What do you think?
Rate this book
The 9/11 Machine
ASIN B0061I24TA moved to the most recent edition here
Dr. Donald Ellis lost his family on 9/11. But while others grieved, or plotted revenge, Dr. Ellis threw himself into a long-dormant research project. He traded his lab at the University of New York for an ugly riverfront warehouse in Brooklyn. What is he working on? And why does he spend every free moment at the warehouse staring across the river at Ground Zero? Because Dr. Ellis has a plan. He’s going to make 9/11 “unhappen.
Dr. Donald Ellis lost his family on 9/11. But while others grieved, or plotted revenge, Dr. Ellis threw himself into a long-dormant research project. He traded his lab at the University of New York for an ugly riverfront warehouse in Brooklyn. What is he working on? And why does he spend every free moment at the warehouse staring across the river at Ground Zero? Because Dr. Ellis has a plan. He’s going to make 9/11 “unhappen.
356 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 2011
195 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
Greg Enslen
34Ìýbooks67ÌýfollowersGreg Enslen is an Ohio author of twenty-seven books, including four books in the “Frank Harper Mysteriesâ€� series and three other novels. He also writes original screenplays and guides for popular TV shows such as “Game of Thronesâ€� and “Mr. Robot.â€� His books are available from major retailers and on his Amazon Author Page at .
Greg lives in southern Ohio with his wife, three children, three dogs and an indeterminate number of cats. His interests include travel, reading, film and television, and yelling at various sports franchises. Greg enjoys writing late at night, after everyone else has finally trudged off to bed and the house is quiet. For more information, visit his website at gregenslen.com or check out his Facebook fan page at .
Greg lives in southern Ohio with his wife, three children, three dogs and an indeterminate number of cats. His interests include travel, reading, film and television, and yelling at various sports franchises. Greg enjoys writing late at night, after everyone else has finally trudged off to bed and the house is quiet. For more information, visit his website at gregenslen.com or check out his Facebook fan page at .
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
November 2, 2012
I wrote this book. There, I said it. Don't hate me for posting a review--I'm just trying to get the proverbial ball rolling. But this book turned out a lot better than I'd expected when it was just getting started. If you like conspiracy theories and alternate histories and branching timelines, give it a read. I think it's a hoot, and I'm particularly happy with the way the book's opening chapter is mirrored in the final chapter.
The blurb from the back cover: "Dr. Donald Ellis lost his family on 9/11. But while others grieved, or plotted revenge, Dr. Ellis threw himself into a long-dormant research project. He traded his lab at the University of New York for an ugly riverfront warehouse in Brooklyn. What is he working on? And why does he spend every free moment at the warehouse staring across the river at Ground Zero? Because Dr. Ellis has a plan. He’s going to make 9/11 “unhappen."
The blurb from the back cover: "Dr. Donald Ellis lost his family on 9/11. But while others grieved, or plotted revenge, Dr. Ellis threw himself into a long-dormant research project. He traded his lab at the University of New York for an ugly riverfront warehouse in Brooklyn. What is he working on? And why does he spend every free moment at the warehouse staring across the river at Ground Zero? Because Dr. Ellis has a plan. He’s going to make 9/11 “unhappen."
July 17, 2016
Enormously fun time travel novel about a physicist's numerous attempts to prevent the terrorist attacks on 9/11. I recommend it for its entertainment value, but I have a few reservations about its politics and its distorted views on history.
There are many things that Enslen does extremely well in this book:
- The time travel (and later teleportation) machine is described with more detail than most other time travel stories.
- The knowledge of 9/11 details is apparent. Enslen did his research.
- The pacing is swift. The book is a quick read.
- The scenes of disaster and destruction in alternative 9/11 timelines are vividly imagined.
- Scenes involving real people (George W. Bush, Andrew Card, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, etc.) are playfully done.
I enjoyed the book immensely, but wish it were better, more thoughtful. Although Enslen touches upon some of the 9/11 conspiracy theories, none of his alternate timelines explore them or attempt to explain them. In that sense, the book passes on an obvious opportunity to explain some oddities about 9/11 that have yet to be explained. Not sure why Enslen chose to ignore that.
Despite my enjoyment of the book, I was troubled by Enslen's portrayal of historic events. For instance, he never mentions that Iraq did NOT have WMDs and was NOT connected with al Qaeda. Despite this, in Enslin's alternate timelines the U.S. still invades Iraq, a war crime that resulted in 200,000 Iraqi deaths. Even though this book was published ten years after 9/11, Enslen seems to be unaware that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.
I also had a problem with how the book portrays some real people, particularly Al Gore and George W. Bush. Strangely, in his alternate timelines Enslen portrays George W. Bush as a decisive hero, whereas Al Gore comes off as a reckless idiot. Sorry, that rings totally false to me. However, Dick Cheney's character is a warmongering nut, which is spot on.
I may seem too critical of the book. All time travel books that risk altering recent historic events result in some controversy. Another time travel book, Stephen King's 11/22/63, had the same problem. But King's and Enslin's books are both tremendous fun. To Enslin's credit, The 9/11 Machine is the better book of the two.
The 9/11 Machine is like a thrilling amusement park ride. Ignore the politics, ignore the mangling of history, and ignore the fact that time travel and teleportation are far more important than 9/11. Just enjoy the ride.
There are many things that Enslen does extremely well in this book:
- The time travel (and later teleportation) machine is described with more detail than most other time travel stories.
- The knowledge of 9/11 details is apparent. Enslen did his research.
- The pacing is swift. The book is a quick read.
- The scenes of disaster and destruction in alternative 9/11 timelines are vividly imagined.
- Scenes involving real people (George W. Bush, Andrew Card, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, etc.) are playfully done.
I enjoyed the book immensely, but wish it were better, more thoughtful. Although Enslen touches upon some of the 9/11 conspiracy theories, none of his alternate timelines explore them or attempt to explain them. In that sense, the book passes on an obvious opportunity to explain some oddities about 9/11 that have yet to be explained. Not sure why Enslen chose to ignore that.
Despite my enjoyment of the book, I was troubled by Enslen's portrayal of historic events. For instance, he never mentions that Iraq did NOT have WMDs and was NOT connected with al Qaeda. Despite this, in Enslin's alternate timelines the U.S. still invades Iraq, a war crime that resulted in 200,000 Iraqi deaths. Even though this book was published ten years after 9/11, Enslen seems to be unaware that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.
I also had a problem with how the book portrays some real people, particularly Al Gore and George W. Bush. Strangely, in his alternate timelines Enslen portrays George W. Bush as a decisive hero, whereas Al Gore comes off as a reckless idiot. Sorry, that rings totally false to me. However, Dick Cheney's character is a warmongering nut, which is spot on.
I may seem too critical of the book. All time travel books that risk altering recent historic events result in some controversy. Another time travel book, Stephen King's 11/22/63, had the same problem. But King's and Enslin's books are both tremendous fun. To Enslin's credit, The 9/11 Machine is the better book of the two.
The 9/11 Machine is like a thrilling amusement park ride. Ignore the politics, ignore the mangling of history, and ignore the fact that time travel and teleportation are far more important than 9/11. Just enjoy the ride.
March 3, 2021
This review contains no spoilers.
Without question, this tale contains some fascinating ideas, and the alternate history concepts are clearly very deeply considered and feel compelling, authentic, and reasonable. But the book suffered greatly from an absolutely dire lack of editing. The endless repetition of certain phrases and character behaviors robbed me of the ability to become immersed in the story.
The terrifying events of 9/11 are indelible in the memories for everyone who witnessed them, whether in person or on television. The author has clearly researched the details of the attack very carefully and does a great job of bringing the feelings associated with that frightening day to the forefront. The deep emotion evoked by that day provides a strong and believable motivation for the main character's actions, and I was very interested to observe how his plans unfolded. The author's knowledge and thoughtful consideration lent an almost historical authority to how the alternate story lines played out, reading less like fiction and more like a first-hand account. These parts of the novel were absorbing and thought-provoking. Frankly, they're why I continued reading despite my ongoing annoyance at the maddeningly poor editing.
A competent editor should have rather easily spotted the constant use of four phrases that unnecessarily clogged the exchange of dialogue between the characters. Throughout the book, whenever characters interacted, they invariably nodded, shook their heads, smiled, and spoke quietly. These actions happened so frequently, I came to refer to the book in my mind as "The Adventures of the Silent, Smiling Bobble-Heads."
When characters have something serious to say, they tend to say it quietly. When they're not bobbing or shaking their heads, they're smiling at each other, even when the context felt strange to be doing so (such as in the moments immediately following the second plane hitting the South Tower). And, most irritating of all, the characters incessantly communicate by moving their heads up, down, and side-to-side. Entire pages of dialogue are peppered by instances of head movement. I counted six nods on one page alone, as well as one spot where four consecutive paragraphs featured nodding. People nod together in pairs or in large groups. And, perhaps most egregiously, I read that a person "nodded, agreeing." Out of curiosity, I used my Kindle to count the number of times "nodded" appeared in the entire book, and the eye-popping tally was 299! In a 337-page novel, that's almost one nod per page. People simply do not nod that often, and it really started to grate on me, especially since most of those nods occur at the very beginning of a paragraph, before the character speaks. This formed an obnoxious pattern that the editor really should have called out and then helped the author to stamp out. I did not consider giving up on the story because I was engaged by the action, but once you notice something like that, it's impossible to unsee it, and I spent much of the book feeling agitated at the careless editing that permitted such repetition to take place.
If you're looking for a thoughtful and action-packed analysis of different ways 9/11 could have gone down, then read this book...unless glaring editing errors take you completely out of the story. If that possibility sounds aggravating to you, definitely look elsewhere for your next reading selection.
Without question, this tale contains some fascinating ideas, and the alternate history concepts are clearly very deeply considered and feel compelling, authentic, and reasonable. But the book suffered greatly from an absolutely dire lack of editing. The endless repetition of certain phrases and character behaviors robbed me of the ability to become immersed in the story.
The terrifying events of 9/11 are indelible in the memories for everyone who witnessed them, whether in person or on television. The author has clearly researched the details of the attack very carefully and does a great job of bringing the feelings associated with that frightening day to the forefront. The deep emotion evoked by that day provides a strong and believable motivation for the main character's actions, and I was very interested to observe how his plans unfolded. The author's knowledge and thoughtful consideration lent an almost historical authority to how the alternate story lines played out, reading less like fiction and more like a first-hand account. These parts of the novel were absorbing and thought-provoking. Frankly, they're why I continued reading despite my ongoing annoyance at the maddeningly poor editing.
A competent editor should have rather easily spotted the constant use of four phrases that unnecessarily clogged the exchange of dialogue between the characters. Throughout the book, whenever characters interacted, they invariably nodded, shook their heads, smiled, and spoke quietly. These actions happened so frequently, I came to refer to the book in my mind as "The Adventures of the Silent, Smiling Bobble-Heads."
When characters have something serious to say, they tend to say it quietly. When they're not bobbing or shaking their heads, they're smiling at each other, even when the context felt strange to be doing so (such as in the moments immediately following the second plane hitting the South Tower). And, most irritating of all, the characters incessantly communicate by moving their heads up, down, and side-to-side. Entire pages of dialogue are peppered by instances of head movement. I counted six nods on one page alone, as well as one spot where four consecutive paragraphs featured nodding. People nod together in pairs or in large groups. And, perhaps most egregiously, I read that a person "nodded, agreeing." Out of curiosity, I used my Kindle to count the number of times "nodded" appeared in the entire book, and the eye-popping tally was 299! In a 337-page novel, that's almost one nod per page. People simply do not nod that often, and it really started to grate on me, especially since most of those nods occur at the very beginning of a paragraph, before the character speaks. This formed an obnoxious pattern that the editor really should have called out and then helped the author to stamp out. I did not consider giving up on the story because I was engaged by the action, but once you notice something like that, it's impossible to unsee it, and I spent much of the book feeling agitated at the careless editing that permitted such repetition to take place.
If you're looking for a thoughtful and action-packed analysis of different ways 9/11 could have gone down, then read this book...unless glaring editing errors take you completely out of the story. If that possibility sounds aggravating to you, definitely look elsewhere for your next reading selection.
Read
October 5, 2021Pretty disappointed; I looked forward to reading it. The premise was very interesting; how far should one go to prevent a day like 9/11 from occurring? I bogged down around 50% and actually found myself thinking, “No way; I’m only halfway done?!� Just couldn’t keep pushing myself to finish.
April 3, 2013
A wonderful book. I came to it with no expectations other than hoping it would live up to the curiousness of its synopsis. It was a page turner, a couldn't put it down. It is so well written that although you do reach the end with that delicious "I don't want this to end" feeling, you are also deeply satisfied that it will work itself out somehow/somewhere/sometime. You'll wave your major character goodbye with a grin. Top writing, I hope many more experience this.
September 29, 2019
Goods bumps
This book gave me goosebumps with how vividly written everything was. I was certainly happy that parts were complete fiction though. So we'll written and very engaging
This book gave me goosebumps with how vividly written everything was. I was certainly happy that parts were complete fiction though. So we'll written and very engaging
September 5, 2016
WOW, what an emotional and thought provoking story. This story covers just about every angle you could imagine in what you would do if you had the means to go back and change history. The ripples it creates when you change something in the past and what spawns from that. I remember 9/11 like most others and this story did it justice in such a way that a story like this could, it did not trivialize the events nor did it get into conspiracy theories, it plainly laid out what would happen if you could go back in time and attempt to change things. I'm glad it ended the way it did as history repeats itself we are still able to learn and adjust to them.
March 27, 2015
Are things meant to be.
If you lost what matters most to you would you be willing to pay the price to go back and change it? Maybe some things are meant to happen.......
Follow Don Ellis as he tries to change what happened and find out.
A very good read and maybe a lesson that some thing happen no matter what you do to try and change them.
If you lost what matters most to you would you be willing to pay the price to go back and change it? Maybe some things are meant to happen.......
Follow Don Ellis as he tries to change what happened and find out.
A very good read and maybe a lesson that some thing happen no matter what you do to try and change them.
June 22, 2018
"Like water through your hands."
Returning home after viewing the terrible events of 9/11, a brilliant physicist returns home to find a note from his wife, Sarah, to say that she has taken their daughter to visit an old friend who has just started a new job in the World Trade Centre. Devastated at their loss on that terrible day, and haunted by the memory of the Twin Towers once visible from his window, Don painstakingly builds a machine to take him back in time before that eventful day to save his family and, if possible, stop the attack.
Well researched of both factually reported information as well as speculative theories - there is a bibliography at the end of the book as well as highlighted events which, amongst others, have given rise to various conspiracy ideas (there is also a button to access the theories themselves), the story is fascinating in that it visits various time lines, each an alternate history version of the event, and shows just a few of possible 'what-might-happen' futures. And that, despite the shock and devastating loss of life, "it could have been worse."
Particularly intriguing, also, was the peek back in time to the end of the twentieth century and the absence of so much we now take for granted - ipads and Wikipedia, to name but two.
Although slightly repetitious at times, especially in the early chapters, making for an overloaded text, the book is otherwise we'll written and constantly absorbing with some terrifying possibilities presented without both descriptions, thank goodness. A gentle thriller but with everything to lose, including our humanity, with science fiction time travel through alternate histories, interesting and thought provoking ideas, all based around a true and world changing event combined with the concept of a man in search of his family.
Great story, fascinating content, well written and researched - highly recommended.
Returning home after viewing the terrible events of 9/11, a brilliant physicist returns home to find a note from his wife, Sarah, to say that she has taken their daughter to visit an old friend who has just started a new job in the World Trade Centre. Devastated at their loss on that terrible day, and haunted by the memory of the Twin Towers once visible from his window, Don painstakingly builds a machine to take him back in time before that eventful day to save his family and, if possible, stop the attack.
Well researched of both factually reported information as well as speculative theories - there is a bibliography at the end of the book as well as highlighted events which, amongst others, have given rise to various conspiracy ideas (there is also a button to access the theories themselves), the story is fascinating in that it visits various time lines, each an alternate history version of the event, and shows just a few of possible 'what-might-happen' futures. And that, despite the shock and devastating loss of life, "it could have been worse."
Particularly intriguing, also, was the peek back in time to the end of the twentieth century and the absence of so much we now take for granted - ipads and Wikipedia, to name but two.
Although slightly repetitious at times, especially in the early chapters, making for an overloaded text, the book is otherwise we'll written and constantly absorbing with some terrifying possibilities presented without both descriptions, thank goodness. A gentle thriller but with everything to lose, including our humanity, with science fiction time travel through alternate histories, interesting and thought provoking ideas, all based around a true and world changing event combined with the concept of a man in search of his family.
Great story, fascinating content, well written and researched - highly recommended.
August 31, 2018
Physicist Doctor Donald Ellis lost his family on 9/11. But while others grieved, or plotted revenge, Dr. Ellis threw himself into a project to build a time machine and make 9/11 “unhappen.� It takes him 10 years to perfect the machine before setting off to try to change the past.
This fast-paced novel takes us into the mind of Dr. Ellis, his inner thoughts, fears, and angst. He knows he can never get his wife and daughter back yet does his best to save them for his “other self� in the alternate timeline he creates by going back in time. But no matter how hard he tries, he cannot make the new time line better. In fact, his efforts make it worse. So he tries again. From there on in, I was so hooked, I couldn’t put my Kindle down.
This fast-paced novel takes us into the mind of Dr. Ellis, his inner thoughts, fears, and angst. He knows he can never get his wife and daughter back yet does his best to save them for his “other self� in the alternate timeline he creates by going back in time. But no matter how hard he tries, he cannot make the new time line better. In fact, his efforts make it worse. So he tries again. From there on in, I was so hooked, I couldn’t put my Kindle down.
October 2, 2018
An original idea, well executed. Having lived through 9/11, I expected the story to be emotional, but I didn't expect the layers of depth and the thought provoking examination of how much one person makes a difference, and how that difference can play out. In a nutshell, the book is an alternate history of 9/11 that goes back and dissects what happened, what could have happened, and the hundreds of ways things can go from bad to worse. No one comes out unscathed, even when there are different people in charge, we are all human and have human failings. The domino effect of what could happen will be with me for some time.
March 3, 2024
A doomed destiny....
I got that impression that it was destiny. No matter what he did or how many times it was done, those attacks were gonna happen. Catastrophic events were inevitable.
Wow the author made Cheney a warmonger and Gore a spineless wimp.
Gore: Why are they throwing people out of the plane? Nobody cares why just shoot the plane down!! Unbelievable!!
Gore: Well I don't want to kill innocent Americans. Buddy the plane has hijackers on It and you already know what outcome is going to be, SHOOT DOWN THE DAMN PLANE!!
I read this one nonstop. It was definitely a page turner.
I got that impression that it was destiny. No matter what he did or how many times it was done, those attacks were gonna happen. Catastrophic events were inevitable.
Wow the author made Cheney a warmonger and Gore a spineless wimp.
Gore: Why are they throwing people out of the plane? Nobody cares why just shoot the plane down!! Unbelievable!!
Gore: Well I don't want to kill innocent Americans. Buddy the plane has hijackers on It and you already know what outcome is going to be, SHOOT DOWN THE DAMN PLANE!!
I read this one nonstop. It was definitely a page turner.
July 24, 2018
Compelling Read. I have mixed feelings about the writing in this book. The author was technically brilliant much of the time. The difficulty of presenting a recurring plot sequence in a believable way with a topic as challenging as time travel is overwhelming and Mr Enslen did an excellent job of research and creative writing. While reading, I occasionally ran into sequences of events that just did not seem to match the style of the rest of the book and just did not seem as believable as other sections. Overall, I enjoyed the book, and recommend.
August 28, 2020
I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book, but it grabbed me, shook me, and didn't let me go! Dr. Don Ennis lost his wife and daughter on 9/11, and spent several lifetimes to make the tragedy of that fateful day disappear. I said several lifetimes because he built a machine that enabled him to travel into the past, and again and again did everything possible to alter the disaster of 9/11/2001. Greg Enslen makes it very plain that this is a work of fiction, but backs up his information with well-researched, actual documentation to show what could have happened.
April 1, 2023
This read was rather interesting. I liked delving into all the different timelines and I especially enjoyed the ending. I wondered what it would look like on a movie screen in various events - although I know we've seen plenty in real life for that anyhow. The only downfall was how repetitive some things got, I felt like I had read entire paragraphs before and sometimes it was quite slow.
Overall though, I was thoroughly entertained and caught myself picturing it a lot.
Overall though, I was thoroughly entertained and caught myself picturing it a lot.
March 26, 2018
Gripping! Read it in one weekend!
There have been few books that I truly couldn’t put down; but this is one of them. There are a number of storylines going on here and you will have to be patient. Mr. Enslen has created a captivating plot, full of originality that left me wondering �..if..?�.
There have been few books that I truly couldn’t put down; but this is one of them. There are a number of storylines going on here and you will have to be patient. Mr. Enslen has created a captivating plot, full of originality that left me wondering �..if..?�.
March 18, 2018
Well written and researched. Inevitably repetitious in places, but enthralling nonetheless. The first time I've read anything about 9/11 (or even 11/9!) whether factual or fiction, and I found it a quite interesting, albeit shocking tragedy.
November 18, 2019
Whew!
I remember 9/11. I remember Middle East war. I watched them rebuild the Pentagon on my daily commute in Northern Virginia. This book seems real and makes me think about what could have been. Awesome
I remember 9/11. I remember Middle East war. I watched them rebuild the Pentagon on my daily commute in Northern Virginia. This book seems real and makes me think about what could have been. Awesome
December 27, 2019
OK
The beginning and ending of the book were enjoyable ,but in the middle of the book, I Iost all interest and could have easily stopped reading. I really wouldn't want to go through anything more than once.
The beginning and ending of the book were enjoyable ,but in the middle of the book, I Iost all interest and could have easily stopped reading. I really wouldn't want to go through anything more than once.
January 29, 2023
Mind Altering
What a concept the author uses! Using the idea and invention of time travel to interpret the tragedy of 9/11 is brilliant! The alternate timelines, while superbly scary, are not our timeline! Great book Mr Enslen!
What a concept the author uses! Using the idea and invention of time travel to interpret the tragedy of 9/11 is brilliant! The alternate timelines, while superbly scary, are not our timeline! Great book Mr Enslen!
May 9, 2023
Interesting and fast paced
Fast paced, great character development, and well researched. The cause and effect of international events in the alternative realities is extremely plausible. Really looking forward to reading other books by the author.
Fast paced, great character development, and well researched. The cause and effect of international events in the alternative realities is extremely plausible. Really looking forward to reading other books by the author.
May 13, 2024
Fascinating
Ive always been interested in time travel. The premise of this book was fascinating. However, it just went on too long and had too many technical details for me. I found myself skimming through at the last third. Others may find the details riveting and necessary.
Ive always been interested in time travel. The premise of this book was fascinating. However, it just went on too long and had too many technical details for me. I found myself skimming through at the last third. Others may find the details riveting and necessary.
December 16, 2024
How nice
This was a nice book which I started a nearly game up on put the more I read it the more I began to like it until in the end I could not put it down but the ending was really good it wasn't really an Ending it was a beginning well done
This was a nice book which I started a nearly game up on put the more I read it the more I began to like it until in the end I could not put it down but the ending was really good it wasn't really an Ending it was a beginning well done
March 12, 2017
Loved loved loved this book!!!
August 10, 2017
Wonderful book
Really enjoyed this story and how the different timelines played out. Heart breaking the way things got worse. Satisfying ending.
Really enjoyed this story and how the different timelines played out. Heart breaking the way things got worse. Satisfying ending.
September 29, 2017
very sad times
Must Read
Must Read
February 22, 2018
Sorry
Sorry I just couldn't get into it, but it may be just what someone else desires. Please don't take my review badly.
Sorry I just couldn't get into it, but it may be just what someone else desires. Please don't take my review badly.
April 20, 2018
This is a great book. If you like stories based on real events but from different perspectives and are a curious person you’ll love this book on 9/11.
August 1, 2018
AWESOME!
Anyone who remembers 9/11 will find this book as fascinating as I did. I have always enjoyed books about time travel. This one gives new meaning to the concept.
Anyone who remembers 9/11 will find this book as fascinating as I did. I have always enjoyed books about time travel. This one gives new meaning to the concept.
February 28, 2023
Interesting alternative history. Believable plot and characters. Fast paced enough to keep me turning the page. Not a genre I would normally read, but found it enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.