Bob Smith (6) (1960–2018)

From the acknowledgments:

"The first person I want to thank is Michael Carroll, who read a time-travel short story I'd written and told me, 'I think this should be a novel.'"

I strongly disagree. This would have been a fine short story, and Smith writes really well, with an acerbic sense of humor that is actually funny. But the relentless digressions and left-wing politics, jokes, and even Dick Cheney showing up with a gun and stalking the narrator into the past—well, it was all a bit too much. The first chapter boded well; it was sort of a plot mess after that.… (mere)

John has decided to break up with his physicist boyfriend, Taylor, on the day Taylor's breakthrough invention--a time machine--was announced. John ends up using the machine to travel back in time 20 years, where he meets up with his younger self and a younger Taylor and sets to work with them on a course to change the future and avoid the problems that led to the demise of their relationship (while changing a few other key things along the way).

Honestly, this was sort of meh for me. It had the right ingredients to be a funny little story. But it often felt to me like the author tried just a little bit too hard to push it over that line. And it didn't land for me.… (mere)

I really loved Remembrance by Bob Smith. So, it was normal for me to have a high expectation of Selfish and Perverse. Definitely a worthy book to own and to read. Some lines got me chuckled. This book got the slutty gay character, the lack of self-confidence, the determined, the romantic and more.

The strange part was that it could be seen whom Nelson's perfect partner was. To drag Dylan to the end of the book was strange. In fact, the scene before Dylan's trouble was puzzling. It was clear cut that Nelson was already upset.. so, why the need to put Nelson in a situation where he would be submissive to Dylan's advances?

Would love to give this book a 5-star but the last plot turned me off. How dumb could Nelson be?… (mere)