Corrupting Dr. Nice

Corrupting Dr. Nice is a 1997 science fiction novel that combines time travel with the style of 1930s screwball romantic comedies. The story takes place across multiple time periods including 2063 AD, 40 AD Jerusalem, and the Cretaceous Period. The plot centers on Owen Vannice, a wealthy but awkward time traveler who encounters a woman named Genevieve Faison while transporting a dinosaur through time. Their relationship becomes complicated by schemes, deceptions, and the complex rules of time travel in this universe, where each journey creates alternate timeline branches. In this version of 2063, time travel serves both tourism and resource exploitation, with corporations freely extracting items and even historical figures from the past. The ability to create separate "moment universes" with each temporal visit removes concerns about altering established history. The novel explores themes of authenticity, exploitation, and the moral implications of treating history as a commercial resource. Through its blend of romance and science fiction, it raises questions about truth and deception in both personal relationships and humanity's relationship with the past.

Readers describe this as a screwball comedy take on time travel, with many comparing it to classic Hollywood romantic comedies. Readers highlighted: - The humor and witty dialogue - Creative handling of time travel paradoxes - The historical setting details in Jerusalem - The balance of comedy with ethical questions about exploitation Common criticisms: - Pacing issues in the middle section - Some found the romance plot predictable - A few readers felt the comedy overshadowed deeper themes Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (187 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (12 ratings) Notable reader comments: "Like Bringing Up Baby meets Jurassic Park with time travel" - Goodreads reviewer "Strong start but loses momentum halfway through" - Amazon reviewer "The historical research shines without being pedantic" - SF Site review "Fun but doesn't quite reach the heights it aims for" - SF Reviews

The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers Time travel tourism meets historical authenticity through a scholar's journey between Victorian London and ancient Egypt, with intricate rules about temporal mechanics that mirror Corrupting Dr. Nice's approach to timeline manipulation.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis The combination of time travel physics with romantic comedy elements creates a narrative where historical tourism and relationship complications intersect across multiple time periods.

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu A time machine technician navigates complex temporal mechanics and personal relationships while exploring the commercialization of time travel technology.

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai The protagonist's journey through alternate timelines combines romance with questions about authenticity and the consequences of treating time as a commercial resource.

Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor Historical investigation through time travel reveals the intersection of commercial exploitation and temporal tourism while maintaining focus on relationship dynamics between characters.

🦕 The novel's depiction of commercialized time travel tourism was ahead of its time, predating similar concepts in popular media like "Doctor Who's" Teselecta episodes and HBO's "Avenue 5." 🎬 The book's screwball comedy style was directly inspired by classic 1930s films like "The Lady Eve" and "Bringing Up Baby," particularly in its romantic subplot structure. ✍️ John Kessel is a Nebula Award-winning author who teaches creative writing at North Carolina State University, where he helped establish one of the first university-level courses in science fiction writing. ⏰ The book's time travel mechanics carefully address the "grandfather paradox" through a unique system where changes to the past create new parallel timelines rather than affecting the original timeline. 🏺 The Jerusalem sequences in the novel were meticulously researched, incorporating accurate historical details about daily life in 28 CE, including authentic monetary systems and social customs of the period.