I had two points - the first is about the arrow of time and entropy. Briah could actually be the contraction phase of our universe -- to viewers there, we are in their distant future and vv. I have been recently reading "Archimedes Point" (author escapes me), who provides various arguments, and how to design a causally reversed telescope to detect (backward) light from that epoch. This might fit in with the various mirrors. Note that reversed light will tend to converge on targets, to our way of thinking. Travel between the epochs would be subjectively quick on the ship only if it was travelling v close to c, but at least you don't need hyperdrive.
THe other is about living backwards. Only TH White (IIRC) has Merlin living backwards, in the Sword In the Stone. And other main uses predating Amis are in Williamson's SeeTee Ship, PK Dick's Counterclock World and Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5. I always thought the latter was Amis's inspiration, with its reversal of the damage to cities, followed by processing of the bombs so they were safe, and dispersal of their components into landfills.
| David Duffy. ,-_|\
| email: davidD at qimr.edu.au ph: INT+61+7+3362 0217 fax: +0101 / *
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