Ideas for a science fiction novel swirled through Michael T. Gracey’s head during the 36 years he worked as a mechanical engineer in the waterjetting industry. Gracey, a resident of Houston, Texas, worked as an equipment design engineer for such companies as NLB Corp, Tracor Hydro-Services, Hydro-Chem, Freemyer Industrial Pressure LP, Butterworth Inc., and JETECH Inc. In industry circles, he is best known for his book, High Pressure Pumps, and more than 40 technical papers. After retiring in January 2009, Gracey shifted gears and wrote The Time Shift, the story of a young man who tries to go back in
