needs to get his hands on a copy of Strunk and White and a decent editor-proofreader.

JMT

3 of 4 found the following review helpful:

It's good... but beware of heavy religious overtones.  May 25, 2011
By virj
This book, the first in a series of 3, is a good read. (The second book is also very good but the third.. not so much.) I found it entertaining and certainly a fascinating look at the concept of time travel and alternate realities.

The story centers around Garison Fitch, a wunderkind genius that develops trans-dimensional travel. On his second test, with a mini nuclear reactor he had designed and built himself, he is thrown not across dimensions, but across time to the 1700's. When he accidentally returns, all is not the way he remembers.

A fair warning, though, the author is an ordained minister and it shows. All three books center heavily around Christian dogma and ideals. Personally, I found it a little annoying at times as the description of the characters is more idealistic and less realistic. But, hey!, this is fiction, after all.

Regarding the editing problem, as some have mentioned, it's noticeable but certainly doesn't render it unreadable. If you can ignore a few mistakes here and there, it's not that bad. And I consider myself a stickler for grammar. Considering the price, it's worth it if you've got time to kill on a long commute, like I do.

3 of 4 found the following review helpful:

Should be in the Historical Romance section, not the Science Fiction section  Apr 27, 2011
By Peter Pauze
This is not a science fiction novel, it is a historical romance novel with a few science fiction trappings decorating the edges. 80% of the novel (and this is not an exaggeration) is a sweet love story about a shy, intelligent, misfit guy who falls in love with a shy, intelligent, misfit girl while living in a small town in Colonial America. Another 10% of the novel is a love story about a frontiersman who falls in love with an Indian maiden. The remaining 10% is a superficial attempt to encase the story in a sci-fi alternate universe time travel envelope.

The protagonist is ostensibly from an alternate timeline where America is split between Soviet control and Japanese control. Fine. Not the most original concept ever, but an intriguing enough idea. Trouble is, we never get to explore that world, what it was like, or what circumstances brought it about--the kinds of questions that are the bread and butter of alternate history tales. The overwhelming majority of the story takes place in our timeline.

Unlike some reviewers, I didn't have any serious problem with the book's editing or the author's writing abilities, both of which were, in my opinion, above average compared to other very low-priced Kindle books. If this had actually been a time travel or alternate universe story I would have enjoyed it.

If you're looking for an amiable, G-rated romance set in Colonial America you will likely find this novel delightful. If you're looking for an alternate universe or time travel science fiction tale you will likely be very disappointed. As I was.

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