Taken from Peter F. Hamilton's short story collection Manhattan in Reverse, If At First . . . is a thrilling, time-travel short story from the master of space opera. When Toby Jenson breaks into Marcus Othew's Richmond research centre, chief detective David Lanson relishes the opportunity to get away from paperwork and police protocol to take on the case. Yet the truth is far more than he could ever have imagined. Soon, Toby Jenson is just a distant memory and David is living a high life of fame and fortune, reshaping the world around him off the back of a future that will now not exist. But he isn't the only person who has travelled back in time. And you never know when the future will come back to haunt you . . .