DOCTOR REFURB

A Montana couple use time travel and new alien enhancements to save Earth from inevitable destruction in this SF novel.

The voice in surgeon Dr. Stefan Westin’s head turns out to be real. Rodney, hailing from another galaxy, gives Stefan the chance to ensure that the world doesn’t become extinct in a mere 200 years. Stefan, joined by his girlfriend, Tara Kramer, chooses people—living and dead—for the aliens to deport to a depository planet. Bumping a couple of American presidents from the timeline, for example, boosts the environment and prevents a number of Covid-19 deaths. But for each deportation, the couple must sacrifice a body part, which Rodney can replace with an often superior, refurbished one. This comes in handy when the aliens send Stefan and Tara on a time-travel mission. Apparently, Ralph, one of the aliens, has gone rogue. Hiding in various human bodies throughout history, he has been committing “evil in the name of Christianity.” The couple travel through time to find whatever body Ralph may be using and stop him with a “trap-capsule.” Essen’s political commentary forgoes subtlety. Stefan and Tara go after Republicans and conservative media outlets like Fox News, while Ralph’s atrocities revolve around hateful so-called Christians or groups. But the author offsets the biting satire with welcome humor that features not-always-reliable Rodney, who tends to put the couple “on hold” while he confers with higher-ups or checks out something. These comedic moments prove much stronger than the SF elements. While Essen wisely keeps Rodney’s planet and species a relative mystery, the time-travel logic unravels as the story progresses. For example, erasing people from history readjusts the timeline, but that doesn’t explain a significant turn in the final act—despite Stefan trying to spin theories. Nevertheless, the tale’s wrap-up is effective and leaves room for a sequel.

A delightfully tongue-in-cheek, if sometimes confusing, time-hopping satire.