Book Review - Callahan's Crosstime Saloon by Spider Robinson

A speculative fiction Cheers bar with refreshingly progressive insights into human nature.

Callahan's Crosstime Saloon is set in Callahan's Place, an idyllic US bar where a dollar buys a drink and everyone offers a listening ear. As soon as someone smashes a glass on the chalk line above the fireplace and raises a toast to whatever is bothering them, bartender Mike Callahan, Doc, Fast Eddie and a host of other casual drinkers will stand witness.

Of course, what makes this premise spec fic are the confessions. Aliens come to destroy the Earth only to suffer a crisis of conscience. Time travellers who have lost time or are conflicted about saving a life. Telepaths deep in grief. All human life is here, as well as some other strange entities that have been living among us and gone native.

Each story covers a different night in the saloon and, while there is some continuity, you could easily read these tales out of order and not feel lost. Robinson threads it all through with a very likeable wit and a staunch belief that every difficulty can be overcome with compassion and everyone chipping in. It also does a fair bit to overturn the belligerent stoicism and rugged individualism of toxic masculinity, which you didn't see much of in the 70's when this was first written.

My only complaint with Callahan's Crosstime Saloon is that certain characters don't come back, particularly Rachel, the only female patron featured in the collection. If this is a growing community I would like to see the new faces interact more with the old. Mind you, this is the start of a whole book series so my wish might be granted yet.

In any case, Callahan's Crosstime Saloon is a thoroughly enjoyable book of cosy fiction. I recommend it to those who like tales of drinking establishments with unlikely but lovable customers.