The Big Idea: Joseph Eckert

Many of us dream of time travel, but what if that travel was thrust upon you randomly and unwillingly? Author Joseph Eckert brings us a fresh take on time travel in his new novel, The Traveler. Venture on through his Big Idea to see when and where this unique travel idea originated. JOSEPH ECKERT: The core of The Traveler is family. More specifically, the core is the relationship between an average Midwestern father and his extraordinary son. Simultaneously, it’s also a vast science fiction story about a man tumbling helplessly forward through time, the length of time he travels doubling every twenty four hours. Bear with me, if you will, as I look back three decades (oof—that hurts to write) to two key events in my life that would lay the groundwork for the Big Idea behind The Traveler. The first event involves me, precocious youth, coming home from what I remember was fifth grade, having just learned about exponents. I found my mother and convinced her to change my allowance.…