There's a couple of authors that I'll read just on the the strength of their name on the cover. However, one stands out: Leo A. Frankowski.

I've always been a fan of the "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" genre, but he takes it to a new level with the "Cross-Time Engineer" series. Most authors have their protagonists gently mincing though time, afraid to step on a bug for fear of somehow altering their futures.

Bah. I say, "Bring it on." So does Frankowski.

I've always had a pet theory that time is like an infinite amount of possibilities where everything that could have occurred did occur. Therefore, a misstep by a klutzy time traveler wouldn't affect causality. Getting back to where you left would be problematic, as you would have to navigate a finite -- but nearly infinate -- amount of subjective "futures" from which to choose . But, I digress. When my inner geek is faced with a problem, he starts to get sidetracked with potential solutions.

Anyway, after reading the adventures of Conrad Stargard for the umpteenth time, I decided to see if he's put out anything new and stumbled upon his web site. I was able to get in touch with Leo, and he was kind enough to send me "Conrad's Crusade" -- the as-of-yet unpublished 7th book in the "Cross-Time Engineer" series. My jaw dropped. Needless to say, I spent the next couple of hours tearing through it.

So, not only is he one of my favorite authors, he's also a hell of a guy.