Hiddensci-fi
Cover of Retro by Jessica M. Goldstein

Retro

Jessica M. Goldstein

A struggling actress lands a luxe time-travel job, but escaping into the past starts warping her present life.

First published 2026

Review Score: 77%

More about this book

The Story

Ash is unemployed, in debt, and adrift when she lands a job at Retro, a luxury time-travel company that sends wealthy customers on curated trips into the past. Her new role lets her guide parties through historical eras while also giving her access to the same experiences, making the job feel like an intoxicating escape.

As Ash settles into Retro’s surreal world, she grows closer to coworkers, navigates romantic tension, and begins to notice strange shifts in her memory and relationships. The company’s glamorous surface hides uneasy questions about power, privilege, and what the travelers are really doing to themselves and to history.

The deeper Ash goes, the more the line between her work life, her present life, and the past starts to blur. What begins as a chance to reinvent herself turns into a confrontation with nostalgia, identity, and the costs of living inside someone else’s version of the “good old days.”

Story Profile

Pick an axis to find more ↓