Timeline

The following timeline combines things that happened/are mentioned in Queen of Angels with things that happen/are mentioned in Slant. I have listed in parentheses how far back from Now (the start of the book) the event was said to have happened.

Here is a chapter by chapter summary I made to help me with the timeline, in case anyone is interested.

After reading through the book again, there are some clues in the story that leads me to believe that the year is 2051-2, not 2054. In fact, I think that Mr. Bear meant for it to be December, 2051, probably early in December (first or second week). This is why I think that:

• After reading the epilog, it is clear that the epilog takes place "a few weeks" after the events of the rest of the book. However, Epilog 0/1 is a "January morning". Mary and Alice mention that Christmas was bad for retailers, and say "Happy New Year". So it's not too long after Jan. 1.
• That would mean that this book sort of parallels QoA, and occurs about four years later.
• Therefore, I think that Part 1, chapter 15 has a 'typo' when Chao Luke says it's the February meeting of the Stoics. More likely, it's the December meeting.

The case for 2051/2:
Martin hasn't gone into "the country of someone's mind" in four years (Part 2, chpt. 11), and that would be Goldsmith, in December of 2047 (QoA), which seems to make it late 2051. Nussbaum mentions "Dear 52" (Part 1, chpt. 10) referring to a year?. If the year was 2051/2, Giffey and Crest would have been born around 2001, somewhat esthetically pleasing.

The case for 2054/5:
Mary is born in 2019, according to QoA. She is now 35 (Part 1, chpt. 5). That makes it 2054, and her birthday must be in January or very early February for her to be 35.

Overall, I think that dates in the book are a little confusing. Obviously, not all dates are meant to be exact ("four years" is an approximate term). For esthetic reasons, I think that I'll conclude that this book started in the first or second week of December, 2051, and the epilog occurs in the first week of January, 2052. (A late thought: It could be December, 2052/January 2053 as well. No year really fits all the indicators.)

• Early 21st - Nanotech changes society, scares some conservative groups to move to central US.
• 2001 - (Now - 51) Jack Giffey born (at least his persona's birth year)
• 2001 - Terrence Crest born
• 2017 - QoA - Start of 5 nation project to send interstellar probe to Alpha Centari..
• 2018 - QoA - Colonel Sir Yardly starts rule of Hispanola (?).
• 2019 - Mary Choy born (from QoA, and now - 35) (2017?)
• 2020, July - Secession Standoff in Idaho, Weaverite Insurrection. Giffey's parents (forest rangers) are kill by Citizen's Repossession Army in Idaho.
• 2020, Novemeber - Citizen's Repossession Army General Birchhardt handed over to Federals by new Green Idaho governor.
• 2025 - QoA - Due to punishment system, Hispanola has lowest per capita crime rate in world.
• 2023 - (Now - 29) Alice Grale born
• 2032 - Raphkind president (guess based on four year elections cycle and various mentions in book)
• 2032 - QoA - AXIS sent on voyage to Alpha Centari.
• 2032 - (Now - 20) Jonathan and Chloe married (not 100% clear, Jonathan seems much older than Chloe)
• 2035 - India becomes big in Dataflow.
• 2033 - (Now - 19) Alice meets Minstrel
• 2039 - (Now - 13) Mary Choy joins PD in LA
• 2042 - QoA - Mary Choy joins PD.
• 2043 - Pope's warning.
• 2043 - QoA - Emanuel Goldsmith visits Yardly in Hispanola.
• 2044 - QoA - Carol Neuman, Martin Burke break up. M Choy begins transform.
• 2044 - Mary becomes transform (Part 1, chapter 5)
• 2045 - QoA - Mary meets Ernest Hassida.
• 2047, Dec 20 - Goldsmith murders 8 children
• 2049 ? - M Choy marries E Hassida.
• 2049, March 23 - Column by Alexis de Tocqueville II.
• 2047 - (Now - 5) Mind Design team loses contact with Seefa Schnee
• 2047 - (Now - 5) Carl Grale dies on Moon.
• 2050 ? - M Choy divorces E Hassida.
• 2048 - (Now - 3) Mary moves to Seattle PD
• 2048 - (Now - 3) Martin works on research for New Federalist Market Alliance, Aristos.
• 2051 - (Now - 2) Nathan replaces Roger Atkins as Jill's chief engineer
• 2051 - (Now - 2) Martin splits from Carol, moves from Southcoast to Seattle
• 2051, December - Events of Slant take place
• 2051, December - Now. Early December. Aristos create a plague that damages internal nano machines that help the therapied and transformed. Their half-baked scheme is thwarted by government agents, with some help from Mary Choy, Martin Burke and others. The plague, created by a rogue thinker (Roddy) designed by Seefa Schnee, has a side effect of enhancing creativity in those it affects. The first thinker, Jill, is damaged by contact with Roddy, but is re-started, benefitting from use of some of Roddy's routines.
• 2052, January - Events of Epilog of Slant take place
• 2052 - US Government Digiman on Dataflow Economics, 56th Revision