For you viewing pleasure let us begin with this funny video from Chris Hardwick and Chloe Dykstra about BioShock Infinite:
Ah the power of floor sandwiches. Next up is the ridiculously bad SF film, that is sadly an alternate history, After Earth. Don't worry, I think you will enjoy this honest dissection of the movie:
Take a knee alternate historian. It is time to witness the return of Epic Rap Battles of History Season 3. Hitler and Vader battle for a third time in this season opener:
If you see a video you think alternate historians will like, let us know us at ahwupdate at gmail dot com. We are looking for videos on alternate history, counterfactual history, steampunk, historical fantasy, time travel or anything that warps history beyond our understanding. Doesn't matter if it came up last week or last year, if its good we want to know.
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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. His new short story "Road Trip" can be found in Forbidden Future: A Time Travel Anthology. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
Editor's Note
And now the rest of your alternate history news...
Reviews on After Earth
After Earth has premiered and the reviews are in...and its not looking good. The film is a science fiction adventure drama directed by M. Night Shyamalan that he co-wrote with Gary Whitta based on an original story idea by Will Smith, about a military father and son crash landed on Earth one thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity to abandon it for a new home planet. The teenage son must save his dying father by trekking alone across the hostile terrain, encountering highly evolved creatures and a ruthless alien beast along the way, to recover their rescue beacon and also prove that he can live up to his father's reputation as a legendary soldier. It stars Smith and his son Jaden as Cypher and Kitai Raige, with Will Smith also acting as producer, and is distributed by Columbia Pictures.
Now lets ignore how implausible it is for evolution to change Earth wildlife so drastically after only 1000 years and focus on the fact that this is technically an alternate history film, since its based off an alien spaceship crash-landing on Earth in 1908, significantly advancing human technological progress. Now that we have gotten that out of the way (hopefully for the last time) what did people actually think of the film?
Friend of The Update Sean Korsgaard panned the film saying "it’s not only as bad as you've heard, its likely worse. The only upside to this I can see is that if this film crashes and burns – and from all accounts, it’s well on its way to doing so now – is that it will get M. Night Shyamalan handed his pink slip, get Jaden Smith his long-overdue retirement from acting, and get Will Smith his first real slice of humble pie." Meanwhile, Rob Bricken at io9 had an Amusing FAQ about the film. Here is a taste:
So some critics are calling After Earth godawful, while some are saying it’s not bad. Which is it?
Actually, I think Charlie Jane has it exactly right — After Earth is a disappointment, mainly because it’s not the schadenfreude-packed clusterfuck we’ve come to expect from M. Night Shyamalan.
So it’s actually good?
Oh, goodness me, no! It’s quite bad.
Then there are the inevitable cries that is nothing more than Scientologist propaganda full of language, concepts and imagery plucked directly from the L. Ron Hubbard. My reaction is: so what? Are you trying to tell me a person's religion can influence the fiction they produce? Gasp! How is this different from the Christianity in The Chronicles of Narnia or the agnosticism in The Golden Compass? Regardless of the reputation Scientology has earned, you don't need to bring up religion to convince people not to see this film.
Well I probably won't watch After Earth, not even on Netflix.
Poor timing for Wolfenstein? So the new trailer for Wolfenstein: The New Order came out last week. Lets watch:
So a nuked New York, Nazi sexual harassment on the streets, Nazi Washington, Nazi Beatles, Nazi mechs crushing protests, Nazis on the Moon...you get the idea. The trailer seems to suggest that the POD is the Nazis getting nuclear weapons first, which puts it dangerously close to becoming Spike's Alternate History, which has quickly become the marker for a bad WWII alternate history for me. For one thing, what happened to the other Axis powers like Italy and Japan? Let us hope there is more to the story when the game is finally released.
Still this trailer did show us some gameplay footage, which is nice. At least we can say this alternate history, completely single-player FPS is visually stunning, but what do the critics say? Joey Davidson of TechnoBuffalo said "Speaking as an American citizen, the imagery in this trailer is particularly chilling. Especially seeing an astronaut salute a Nazi flag on the moon. I’m not sure why that one affected me so much, but it did." That probably explains why we are seeing more focus on the Nazis instead of the Japanese. The swastika has a much powerful emotional impact for Americans when compared to the rising sun.
Some people have pointed out that the release of this trailer was poor timing on Bethesda's part due to the 69th anniversary of D-Day and even Bethesda was forced to comment on the timing. My suggestion is that people need to relax. This is alternate history and I doubt Bethesda was trying to dishonor the memories of the people who gave their lives during Normandy to defeat fascism. If anything, Axis victory timelines like Wolfenstein: The New Order highlight just how important it was for us to win World War II.
So calm down, its not a big deal.
Europa Universalis IV Release Date Announced and Pre-Order Launched
If your dreams of leading a global empire have lain dormant for too long, the time to take action is finally here! Paradox Interactive and Paradox Development Studio today announced that the empire-building game Europa Universalis IV will be released worldwide on August 13th, 2013. Europa Universalis IV is the latest installment in the award-winning series with more than a million copies sold worldwide and will be available on PC, Mac, and Linux at launch. Check out the trailer below:
Following on the success of the critically acclaimed strategy/RPG Crusader Kings II, Paradox Development Studio is ready to take you to worlds both old and new – each yours for the taking. Join the active community of over half a million members and experience the drama and tension that only the grand stage of history can provide in Europa Universalis IV.
Europa Universalis IV gives you control of a nation to guide it through the years and create a dominant global empire in the age of exploration, providing unprecedented freedom through the use of exploration, trade, warfare and diplomacy to let you rule your nation however you see fit. Strategists will face ruthless AI in an extensive single-player campaign, or be able to backstab friends and foes in 32-player online matches.
Strategy fans can now take the first step to fulfill their quest for global domination by pre-ordering Europa Universalis IV from digital distribution channels everywhere for $39.99, with a Digital Extreme Edition available for $44.99.
LoneStarCon 3 Announces a Teaching Science Fiction Workshop for Teachers, Librarians, and Parents
LoneStarCon 3, the 71st World Science Fiction Convention ("Worldcon"), has announced "Teaching Science Fiction," a workshop for teachers, librarians, and parents on how to use science fiction as a teaching tool. The workshop is a collaborative effort with LoneStarCon 3, and is organized and presented by AboutSF, an organization based at the University of Kansas.
This workshop is a half-day seminar on developing a class on science fiction for primary or secondary students. Educators are the target audience for this course, whether they are interested in designing a class on SF, or want to incorporate SF readings into existing classes. No prior knowledge of the genre is assumed, and general attendees are welcome to attend as well.
"Teaching Science Fiction" covers what to teach, how to organize a class, and ways to promote the course. The workshop will answer questions teachers may have about this idea-oriented and thought-provoking body of speculative literature. Attendees will also receive handouts and CDs containing additional helpful material to take home with them. Workshop speakers will include Worldcon Guest of Honor Dr. James Gunn, with additional speakers to be announced.
The workshop will be held during LoneStarCon 3 in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, September 2, 2013. Worldcon members with an attending membership may participate at no additional cost, but must register in advance, as space is limited. Teachers, librarians, and parents who are not Worldcon members will need to purchase a Day Admission to LoneStarCon 3 for the day of the workshop. Monday Day Admissions cost $30 for adults, and $20 for Young Adults (those aged 21 or under on the day of the workshop).
Calender June 22: Steam on Queen steampunk street fair in Toronto, Canada.
July 15: Deadline to submit your queries to Echelon Press for their 2014 steampunk anthology entitled Alchemy’s Dark Secrets.
Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. His new story "The Enchanted Bean" can be found in Once Upon a Clockwork Tale from Echelon Press. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
Paperback After Earth by Peter David Description from Amazon.
Experience the vast tapestry of After Earth in a novelization unlike any other: a thousand-year saga featuring original content from the mind of Peter David, the veteran sci-fi author who helped develop the richly imagined universe. This is the complete, never-before-seen chronicle of the extraordinary family that’s been across the universe and back—from humanity’s last days on Earth through the events of the epic film!
RAIGE RUNS IN THE FAMILY
General Cypher Raige of the United Ranger Corps is only the latest in a long line of heroes. For a thousand years, ever since the globe was engulfed by environmental apocalypse, the Raiges have been instrumental in humanity’s survival. They led the way as the survivors abandoned Earth, settled an uninhabitable planet called Nova Prime, withstood an onslaught from a mysterious alien force, and carved out a new home in the farthest reaches of the galaxy.
Now Cypher has returned to his family after an extended tour of duty. For his thirteen-year-old son, Kitai, tagging along with his famous father is the adventure of a lifetime—and a chance to salvage their relationship. But when an asteroid collides with their craft, they make a crash landing that leaves Cypher seriously—perhaps fatally—wounded.
Kitai Raige has always wanted to prove that he has what it takes to live up to his illustrious name. Now, all too soon, he gets his chance. With his father’s life on the line, Kitai must venture out into the strange, hostile terrain of a new world that seems eerily familiar: Earth.
Graphic novel Iron Sky by Mikko Rautalahti Description from Amazon.
The adaptation of the hit science fiction/comedy film of the summer, Iron Sky, follows the fate of Nazis who fled to the moon in 1945, and return in 2018 to conquer the Earth with their armada of flying saucers. With tongue firmly in cheek, the story parodies both the Nazis and more recent political parties and figures, with no holds barred. With special effects and a climactic ending only the Third Reich could deliver, Iron Sky is an action-packed ride from start to finish. The attention to quality of the film continues with the graphic novel, with the writer of Alan Wake (Mikko Rautalahti) and artist from Codeword: Geronimo and Army of Two (Gerry Kissell) taking the lead.
Audio The Assassination of Orange by Joseph Brassey Description from Amazon.
There’s a bounty out for Prince William of Orange…and “alive” is not an option. The Dutch are trying to free themselves from the Spanish yolk, and the dynamic and charismatic revolutionary, William of Orange, is risking life and limb for the nation he so desperately loves. But when the Spanish monarch offers glory, titles, and twenty thousand crowns for the man who can silence William, the battle for the Netherlands becomes an assassin's game. Celebrated Welsh mercenary Roger Williams is ordered by the crown of England to protect the prince at all costs, and while the Welsh mercenary has many years of battlefield experience, the cat and mouse of political assassination is a much different fight. The enemy is faceless, its tactics are unknown, and there will be little or no warning before the attempt is made. Roger's skills are drawn from the legacy of the Shield-Brethren - the one true art of the sword - and he may be unprepared for the dawning of the age of the gun.
The Book of Seven Hands by Barth Anderson Description from Amazon.
Expert swordsmen Basilio and Alejo have one last mission before they go their separate ways: they must recover their teacher Don Manuel's ancient fighting manual and take it to remote Cataluña in order to have it translated by the famous alchemist Paracelsus. Unbeknownst to them, however, Don Manuel has been murdered, and a host of powerful forces has come looking for the coveted book – everyone from old lovers and lifelong archenemies to the King's assassin, and the Spanish Inquisition. The adventures of Basilio and Alejo usher in a new era of adventures in Foreworld, one wherein the Shield-Brethren, the fabled warrior monks of the medieval era, have been stricken from history. Old traditions are threatened and long-standing secrets are in danger of being revealed.
Europe is in turmoil. The land has been fragmented into petty fiefdoms. The Emperor is struggling with the Pope. The Holy Father declares that all who go to liberate the Holy Land will be freed of their sins.
Now is the time for greatness…
Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods is the fourth expansion for the critically praised strategy/RPG. Finally play as a Pagan or Zoroastrian ruler, with particular focus on the dreaded Vikings. Pillage and adventure according to true Viking tradition!
To fans, authors and publishers...
Is you story going to be published in time for the next New Releases? Contact us at ahwupdate at gmail dot com. We are looking for works of alternate history, counterfactual history, steampunk, historical fantasy, time travel or anything that warps history beyond our understanding.
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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. His new story "The Enchanted Bean" is coming out on June 1st in Once Upon a Clockwork Tale from Echelon Press. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
Hardcover Necessary Evil by Ian Tregillis Description from Amazon.
12 May 1940. Westminster, London, England: the early days of World War II.
Again.
Raybould Marsh, one of “our” Britain’s best spies, has travelled to another Earth in a desperate attempt to save at least one timeline from the Cthulhu-like monsters who have been observing our species from space and have already destroyed Marsh’s timeline. In order to accomplish this, he must remove all traces of the supermen that were created by the Nazi war machine and caused the specters from outer space to notice our planet in the first place.
His biggest challenge is the mad seer Gretel, one of the most powerful of the Nazi creations, who has sent a version of herself to this timeline to thwart Marsh. Why would she stand in his way? Because she has seen that in all the timelines she dies and she is determined to stop that from happening, even if it means destroying most of humanity in the process. And Marsh is the only man who can stop her.
Necessary Evil is the stunning conclusion to Ian Tregillis’s Milkweed series.
Paperback After Earth: A Perfect Beast by Michael Jan Friedman, Robert Greenberger and Peter David Description from Amazon.
After their exodus from Earth, the last humans settled a remote planet, Nova Prime. When an alien force known as the Skrel descended from the skies, the United Ranger Corps, an elite defense unit, valiantly resisted. Centuries passed without an attack, and many colonists believed that, with other security measures in place, the resources devoted to maintaining their military strength would be better spent elsewhere. Little did they know that trouble was coming to Nova Prime—and it had a taste for blood.
The latest in a long line of decorated warriors, Conner Raige is one of the Rangers’ most promising young cadets, although his brash confidence and tendency to act on instinct have earned him as many skeptics as admirers. Conner’s ancestors were on the front lines of humanity’s victory against the Skrel. But when a deadly ground war breaks out, Conner’s up against an entirely different beast—because, this time, the Skrel have brought a secret weapon: ferocious killing machines designed to eliminate humanity from Nova Prime . . . and the universe.
Bronze Gods by A. A. Aquirre Description from Amazon.
Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko work all hours in the Criminal Investigation Division, keeping citizens safe. He's a charming rogue with an uncanny sixth sense; she's all logic--and the first female inspector. Between his instincts and her brains, they collar more criminals than any other partnership in the CID.
Then they're assigned a potentially volatile case where one misstep could end their careers. At first, the search for a missing heiress seems straightforward, but when the girl is found murdered--her body charred to cinders--Mikani and Ritsuko's modus operandi will be challenged as never before. Before long, it's clear the bogeyman has stepped out of nightmares to stalk gaslit streets, and it's up to them to hunt him down. There's a madman on the loose, weaving blood and magic in an intricate, lethal ritual that could mean the end of everything...
World Divided by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin and Dennis Lee Description from Amazon.
From New York Times best-seller and science fiction and fantasy mistress of adventure Mercedes Lackey, #2 in a new pulse-pounding saga of modern-day humans with superpowers. After turning back an invasion of super-science power Nazi war machines, the heroes go on the hunt for the Nazi masters and take the battle to the bad guys.
Meta-Heroes Battle On!
After an Earth-scarring apocalyptic battle, humanity’s meta-heroes must take the fight to the enemy. Their task: hunt down the secret puppetmasters behind the Nazi robot invasion, the Thule Society, and cut off the multi-universe plague the Thulians have unleashed. It’s go time once again for the meta-heroes including fire-bender John Murdock, hacker-witch Vikki Nagy, healer Belladona Blue, super-quick Mercurye–and most of all for their ghostly ally, Seraphym, the spirit of the world who uses her secret influence to direct the fight against a Thulian-based tyranny of evil that is fast descending upon the entire universe!
Read Chris Nuttall's review of the prequel Invasion.
E-books Arc d'X by Steve Erickson Description from Amazon.
In a desperate effort to liberate herself, a fourteen-year-old slave—mistress to the man who invented America—finds herself flung into a different time and world
Steve Erickson’s provocative reimagining of American history, Arc d’X begins with the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. With “skin . . . too white to be quite black and too black to be quite white,” Sally is loved only to the extent that she can be possessed, and finds hope only in the promise that her children’s lives will be different from her own. The couple’s paradox-riven union echoes through the ages and in an alternate epoch where time plays by other rules. In Aeonopolis, a theocratic city at the foot of a volcano, priests seek to have Sally indicted, and in an emptied-out Berlin, the Wall is being rebuilt. Dizzyingly imaginative, Arc d’X is an unrivaled exploration of “the pursuit of happiness.”
Tours of the Black Clock by Steve Erickson Description from Amazon.
The course of a century is rewritten in this fabulously warped odyssey, named a best book of the year by the New York Times
Tours of the Black Clock is a wild dream of the twentieth century as told by the ghost of Banning Jainlight. After a disturbing family secret is unearthed, Jainlight throws his father out of a window and burns down the Pennsylvania ranch where he grew up. He escapes to Vienna where he is commissioned to write pornography for a single customer identified as “Client X,” which alters the trajectory of World War II. Eventually Jainlight is accompanied by an aged and senile Adolf Hitler back to America, where both men pursue the same lover. Tours of the Black Clock is a story in which history and the laws of space and time are unforgettably transformed.
To fans, authors and publishers...
Do you want to see your work given a shout out on New Releases? Contact us at ahwupdate at gmail dot com. We are looking for works of alternate history, counterfactual history, steampunk, historical fantasy, time travel or anything that warps history beyond our understanding.
* * *
Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a blogger on Amazing Stories and a volunteer editor for Alt Hist magazine. His fiction can be found at Echelon Press, Jake's Monthly andThe Were-Traveler. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
Editor's Note So I wasted an hour yesterday trying to make a video for you guys, but the webcam feature YouTube provided kept failing and deleting everything I made. I tried using the generic recorder my computer came with but the quality was so bad I gave up. I need to do some more research into making videos for YouTube before I try this again.
I am doing a batch of posts for Amazing Stories on steampunk. It starts with a quick overview of the genre so check it out if you are interested. Tomorrow's post is a review on The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. My next topic is going to be music in SF literature for those wondering. I also been talking with Twilight Histories host Jordan Harbour. You will see my interview with him later this week and perhaps an in-depth discussion about the genre on his podcast sometime in the future.
And now the news...
Update: The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway
I don't want to forget about time travel, so now is a good time to bring it up with some info on this book that caught my attention last week: The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway. Here is the description from Goodreads:
In Bee Ridgway’s wonderfully imaginative debut novel, a man and a woman travel through time in a quest to bring down a secret society that controls the past and, thus, the future.
“You are now a member of the Guild. There is no return.” Two hundred years after he was about to die on a Napoleonic battlefield, Nick Falcott, soldier and aristocrat, wakes up in a hospital bed in modern London. The Guild, an entity that controls time travel, showers him with life's advantages. But Nick yearns for home and for one brown-eyed girl, lost now down the centuries. Then the Guild asks him to break its own rule. It needs Nick to go back to 1815 to fight the Guild’s enemies and to find something called the Talisman.
In 1815, Julia Percy mourns the death of her beloved grandfather, an earl who could play with time. On his deathbed he whispers in her ear: “Pretend!” Pretend what? When Nick returns home as if from the dead, older than he should be and battle scarred, Julia begins to suspect that her very life depends upon the secrets Grandfather never told her. Soon enough Julia and Nick are caught up in an adventure that stretches up and down the river of time. As their knowledge of the Guild and their feelings for each other grow, the fate of the future itself is hanging in the balance.
Found a couple more reviews on Gail Carriger's new novel Etiquette & Espionage, book one of the Finishing School series. First, here is the description from Amazon:
It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.
Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.
But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but the also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage--in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.
Set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate, this YA series debut is filled with all the saucy adventure and droll humor Gail's legions of fans have come to adore.
Flipping the Page described the novel as "a unique book" and "a keeper!", but the review did say you can get lost in the background information. Sarah Bruch at SFcrowsnest also gave a good review for the book and concluded "[t]his is another series for lovers of Carriger filled with her dry wit, fabulous characters and her own take on the steampunk world, definitely one to put on the to be read pile."
Now generally I do not read YA books, but for the younger readers of this blog who like a little steam in their alternate history, this might be a series for you.
Update: After Earth The upcoming SF, alternate history film After Earth (the POD being a space ship crash landing on Earth in 1908) is premerieng this summer on June 7. A new trailer for the film came out last week, let's watch it below:
Rob Bricken of io9 wasn't particularly impressed by the trailer, pointing out that 1000 years is too short of a time for evolution to change Earth's wildlife so drastically. Personally I am less than thrilled about this film by M. Night Shyamalan, but Charlie Jane Anders of io9 seems hopeful that "legendary control freak Will Smith" can keep the plot from spiraling out of control. We shall see, but I think I won't see until I can watch it free on Netflix.
NBC Renews Revolution
NBC announced it has ordered a new season for the sci-fi drama Revolution from Eric Kripke and J.J. Abrams for the 2013-2014 season. Alternate historians were less than impressed when the show first aired, but it has grown in popularity with the rest of fandom. Paul Levinson in his review of episode 14 called Revolution "one of J. J. Abrams' best franchises." To tell you the truth I still haven't watched the show, but do you agree?
Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods and Europa Universalis IV
A new trailer for Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods(out on May 28) has been released. The latest trailer for The Old Gods is the first trailer to show gameplay from the expansion:
The Old Gods is the fourth full expansion for Crusader Kings II, Paradox’s strategy/RPG of medieval scheming, dynastic fortunes and crusades against the unbeliever. The Old Gods expansion lets the player start two hundred years earlier than the Crusader Kings II base game, at the height of Viking power and when Christianity had yet to penetrate many of the dark forests of the continent, and the power of Islam was still on the rise. You can read the developer diaries to get more information on this upcoming expansion.
Next on the agenda, Paradox is preparing to once again provide the global conquest gamers have hungrily desired with their upcoming empire-building game, Europa Universalis IV. The award-winning series that has sold over a million copies and redefined grand strategy gaming is returning in Q3 2013. Now, Paradox is sending out a Call to Arms to their greatest fans, and asking for their help to win the world’s hearts and minds for the Europa Universalis army in an epic community-building campaign. Europa Universalis fans all over the world can recruit their friends and receive exclusive rewards.
The Call to Arms Rewards for loyal fans include bonus in-game DLC, a Developers Strategy Guide, Compendium Universalis, the e-books The Art of War and The Prince, and a copy of Europa Universalis III Chronicles. The “World Conqueror” rewards for the most loyal fans include exclusive beta access to Europa Universalis IV, a mention in the game credits, and a trip to Stockholm to play multiplayer with the developers.
“Over the years, you have all helped us build one of the most dedicated game communities available. We wouldn’t have come this far if not for the loyalty of our strategy fans everywhere, and we want you to know that,” said Thomas Johansson, project lead for Europa Universalis IV at Paradox Development Studio.
“As we prepare to launch our empire-building game Europa Universalis IV, we want to bring even more strategy fans into our community. We want you all to experience the drama that only the grand stage of history can provide. So if you want to support Europa Universalis IV, please spread the word and invite your friends – if you believe that they long to conquer the world. Strategy Gamers of the World – this is our Call to Arms.”
Calender May 1-Oct 31: Strange Chemistry open for unagented submissions.
May 30: Deadline for submissions of It Came From the North, a Finnish speculative fiction anthology.
Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a blogger on Amazing Stories and a volunteer editor for Alt Hist magazine. His fiction can be found at Echelon Press, Jake's Monthly andThe Were-Traveler. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss my personal definition of alternate history and the definition I use for this blog and the social media sites I run. Now I will go into my personal definition of alternate history when Amazing Stories goes live (they have been letting me play with new website, it looks nice), but the definition I use when presenting news and reviews to you is what is causing me problems.
I talked about it during my guest appearance on Dissecting Worlds and the guys have alluded to it in later episodes. Essentially I consider alternate history, from the point of view of this blog, to be any speculative fiction that requires an appreciation of history to fully enjoy. That is why I feature steampunk, historical fantasy, time travel, parallel universes and other genres, even if actual allo-historical content is minimal. I do this because there are a lot of great things in this world and we alternate historians should not be narrow minded. I see it as this blog's mission to help spread awareness about books, films, television shows, games, etc. that we as alternate historians can enjoy.
With that mind, if you don't like the way I run my blog, then you don't have to read it. Just don't be like the guy who left this message on the "Alternate History" Facebook page. If you want to leave, fine. Just don't be a troll and post a passive aggressive message before leaving. I still appreciate feedback, but I assume people who give constructive criticism are going to stay and see what happens.
By the way, this is my first week at my new job so once again I request that you be patient as I get used to my new routine. As I said before I am taking a lot of time off in December so it will next month where we find out if I can balance my new jobs and the Update.
I have talked about this DLC before and the plausibility of Washington as king, yet I have to admit the "evil" Washington and his guards do look cool. It will be interesting to see what the storyline is behind this alternate history and what events caused America's first president to go bad.
This is first trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s SF adventure. Here is the synopsis from SciFiNow:
One thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind’s new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige (Will Smith) returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai (Jaden Smith). When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai’s craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance.
Things to do With a new year coming there are already a slew of conventions and events planned for 2013.
Boskone 50, NESFA's regional science fiction convention, will be held on February 15-17 in Framingham, MA. You might even see some of the people behind Amazing Stories there. Meanwhile, for those steampunk fanatics out there, we have the Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention on March 8-10 in Old Tucson, AZ and the music festival Steamstock on July 27-28 in San Francisco, CA. Check out there Kickstarter if you are interested in contributing.
This just in from LoneStarCon 3, the 71st World Science Fiction Convention, rates will increase from January 1, 2013. So if you are going to see the Sidewise Awards get presented next year, make sure you bring enough cash.
New Releases Hardcovers
The Merchant of Dreams by Anne Lyle
When Mal’s dream about a skrayling shipwreck in the Mediterranean proves reality, it sets him on a path to the beautiful, treacherous city of Venice – and a conflict of loyalties that will place him and his friends in greater danger than ever.
E-books Black Sun Reich: The Spear of Destiny by Trey Garrison
The first novel in a new steampunk, horror, alternate history, action-adventure series set in a 1920s where the Nazis have begun their subjugation of the world using the occult, advanced science, and a holy relic with awesome powers.
Generation Null by Wendi K. Bennett
Whenever your time machine begins to smell like this, you know you are in trouble.
Substitution Cipher by Kaye Chazan
Spies can change the course of history, and and in the six thrilling stories of Substitution Cipher, they do. Check out my review of the anthology and my interview with Update contributor Tyler Bugg, whose short story "From Enigma to Paradox" appears in the anthology.
Comics Time Samplers #1 - Escape from Jekyll Islandby Thomas Gorence, David Pinckney, and Erik Koconis, with art by Nicolas Colacitti
Two musicians investigate historical conspiracy theories through psychedelic time travel. Check out my review of the comic and stay tuned for my upcoming interview with one of the creators of the comic.
Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a volunteer editor for Alt Hist magazine. His fiction can be found at Echelon Press, Jake's Monthly andThe Were-Traveler. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
I hope you guys enjoyed the winning entry to the Four Pictures Writing Contest. Expect to see new writing contests in the future, except these will have specific word counts, most likely 500-1000. I got some feedback recently that suggested that my word ceiling on the last contest was so high that people actually thought I was looking for novella length entries. Not true, but I will try to be more specific for now on.
Okay what do we have this week? New Releases, the Art of Steampunk (the superhero edition), SecondWorld preview and review. I also have an essay in the works inspired by The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln and whether it foreshadows the genre's acceptance into the mainstream.
Meanwhile, I should be recording my guest spot on Dissecting Worlds podcast next Sunday. I will keep you posted on when that goes live. Subject will be the American Civil War, so if you have anything you would like me to talk about send me a line.
We got our first reader from Brunei. Welcome!
And now the news...
New film, After Earth, to be an alternate history
Usually when I hear the phrase "upcoming M. Night Shyamalan movie" I groan in exasperation. This time, however, his new film After Earth (starring Will Smith and Jaden Smith) might be worthwhile enough for me to check out. Here is the description from Wikipedia:
One thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity's escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind's new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai. When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai's craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance.
Sounds like your run-of-the-mill futuristic, sci-fi summer blockbuster, until you see the teaser trailer:
Using the Facebook Timeline feature (which they must be happy about), the video presents the alternate history backstory of the film. In this world the 1908 Tunguska Event was caused by a crashed alien spaceship. The Raige family goes on to patent the technology gained from the craft and advances human knowledge faster than OTL. The bad news is hyper-advanced humanity accelerates global warming making the Earth unlivable and forcing a select few to flee to a new planet.
While AH content might be limited, I still will check out the film to see how much of the backstory applies to the plot. Look for more info and a review in the year to come.
Looking for places to purchase gear for your steampunk costumes? Check out this list where you can find things in Australia (for those readers who live there) and online (for the rest of us). Now onto all of those AH-related events that you can attend:
July 25-29: The Third Penzance LitFest will feature some steampunk programming for those living in Cornwall.
July 26: Last chance to see "Flight of Fancy", a steampunk ballet, in Washington, DC.
Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a volunteer editor for Alt Hist and a contributor to Just Below the Law. His fiction can be found at Echelon Press, Jake's Monthly and his own writing blog. When not writing he works as an attorney and enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana.
Update: Geoffrey Wilson
