The fantasy series “The Wheel of Time” is fourteen novels long, with a huge cast of characters. It’s premised on time being cyclical, with repeating patterns of events and people . The ever-turning Wheel of Time decides the pattern, but individuals make the decisions which form the pattern. It will stop turning at the Last Battle, in which humanity will be either destroyed or redeemed (by a messianic warrior known as the Dragon).
I read much of Robert Jordan’s epic series, but didn’t accept that time is a wheel. I thought (and sang) rather that the ‘times were a-changing.’ We were nearing the end of history, moving into an idyllic utopia. When Dylan released his anthem “The Times They are a Changing,” we were optimistic. People would love and respect each other. We would eradicate segregation, stop the war, end colonialism, share the wealth and sing great songs. People in China were ruled by tyrants, and millions starved in south Asia, but these places were too remote for young progressives to care. We were making the world a better place while having a good time.
And now?
The world isn’t doing that well now. Segregation is thriving (with different skin colors), the wars in Ukraine and elsewhere are dragging on, there is still mass starvation in Africa and south Asia. Former colonies are in the iron grip of local instead of foreign dictators, and contemporary music sucks.
We thought China was moving towards peaceful relations, but its doctrine of “Unrestricted Warfare” was hidden beneath the facade. Russian President Gorbachev was followed by an alcoholic, followed by a thug as bad as any Soviet leader. The Cold War is raging, and Western nations are rebuilding their armies to defend against the “Axis of Evil.”
The idea of time moving upwards to a bright utopian future has collapsed on itself, and the world finds itself back where it was during the height of the Cold War, but with more dangerous weaponry. The times aren’t a-changing; the Wheel of Time has come full circle, and we don’t know how dark this iteration of the pattern will be.
The book
There are three timelines in the novel Quantum Cannibals, Two of them appear horizontal, pointing neither to a bright future or approaching collapse. They’re parallel but intersect (in defiance of Euclid). The third… Well, you’ll have to read the book to appreciate its rhythm.