I've always enjoyed multiverse stories, those that science fiction fans used to call "alternate histories" before the rise of the MCU. I also love the Beatles and enjoyed both Bryce Zabel's Once There Was a Way and the movie Yesterday, so I was interested when I heard about It's Real Life, an alternate history by Paul Levison. (Disclosure: I received a review copy of the ebook directly from the author after posting a comment on his Facebook page).
The first paragraph introduces the alternate timeline.
That’s 'Real Life,' from the Beatles’ 1985 Go and Come LP, and I’m Pete Fornatale on WFUV’s July 4, 1996 weeklong celebration.”
Fornatale, is living in a world in which John Lennon wasn't murdered in 1980. The Beatles are still together and performing occasional concerts though otherwise the world seems much the same as ours. But one day he walks through a tunnel under the Fordham University campus and comes out in a slightly different world, one in which the train line has a different name, a different president is on the bill he gives to a busker, and John Lennon was shot in 1980. Our world, in other words.
As the story progresses he travels between several different timelines, but only one has the Lennon assassination and he becomes obsessed with the idea of preventing Lennon's death. Along the way, he meets the mysterious Suzanne, who claims to be the woman who inspired Leonard Cohen's famous song. And she's also able to travel between timelines, and has other capabilities.
Levinson throws in a lot of Beatles lore, along with other musicians (David Bowie, Tom Petty, and Leonard Cohen all make appearances, and in one of my favourite moments treats us to a Beatles concert in Central Park.
Along the way, Levinson juggles several timelines, all of which are similar to ours, but with the Beatles present, something I found a bit implausible. The ending of the story seems to be a setup for a sequel. But it's still an enjoyable read, especially if you're a fan of the Beatles or 20th-century rock.
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