Review this Book   Get your Signed copy today! Kindle Edition Download to your Nook (eBook) Download from Apple iTunes (eBook) Download from Smashwords (eBook) Amazon Barnes & Noble.com My Unique Purposeful Sci-fi (time travel) Novel Scribl Kobo Category:  Science Fiction Publisher: Amazon ISBN-10:  1983515744 Type: Fiction Pages: 112 Copyright: June 1, 2004 ISBN-13: 9781983515743 Price: $2.99 (eBook) Sci-fi (time-travel) with a purpose- Scientists plan to time-travel to Eden to prevent the fall and thus put an end to all evil in the world. But they can only travel 200 years, more or less, at a time. They visit the 6 different time periods depicted on the front cover, each of which points in some way to the true answer they are seeking. But they ignore the obvious and go on blindly with their mission, untill they come to their unexpected 7th & final destination (depicted by the question mark) At one point, they are pulled forward unexpectedly to their future where robots serve and forced to fight in a senseless war. Will they escape? And will they ever come to learn the true answer to the problem of sin and evil in the world? Get your copy now to find out. The ebook is FREE in most retailers ($0.99 in Kindle) 2025 scientists plan to time-travel to Eden to prevent the fall and thus put an end to all evil and disease in the world. But they can only travel 200 years, more or less, at a time.  Having gained the needed financial support from wealthy financier, Mark Lewis, the scientists manage to build the first time machine in which three of them take off.on their imposing mission. They visit the 6 different time periods including:: The California Gold Rush of 1849 Colonial Philadelphia of 1775 The Renaissance Legendary Camelot Each time period they visit points in some way to the true answer they are seeking. But they ignore the obvious and go on blindly with their mission. At one point, they are pulled forward unexpectedly to their future where robots serve and are forced to fight in a senseless war. Will they escape? And will they ever come to learn the true answer to the problem of sin and evil in the world? Order your copy now to find out. Excerpt Chapter 1 The Idea The year is 2025. The possibility of time travel has been theoretically proven and is accepted without question by the scientific community at large, although it has yet to be demonstrated by actual experience. The world is standing on tiptoe. Today is Friday, June 1, the date set for the annual meeting of the World Scientific Society. This particular meeting is destined to be different from past meetings. Its outcome will affect certain of the society’s members in ways that they can not now imagine. The revolutionary events detailed here will all happen as a direct result of a simple question which is about to be asked by the chairman Mr. John Sterghean of Switzerland. After the group has chatted idly for some time about various diseases illnesses and problems, he suddenly strikes the gavel on the table and clears his throat. When everything is silent, he speaks. "Gentlemen, we have been discussing various individual diseases, illnesses and problems. But let me set before you a question which is crucial to them all. Gentlemen, what do you see as the main cause of disease and evil in the world?" The members sit in silence, each one pondering the answer to the question. The group includes Walter Bryant from Germany, William Nifang from Japan, Kerry Nadine from Saudi Arabia, David Sung from China and Allen Daniel Cohen from the U.S.A. All of them have given their life to the betterment of mankind through scientific pursuit. It is Cohen who finally speaks. "It seems to me that the main cause of disease and evil in the world is sin...." .... "The point, my friends, is simply this:What do you think can be done about the situation?""What do you mean?""What I mean is, do you think, in the light of our present knowledge, that we could possibly do anything to change the situation?"There is a brief moment of silence, and then David speaks."Well, in the light of our present knowledge of time travel, I suppose we could possibly attempt to go back to that time and warn the people involved so they never make the fatal mistake. And then, everything would be different.""Exactly!" exclaims John."But," protests Daniel, "time travel has not been fully proven as yet—that is, it hasn’t been tested.""Perhaps," suggests John, "because there hasn’t been enough of a motive, yet." "But," objects Walt, "even if it is possible to go back in time, we don’t know how far back we could go, or even if we could control our landing point. Suppose we land just after this fall you read about, and can’t go back to the time before it." "My friends," affirms John, "the question of controlling the local destination of time leaps is what I’ve been working on for the past five years, and I believe I’ve finally gotten it pretty well figured out. You simply vary the intensity of the horizontal thrust in accordance with the calculated rotation of the earth in relation to the time platform. The temporal locator works pretty much the same way. But, so far, with our present thrust capabilities, it seems it would only be possible to go back 200years more or less in one leap." "So," observes Will, "we’d have to go back in leaps of 200years each. And, at the next to last jump, we’d make the calculations, and set the coordinates in order to arrive at our exact destination point." "Exactly! And with the right calculations and the right settings, the time and location could be controlled within a few days and a few feet. By setting the dial enough ahead of our desired time goal, we’d give ourselves a good margin of error." "Sounds like you’ve really thought this thing through,"observes Walt. "I certainly have. I’ve been waiting for this meeting to present this idea." "But, even if we test it and we find it works," asserts Kerry, "if we were to send someone back in time, there’s a good possibility they might not return. We should all be aware of that." "The question is, my friends," John’s voice rings out loud and clear, "whether we see the goal as being worth the risk.Think of it, my friends! Think of being able to change the course of world history—being able to eliminate all sickness,disease and evil—to make it as though it never happened." "Do you really think we could do it?" Again, John’s voice is strong and assertive. "If there is a chance that it can be done, wouldn’t it be worth trying? It would be like ushering in Paradise!"Well, I guess it does deserve a try. But where would we get the money for such a project?" asks Walt, who has been waiting for a break in the conversation to insert this matter of practicality. "We could each contribute something, but how far would that go?""We will have to find some financial backing from somewhere," agrees David.Daniel’s face, which had been drawn in thought, suddenly lights up. "How about that wealthy financier, Mark Lewis?He’s interested in matters of this sort.""But do you think he’d be willing to back such a project as this?" "We’d have to do our best to convince him of the usefulness and feasibility of our plan." "Well, then," John strikes the gavel again. "Let’s try to workout the details first, and then adjourn to the house of Mark Lewis." All of them agree. After several hours of concentrated effort,they have a fairly workable plan in hand. Chapter 2 The Plan As they approach the huge brick house, they are still talking among themselves, obviously excited, like children on their first trip to the circus. "Think of it! Being able to go back and visit the various eras of history!" "What a thrill!" "Perhaps we would have done it anyway, sooner or later, for the pure thrill of it all. But now we have a reason—a purpose,in addition." "You say we can go back 200 years in one leap?" "Give or take 50 years based on our present knowledge. But,perhaps with the application of more force, we could increase the distance slightly." "We could make it a fact-finding tour as well, to note any unwritten details of historical interest we may stumble across." "Who knows what new insights we might discover!" .................. Chapter 4 The three men push open the door of the cylinder and step out. They are stepping into what is for them, in one sense, unfamiliar territory, but in another sense, a page out of history. They have landed just behind a small clump of trees on a bare looking plane. There are no houses in sight. All they can see in any direction are small hills, stream-filled gullies, and here and there a cactus. "Well, where do you think we might be, Walt?" "Beats me." "Well, let’s look around a bit." ventures Kerry. "But," insists Daniel, "let’s inspect the cylinder first, shall we?" A cursory check reveals that, as they expected, a few of the outer layer tiles have been destroyed by the trip. "Well, these will have to be replaced." observes Walt. "It’s a good thing,” adds Daniel “that we came prepared for this." Meanwhile, Kerry has been looking around. He suddenly notices something. "Say, fellows, there are some people up ahead there." He points past the group of trees in front of them. "Maybe they can give us an idea of where we are." Several men in tattered clothes, some wearing strange looking hats, are gathered at one end of a small stream. Most of them seem to have their hands in the water. Moving past the trees, our friends notice that this is only one of many small groups which are spread out all along the stream and at various pools in the ground as well. As the first group notices our threesome approaching, several of the men begin to talk excitedly: "Howdy, strangers! Welcome to Drygultch." "Would you be th’ ones what come in that thar strange contraption we seen come a-whizzin' through th' air an' plop down behind them trees over thar?" "I knowed folks was a-usin' ever kinda means conceivable t’ git here, but I swear I ain't never seen nor imagined one o’ them things in all my born days." "Whata y' call it?" "How’s it work?" Walt raises his hand and speaks for the group. "Perhaps we can answer your questions better if you answer a few for us first." "Whata y' wanna know?" "Well, for starters, what year is this? And, secondly, where are we?" A posture of puzzlement comes over the group. Two of its members speak, one right after the other: "Are you guys crazy or something'?" "Wow! You must really be outa touch! But, if y' didn't come here 'cause th' rush, why'd y' come?" Meanwhile, Kerry and Daniel have been looking around for clues. Upon hearing the word 'rush,' Kerry's ears perk up. "Did you say 'th' rush?' Look at those pans, Walt. They must be panning for gold. This wouldn’t be the great California gold rush of 1849 would it?" One of the men jumps up and puts his hands on his hips. "So you do know where you are!" "By conjecture only." "This is making less and less sense all th' time. Who in th’ heck are y' and where d' y' come from?" "Why should we tell you?" asks Walt. "You wouldn’t believe us anyway." "Try us!" "Yeah! You’d better tell us" insets one man, raising his fist, "or we’ll flatten th’ lot o' you here an' now!" Will scratches his head. "Well don’t say we didn’t warn you that you wouldn't believe us." "Just tell us, an' let us decide." "Well," replies Walt, "We are from precisely one hundred and forty seven years into your future." "That 'contraption' as you call it," adds Kerry, pointing to the cylinder, now barely visible through the trees, "is a time tube." "It has transported us," adds Daniel, "from what was your future and our present here into what is your present and our past." "What kinda tom-foolery is that?" yells one man. "You were right," says another, "We don’t believe y’." "That’s th' most dogern ridiculous thing I ever did hear of," adds another. The man who had raised his fist now asks the other men, "Whata y' say, boys? Shall we deck 'em?" [FOR MORE, PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE SAMPLE CHAPTER.]

Review by Tami Brady
Impossible Journey is reminiscent of The Time Machine by H. G. Wells with a uni46942que Christian twist. In the year 2025, a team of researchers (representing various cultures and religious beliefs) create a time machine. The aim of this mission is to go back in time to the Garden of Eden to warn Adam and Eve not to be tempted by the serpent. The team hypothesizes that if this event can be altered, then sickness, death, and war will disappear not only from the modern world but also throughout human history. Thus, the face of humankind would forever change with this one act.

The journey contains a number of twists, turns, and unique challenges as the team members are chaotically thrown into various significant events in human history. During this journey, the team meets various famous personages such as Martin Luther, King Arthur, and Jesus. Through a series of coincidences, the team also gets a peak into a bleak future awaiting the team if they fail in their mission. The ending of their journey will warm the heart of any Christian and intensify his or her faith.

Reviewed By Donna Gielow McFarland for Readers’ Favorite
4 Stars--Impossible Journey: A Tale of Times and Truth by James M. Becher tells the story of Walt, Will, and David, who in 2025 get into a time-traveling capsule with the goal of solving all the problems of the world by returning to Eden to prevent the serpent from convincing Eve to eat the apple. Their time machine is a little rickety, though, and can only make small jumps back in time before it has to be repaired. The travelers land in the gold rush, the times of Leonardo da Vinci, Martin Luther, Camelot, and they get caught up in someone else’s time travel efforts and get launched into a future where the world is falling apart. .... Most places they go there are people talking about Jesus. The men get really tired of it until, finally, it all makes sense.

Impossible Journey is narrated in a very casual tone, “The morning finds our friends rising bright and early…,” and the characters break all the commonly accepted rules of time travel. That bothered me a little but was made up for by the fact that I found Becher’s premise fascinating and I wanted to see where he was going with it. The characters have no qualms about changing history – that’s why they’re making the journey. They freely tell historical figures where they’re from and they interfere in events they encounter. When they find themselves with a stowaway from another time, they accidentally leave him in the wrong century... Although the three men are from different faith traditions, Impossible Journey is definitely a work of Christian fiction, almost like a very long Bible tract embedded in the story. I found it hard to equate Impossible Journey to any other works, although occasionally it reminded me a little of Pilgrim’s Progress. It is suitable for all audiences.

Debbi Curto
"Impossible Journey: A Tale of Times and Truth" by James M. Becher is a fast and easy read. I think any Sci-fi lover would like this novel. It is a clean read, it does have the word hell used as a swear word twice and the characters drink alcoholic but I still recommend this book. I think this story would be a great family movie. I think if a family with older and more mature younger readers likes to reads together, this book would be a great choice. Then after reading, there could be a discussion of why Jesus came and why He needed to die and why He is the only answer to sin. I don't usually like Sci-fi but I have watched the television show "Quantum Leap" and I liked some of the episodes and this book reminded of that show. Of course, "Impossible Journey: A Tale of Times and Truth" by James M. Becher is based on the theme of stopping sin. If you want to see what different historical time periods the three time travelers visit, look at the cover of the book.
I recommend this book to all readers and even readers who don't sci-fi. Even through one of the categories listed is Sci-fi, in my opinion this book isn't sci-fi at, I think it is more fantasy.
I received a contemporary copy from the author and these opinions are my own.