Paul Levinson's astonishing SF novel is a surprise and a delight: In the year 2042, Sierra, a young graduate student in Classics is shown a new dialog of Socrates, recently discovered, in which a time traveler tries to argue that Socrates might escape death by travel to the future! Thomas, the elderly scholar who has shown her the document, disappears, and Sierra immediately begins to track down the provenance of the manuscript, with the help of her classical scholar boyfriend, Max.

The trail leads her to a time machine in a gentlemen's club in London and in New York, and into the past--and to a time traveler from her future, posing as Heron of Alexandria in 150 AD. Complications, mysteries, travels, and time loops proliferate as Sierra tries to discern who is planning to save the greatest philosopher in human history, or to do so herself. And she finds that time travel raises more questions than it answers. Fascinating historical characters from Alcibiades (of the honeyed thighs) and Thomas Appleton, the great 19th century American publisher, to Socrates himself appear. With surprises in every chapter, Paul Levinson has outdone himself in The Plot to Save Socrates.

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AUTHOR

Paul Levinson writes science fiction, sf/mystery and popular and scholarly non-fiction. The Silk Code won the Locus award for Best First Novel of 1999. His novel The Consciousness Plague won the 2003 Mary Shelley Award for outstanding Fictional Work. Paul, who has published more than 25 science fiction stories, is a Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University.

NARRATOR
Mark Shanahan, a New York City resident, has appeared at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, off-Broadway, and on film and television. In addition to being an accomplished playwright, he had provided voices for commercials, animation, museum tours, and radio programs.

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REVIEWS
AudioFile
"After a little time-travel to ancient Greece, a graduate student ends up in the middle of several complex plots that span two centuries. This scholarly science fiction poses the question of what might have happened if Socrates hadn't actually swallowed the poisonous hemlock--but Socrates himself isn't cooperating in finding the answer to that question. Mark Shanahan gives a spirited narration. He has a light touch with the extensive dialogue and a deft facility in creating a range of characters of various ages and nationalities. Shanahan maintains a strong pace and draws out the suspense and drama of the plot."

Library Bookwatch
"The Plot To Save Socrates is the unabridged audiobook adaption of Paul Levinson's thought-provoking work of science fiction. In the year 2042, a young graduate student named Sierra stumbles upon evidence that legendary philosopher Socrates might have escaped his historical execution—by travelling through time! So begins a time-twisting adventure that will take Sierra and her classical scholar boyfriend Max from era to era. But just who is trying to save Socrates, and could rescuing Socrates ultimately be detrimental to human history? A lively cast of historical figures populates this epoch-bending adventure, highly recommended especially for fans of alternate history novels."

Analog
"Paul Levinson's new novel is both very different from anything he has done before and very satisfying... This, I think, is the first of Levinson's novels to deserve to be called a tour de force. Watch for it on award ballots."