Weekly Update #194

Editor's Note

So this week we begin the new format not only for Weekly Updates, but also for other long running series like Map Monday and Videos for Alternate Historians. Thanks to my new social media strategy, I will be factoring your reaction to alternate history news, maps videos and other posts when I decide what to feature on the main blog. Please be patience as I iron out all the kinks, but I think you guys are going to like what you see in the coming weeks.

Moving on to other projects of mine. I think I have decided that a video once a month for my channel is a reasonable goal for me once I factor in my personal schedule. This month, I will be making a video review of Wild Cards III: Jokers Wild edited by George R.R. "I will destroy everyone you love" Martin. So stay tuned for that one.

And now the news...

People love Dick's The Man in High Castle

They was a lot of excitement when I shared pictures from the set of Amazon TV's The Man in the High Castle. Here is a brief taste below:

And why wouldn't they be excited? It is a classic work of science fiction and alternate history. Plus the pilot episode was a hit with both audiences and critics. Now that Amazon is producing a full season of the show, alternate historians everywhere are obviously excited. This may actually be the show that treats are favorite genre seriously and helps break it into a mainstream audience.

If you need other reasons why you should read The Man in the High Castle, just take a look at this edition from 1975 that is being sold for $250. Or how about this beautiful edition from The Folio Society that John DeNardo of SF Signal called the "definitive volume" of the novel. Just look at some of the illustrations you can find in the Folio Society edition:

Very jealous of John right now.

Paradox announces Crusader Kings II: Horse Lords and releases the final dev diary of Europa Universalis IV: Common Sense

Fans of grand strategy games will be happy to learn that Paradox has announced the eighth expansion for Crusader Kings II called The Horse Lords. In this expansion you can play as the powerful nomadic hordes who built massive empires across Asia and Europe. Check out the trailer below:

Features include an expanded map, nomads that resist settlement, revised interface, clan politics, the Silk Road, tributaries, forts and new rules for successions and trade. Horse Lords, however, is not the only expansion Paradox has coming out and last week they showed the final developer diary for Europa Universalis IV: Common Sense:

You can check out the text version they posted on their forum here. Additionally, a patch featuring additional content for Europa Universalis IV will be available to all players free and without having to purchase Common Sense, which will launch across all territories for Windows, Mac, and Linux tomorrow on June 9th.

What you may have missed...

We end today's Weekly Update with brief comments on some of the popular articles from the week before. First, go read The Times of Israel's coverage on Dr. Jeffrey S. Gurock's new book: The Holocaust Averted: An Alternate History of American Jewry, 1938-1967. I think this article and book highlight an important rule of alternate history, which is that averting a horrible historical tragedy doesn't necessarily make the world a better place for everyone.

I also highly recommend you guys check out SciFi Ideas' list of alternate history scenarios. It was one of the most viewed links on our Facebook page and its author, Mark Ball, was even nice enough to drop by to chat. Most importantly, it has with it probably one of the most awesome flag designs I have ever seen (see right).

Meanwhile, for those writing timelines that don't feature Christianity becoming a dominant religion, check out this fun article from Rick Paulas of Pacific Standard that asks "what year would it be without Christianity?" Its a good question because, honestly, there is no real standard date, even today among the different nations and cultures of the world. In fact the lessons from the article can apply to anyone who is creating their own fictional calendar.

Finally, for those who like traditional history (and let's be honest, you wouldn't be here if you didn't) don't forget to check out this informative article on Viking armor on io9. Spoiler alert: not only did they not where horned helmets...they also didn't wear much protection to begin with.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. 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.

Weekly Update #180

Editor's Note

So I was at Capricon this weekend and to be honest, it was kind of a disappointment. I wasn't interested in the panels that were offered and attendance at the panels I was on, even from the panelists, was low. O well, maybe it will be better next year.

And now the news...

Preview: The Diabolical Miss Hyde: An Electric Empire Novel by Viola Carr

A new book that is making the Internet rounds is Viola Carr's The Diabolical Miss Hyde. Here is the description from Amazon:

Forensic science, magic, mystery, and romance mix in this edgy steampunk fantasy—a retelling of the horror classic, in which Dr. Eliza Jekyll, daughter of the infamous Dr. Henry Jekyll—pursues a dangerous murderer in an alternate Victorian London.

In an electrified Victorian London, Dr. Eliza Jekyll is a crime scene investigator, hunting killers with newfangled technological gadgets. She will need every advantage available to catch a terrifying new psychopath splattering London with blood. Hidden in the grimy shadows, the fiendish murderer preys on beautiful women, drugging them before slicing off their limbs. Finding the “Slicer” can make Eliza’s career . . . or unmask her darkest secret. Like her father, she has a hidden second self that emerges when she drinks his forbidden magical elixir. Just a few sips, and a seductive and impulsive Lizzie Hyde is unleashed.

The members of the Royal Society do not trust Eliza, and they send their enforcer, the mercurial Captain Lafayette, to prove she’s a dangerous sorceress. The careful doctor knows that one wrong step can make her prey to the clever Lafayette, a man who harbors an evil curse of his own. No matter how much she craves the elixir, she must resist.

But as the Slicer case draws her into London’s luminous magical underworld, Eliza will need the potion’s power to help her . . . even if it might attract the attentions of Lafayette. .

Even if it means setting the wild Lizzie free. . . .

Carr has been doing a lot of promotion for her new novel. At SF Signal she wrote a guest post discussing magic and science and she stopped by The Qwillery to give an interview. If you happen to check out The Diabolical Miss Hyde, let us know what you thought in the comments.

Crusader Kings II Celebrates Its Three Year Anniversary

This weekend, Paradox Development Studio is marking the third anniversary of its medieval grand strategy game Crusader Kings II. Since its release in February 2012, Crusader Kings II has sold 1.1 million copies of the base game and over 2.5 million copies of its various expansions. If you include the cosmetic DLC for sale, that adds up to over 8 million add-ons for the base game. Over the last year of its lifetime, Crusader Kings II is still averaging over a hundred thousand monthly active users on Steam. Paradox also released this infographic of the game's history:

“We continue to be overwhelmed by the popularity of Crusader Kings II,” says lead designer Henrik Fahraeus. “For many thousands of people, this is their first Paradox game, and people continue to tell us about the rise and fall of their dynasties and empires. Our games at PDS have always been about stories, but Crusader Kings II gives you characters sometimes doing petty things on a grand stage. I think people like that.”

To celebrate this anniversary, Paradox is offering a week’s worth of special discounts on a selection of Crusader Kings II related products at the official webstore and select partners.

Videos for Alternate Historians

We end the week as usual with some more alternate history videos. We begin with this video with Book Riot which recommends several books to read for Black History Month:

And we end with Kinda Funny checking out the the alternate history of The Order: 1886:

Links to the Multiverse

Amazon's The Man in the High Castle

Frank Spotnitz Builds His 'High Castle' With Amazon's Best Pilot at Star Pulse.
Frank Spotnitz Talks The Man In The High Castle & More at TV Wise.

Books & Short Fiction

Coming Soon: IRON AND BLOOD by Gail Z. Martin and Larry Martin at SF Signal.
Genre Fiction Honored by the Alex and Stonewall Book Awards and the RUSA Reading List at Tor.
Leanna Renee Hieber (ETERNA FILES) on Why She Writes Gaslamp Fantasy at SF Signal.
Review: Cannonbridge by Jonathan Barnes at My Bookish Ways.
Review: The Plot Against America by Philip Roth at Robbie Taylor(.net).
The Vivisectionist’s Daughter by Jason Kahn – Free Story from Alt Hist Issue 7 at Alt Hist.
War in the Atomic Age? by Mark at Atomic Skies.
What if? Alternative history’s butterfly moments reach lift-off by Adrian McKinty at The Guardian.
Why I Love/Hate the Emberverse by Matthew Stienberg at The M.

Counterfactuals, History & News

Alternate histories of the automotive industry by Kelly Taylor at Winnipeg Free Press.
Ask John Neely Bryan: A Counterfactual History of Oak Cliff at D Magazine.
The Big Questions Holds Debate On Whether Jesus And Buddha Were Aliens at Huff Post.
If Ken Clarke had won by JC at The Economist.
It's BCB's 10th Birthday Today! Celebrate With This Cubs Alternate History at SB Nation.
Canada's rejected flags: A look at lost voices and strange ideas at The Star.
What Will We Do Without Craig Kilborn? at The Daily Beast.

Film & Television

12 Monkeys 1.5: The Heart of the Matter at Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress.
Banshee 3.6: Perfect What-If Bookends at Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress.
The Original Ending of Birdman Was Completely Different at Slate.
Review: Agent Carter – The Iron Ceiling at Geek Syndicate.

Games

Ironcast Video and Screens Released at Gamers Hell.
Review: Wolfenstein: The New Order at Ramblings of the Easily Distracted.

Interview

Cherie Priest at Q&F Podcast.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. 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.

Weekly Update #172

Editor's Note

It is amazing to think that the year is almost over. 2014 was a tough year for me and I'm being honest when I say I am looking forward to it ending. That being said I am looking forward to the next couple weeks. I got my wedding anniversary, my family's Slava, our annual downtown Chicago Xmas trip, Christmas and Boxer day. Plus I am going to see Otis Day perform at Hollywood Palms in Naperville on New Year's Eve.

With so much on my plate, this is probably going to be the last Weekly Update of the year. I may string together one more, but no guarantees. I will do my usual end of the year posts, but I am going to enjoy my winter break from blogging.

As some of you already know, we lost one of the original alternate historians this year, Stuart Shiffman. Steve Davidson, editor of Amazing Stories, was nice enough to compile a list of charities and causes Stu supported. If any of you would like to make a donation in his honor, I highly recommend you click on that link.

And now the news...

New Releases: In the Shadow of Zion: Promised Lands Before Israel by Adam L. Rovner

Back in March, I posted a list of five alternate locations for Israel on Amazing Stories. So when I saw the new book In the Shadow of Zion: Promised Lands Before Israel by Adam L. Rovner, it of course peeked my interest. Let's check out the description:

From the late nineteenth century through the post-Holocaust era, the world was divided between countries that tried to expel their Jewish populations and those that refused to let them in. The plight of these traumatized refugees inspired numerous proposals for Jewish states. Jews and Christians, authors and adventurers, politicians and playwrights, and rabbis and revolutionaries all worked to carve out autonomous Jewish territories in remote and often hostile locations across the globe. The would-be founding fathers of these imaginary Zions dispatched scientific expeditions to far-flung regions and filed reports on the dream states they planned to create. But only Israel emerged from dream to reality. Israel’s successful foundation has long obscured the fact that eminent Jewish figures, including Zionism’s prophet, Theodor Herzl, seriously considered establishing enclaves beyond the Middle East.

In the Shadow of Zion brings to life the amazing true stories of six exotic visions of a Jewish national home outside of the biblical land of Israel. It is the only book to detail the connections between these schemes, which in turn explain the trajectory of modern Zionism. A gripping narrative drawn from archives the world over, In the Shadow of Zion recovers the mostly forgotten history of the Jewish territorialist movement, and the stories of the fascinating but now obscure figures who championed it.

Provocative, thoroughly researched, and written to appeal to a broad audience, In the Shadow of Zion offers a timely perspective on Jewish power and powerlessness.

As Gavriel Rosenfeld of The Counterfactual History Review put it, there is a "strong counterfactual subtext to it". If you want a little taste of Rovner's book, check out his article on the Jewish Book Council. He talks about five alternate Israels, including some that did not make my list.

Crusader Kings II: Way of Life Launching December 16

Paradox announced that Crusader Kings II: Way of Life, the next expansion for the strategy franchise, will be released on December 16th via digital storefronts worldwide. Way of Life will be available on PC, Mac, and Linux for $7.99.

Way of Life delves into the role-playing aspects of Crusader Kings II, giving players the ability to fine-tune their methods of seduction and break ups, and also the ability to set a Focus for your character that will influence the types of events that befall your character during their lifetime. Featuring hundreds of new events as well as over 20 new event pictures, Way of Life will give players control over their characters in ways never before available (at least according to the press release).

Videos for Alternate Historians

Wow, lot of videos to get through from last week. Lets begin with Epic Rap Battles of History's daytime talk show host smackdown! Oprah vs. Ellen:

Not a bad one. I certainly liked it better from last week's. Hey, did you know Marvel was trying to get Sony to turn over Spiderman? Let's learn more from the folks at The Know:

That would have been an awesome movie! Personally I would like to see an X-Men/Avengers crossover so perhaps they should start buttering up Fox. Does The Know have anything else to share from last week? Actually, they do. Papers, Please (minus the nudity) is coming to an iPad near you:

Up next, we have a review of The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow by Howard Chaykin from Pulp Crazy to celebrate Wold Newton Day:

Now its time to troll some of my readers with a video on steampunk. Here is what you missed by not playing Dishonored:

Fun fact: it was made by the same people who created Wolfenstein: The New Order, if you couldn't tell from the art style. Finally we end with the return of Cody Franklin of the Alternate History Hub as he discusses the world of Dick's The Man in the High Castle:

Phew! I'm done. Now onto some links.

Links to the Multiverse

Books and Short Fiction

Excerpt: On Her Majesty’s Behalf by Joseph Nassise at My Bookish Ways.
PM's Literary Award for Alternate History by John Birmingham at Cheeseburger Gothic.
Review: The Given Sacrifice by S.M. Stirling at Tom Kepler Writing.
Review: Silverblind by Tina Connolly at SF Signal.
Review: The Time Roads by Beth Bernobich at Open Book Society.
SUCCESSIO selected as Editor’s Choice in The Bookseller‘s at Alison Morton's Roma Nova.

Counterfactuals, History and News

4 Insane Theories People Still Believe About the Nazis by M. Asher Cantrell at Cracked.
The 14 Most Insane Fictional Versions Of Real Life Historical Figures at io9.
An Auto-Oriented Manhattan at Analysis by Matt Taylor.
Documenting Life in Countries You Probably Never Knew Existed by Jordan G. Teicher at Slate.
Fox: Obama Seeks Advice on Establishing Monarchy by Andy Borowitz at The New Yorker.
Here's what police planned to say if Darren Wilson was indicted at The Week.
The Real Story Of Apollo 17... And Why We Never Went Back To The Moon at io9.
This Greenpeace Stunt May Have Irreparably Damaged Peru's Nazca Site at io9.
Tom Harkin and the Alternate History of Health Care Reform at Bloomberg Politics.
What's the Historical Reality Behind the Trojan Horse? by Esther Inglis-Arkell at io9.
What Would Life Be Like On A Flat Earth? by Robbie Gonzalez at io9.

Films and Television

'Ascension': Could Mankind Really Survive 100 Years in Space? at NBC.
BBC Is Planning A Theme Park With “Doctor Who” And “Sherlock” at Nicole Wakelin.
How Will Smith Turned Down The Matrix by Jerome Maida at MoviePilot.
Marco Polo: Evocative History at Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress.
Orthodox Church Stopped A Giant Eye Of Sauron Being Built Over Moscow at Business Insider.

Games

The 25 Best Video Games of 2014 at Slant.
Codename S.T.E.A.M. Arrives March 2015 With Online Multiplayer at GameInformer.
I'm Rather Worried About Assassin's Creed Coming to Victorian London at Kotaku.

Interviews

Alison Morton at Layered Pages.

Podcasts

Dieselpunk Comics Micro Cast #17 12/10/2014 at Diesel Powered Podcast.
Ratchet RetroCast Episode 42 – Don’t Panic at Earth Station One.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. 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.

Weekly Update #163

Editor's Note

So I was blocked from the AltHistory Wiki!

Well, not really. My old user name still works (after I remembered the password), but my IP address is blocked. So when I am not logged in, I can't edit anything. A little digging by myself discovered it happened after I corrected some bad grammar while I was not logged in...on an article I worked on extensively when I was still a member of the wiki. Now I am sure the admin did not know it was me, but it does seem a little ridiculous to undo a harmless edit and ban the person. Of course the wiki has had these issues in the past. I'm not trying to cause a stink, just suggesting a light touch next time when dealing with anon edits.

Maybe I will write a more thorough article on my thoughts on the Wiki, but I don't know.

Some more bad news. I downloaded and installed Crusader Kings II this weekend and discovered it doesn't work on my computer. It runs, but I don't have the minimal graphics capabilities on my Toshiba laptop. I may be in the market for a new computer with a better video card, preferably something with NVIDIA GeForce 8800, an ATI Radeon® X1900 or better. Any suggestions?

Some good news now. I broke my monthly page view record again. The final count for the month of September was 22,711 views. Thanks everyone!

Some more good news, my research paper on the alternate history fandom is progressing well. I read a lot of articles and took a lot of notes that helped flesh out the paper more. I even had a eureka moment where I remembered Stirling once commenting on people dissecting his Draka books online. Wish me luck that I can keep the momentum going (we all know what happened to my podcast).

Even more good news: part 2 of my conversation with Daniel Bensen of The Kingdoms of Evil podcast is up. So please check it out.

And now the news...

Videos for Alternate Historians

What? No major news? Or was I just being lazy? O well lets look at some videos. We begin with "4 U.S. Presidents Whose Lives Put Action Movies to Shame" from Cracked's Badassing Your Way Through History:

Next we have the trailer for Epic Rap Battles of History's new season:

G-g-g-g-ghost Hitler!!!! Anywho, lets go back in time and learn how hard it was to be a jouster on Culture Shock:

Man, A Knight's Tale made it look so easy. Oops, the time machine just sent us into the future...well to our old future. Let's check out Syfy's new trailer for Ascension:

And since I have been talking so much Paradox these days, lets finish with the trailer of Crusader Kings II: Charlemagne:

Links to the Multiverse

Books

8 Alternate History Books by Jonathan Melville at Scottish Book Trust.
COVER REVEAL- The Diamond Conspiracy by Philippa Ballantine at The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.
Cover & Synopsis: CHRONICA by Paul Levinson at SF Signal.
David Brin, Bruce Sterling & Daniel Suarez – Manual for Civilization Lists by Mikl Em at The Long Now Foundation.
Gail's Steampunk Book Recs from Convolution by Gail Carriger.
Is It Science Fiction? Harry Turtledove and the Ways that the South Won the Civil War at Thatjeffcarter Was Here.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Reread: Introduction by Kate Nepveu at Tor.com
Recommended Reading by Professionals…with David Barnett at SF Signal.
Review: California Bones by Greg Van Eekout at The Skiffy and Fanty Show.
Review: Hive Monkey by Gareth L Powell at Sibilant Fricative.
Review: Wars to End all Wars edited by GL Lathian at Midlist Writer.
Stop the (parallel) Worlds – I Want To Get Off! by Alastair Savage at Amazing Stories.
Time Travellers at Hodderscape.

Comics

Review: World War Kaiju by Josh Finney and Patrick McEvoy at Nerd Binge.

Counterfactuals, History and News

An Adams family dynasty in the US? by Dale Cozort.
Alternate History: What If Anne of Cleves Refused the Terms of the Annulment by AlexandriaIngham at Wizzley.
(Arab-Jewish Reconciliation) Counterfactual Counter-history (Feisel-Weizmann Agreement) by Zachary Braiterman at Jewish Philosophy Place.
Bill Gates Wants To Change How We Teach History In High Schools by Peter Jacobs at Business Insider.
Colorado school board vote doesn't appease critics by Colleen Slevin at Yahoo.
Fox News Poll: Voters reveal which state they want kicked out of the union by Dana Blanton at Fox News.
If you haven’t noticed, counterfactual histories are *so* hot right now by Mian at History Mine.
JIMMY CARTER: 'I Could Have Wiped Iran Off The Map' by Hunter Walker at Yahoo.
Newly-Declassified CIA Document Says Ben Franklin Was A Security Risk by Mark Strauss at io9.
The Real-Life Letter Of Apology Written By The Salem Witch Trial Jury by Charlie Jane Anders at io9.
Why It's A Mistake To Call ISIL "Medieval" by Mark Strauss at io9.

Film and Television

It’s About Time: Bad Robot Gets a Series Order from Hulu for Stephen King’s ‘11/22/63’ by Nicholas Graff at ScienceFiction.com.
The Man in the High Castle: Lights, camera, action in Chinatown by Assunta Ng at Asian Weekly.
'Outlander' Recap: Starz Series Makes Strong Start, Plays the Niche TV Game at The Christian Post.
Review: Space Station 76 at Amazing Stories.
VIDEO: Archival footage of The Great Martian War of 1913-1917 at SF Signal.
Why Do I Love Historical-Fiction Sex So Much? by Allison P Davis at The Cut.

Games

The alternate history of Goku in Smash Bross by JC Fletcher at Tiny Cartridge.

Interviews

Gail Carriger at Tea and Jeopardy.
Leslie S. Klinger at The HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast (More Lovecraft than alternate history, although they do talk about some topics I think you would like.)
E. Catherine Tobler at Eating Authors.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. 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.

Paradox Interactive Kicks Off Sale Weekend on Steam with Crusader Kings II

Several of Paradox's titles are on sale this weekend on Steam, starting today and lasting through Sunday. Crusader Kings II, which recently sold one million copies, is currently 75% off and Paradox will also be allowing alternate historians to play out their own Medieval scenarios free this weekend.

Furthermore, Paradox has wrapped several of its games into new themed bundles which include a Paradox Grand Strategy Collection (Hearts of Iron III, Crusader Kings II, Europa Universalis IV and Victoria II) and the Paradox Platinum Pack which includes Crusader Kings II and Europa Universalis IV, along with other Paradox games that are not grand strategies. On top of that you can also pick up the The Crusader Kings II Collection and the Europa Universalis IV Collection, providing all the downloadable content released so far.

I just purchased my discounted copy of Crusader Kings II and I hope to play and review it this weekend, which I am really looking forward to since it has been ages since I played a PC game. I decided not to splurge on the downloadable content since it is my belief that if a game can't stand on its own without the DLC, than it is not worth your time. Lets hope Crusader Kings II lives up to the hype.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. 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.

Crusader Kings II: Over 1 Million Copies Sold

Paradox Interactive announced yesterday that Crusader Kings II, the grand strategy game of medieval dynasty building, has now sold over one million copies worldwide. Launched in early 2012, Crusader Kings II has been purchased for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers and is extremely popular with alternate historians. Paradox continues to support Crusader Kings II with free and paid content, with a new expansion, “Charlemagne,” coming soon.

“Whenever we discuss the sort of games we like to make, and the sort of fans we make them for, Crusader Kings II is one of the titles we point to as a shining example,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. “I want to thank every one of those million fans who have picked up Crusader Kings II for proving our point about game design for the truly dedicated. We make games for people who want to dive deep and explore a title with endless possibilities, where each player develops their own in-game story – and our players have responded. Every day we read the unique tales from our fans of the lengths to which they've gone to preserve their dynasties. Paradox is committed to growing those experiences in Crusader Kings II and in our entire portfolio.”

Paradox Interactive has also shared some data about Crusader Kings II to underline the scope of the game’s success. Not only has the base game itself sold over a million copies, but the catalog of DLC and expansions for Crusader Kings II have sold a combined total of approximately 7 million units. Crusader Kings II is played by an average of 12,500 players every day, and roughly 100,000 players in a month. The average Crusader Kings II player has a playtime of just over 99 hours.

 For more information on Crusader Kings II, including the upcoming "Charlemagne" expansion, you can visit their website.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. 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.

"Rush to the Front" for Hearts of Iron IV and New Expansions for Crusader Kings II and Europa Universalis IV

Paradox Interactive made two major announcements this week. The first is there “Rush to the Front” reward campaign for Hearts of Iron IV, the upcoming sequel to their World War II strategy game series. Players can visit the Hearts of Iron website and join one of three factions: the Axis, the Allies, or the Comintern. The more members each faction recruits, the more rewards will be unlocked for all players, and players who recruit 20 or more soldiers will have the chance gain access to the Hearts of Iron IV beta. Although I may be a tad concerned if the Axis gets the most members.

As part of this announcement, Paradox also released a new gameplay trailer for Hearts of Iron IV, displaying in-engine footage of the game’s new strategic planning system. Check it out below:

The second announcement was that new expansions are being released for Europa Universalis IV and Crusader Kings II. The expansions, entitled “Art of War” and “Charlemagne,” coming respectively to Europa Universalis IV and Crusader Kings II, will add new events, new mechanics, new in-game abilities, and plenty of new ways to alter history. Both expansions will be available for their respective games on Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs in the near future.

"Charlemagne" will introduce Crusader Kings II players to the man who united much of Western Europe for the first time since the fall of Rome and founded the Holy Roman Empire. Now starting in 769 AD, the expansion will include a series of story events that follows his rise to power, and will come with new game options to allow players to chart their own places in history; such as a new in-game “Chronicle” that highlights a dynasty’s conquests, marriages, and labors for the faith. Kingdoms are also more customizable in Charlemagne with the option to create your own with custom names and banners. You can see the trailer below:

In "Art of War", players of Europa Universalis IV will add new possibilities to explore what Clausewitz called the “continuation of politics by other means.” Changes to battle mechanics will allow players to launch sorties from sieges, sell obsolete ships and transfer occupied lands to allies. A revamped Reformation system will let you relive the Thirty Years’ War in a series of in-game events to see how they fare in Europe’s greatest conflict prior to the 20th century. Once the fighting has settled down, rulers will be able to try a new set of diplomatic options inspired by the Napoleonic Era, including the creation of client states to support, or resist, revolutions. Check out the trailer below:

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. 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.

New Releases 3/25/14

You can support The Update by clicking the banner on the top right or the links below if you are purchasing through Amazon!

Hardcovers

Truth and Fear by Peter Higgins

Investigator Lom returns to Mirgorod and finds the city in the throes of a crisis. The war against the Archipelago is not going well. Enemy divisions are massing outside the city, air raids are a daily occurrence and the citizens are being conscripted into the desperate defense of the city.

But Lom has other concerns. The police are after him, the mystery of the otherworldly Pollandore remains and the vast Angel is moving, turning all of nature against the city.

But will the horrors of war overtake all their plans?

Paperbacks

Age of Shiva by James Lovegrove

A team of godlike super-powered beings based on the ten avatars of Vishnu from Hindu mythology is assembled, but are they in fact a harbinger of apocalypse?

The latest standalone novel in the best selling Pantheon series.

Zachary Bramwell, better known as the comics artist Zak Zap, is pushing forty and wondering why his life isn’t as exciting as the lives of the superheroes he draws. Then he’s shanghaied by black-suited goons and flown to Mount Meru, a vast complex built atop an island in the Maldives. There, Zak meets a trio of billionaire businessmen who put him to work designing costumes for a team of godlike super-powered beings based on the ten avatars of Vishnu from Hindu mythology.

The Ten Avatars battle demons and aliens and seem to be the saviours of a world teetering on collapse. But their presence is itself a harbinger of apocalypse. The Vedic “fourth age” of civilisation, Kali Yuga, is coming to an end, and Zak has a ringside seat for the final, all-out war that threatens the destruction of Earth.

Dawn's Early Light by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris

Working for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, one sees innumerable technological wonders. But even veteran agents Braun and Books are unprepared for what the electrifying future holds…

After being ignominiously shipped out of England following their participation in the Janus affair, Braun and Books are ready to prove their worth as agents. But what starts as a simple mission in the States—intended to keep them out of trouble—suddenly turns into a scandalous and convoluted case that has connections reaching as far as Her Majesty the Queen.

Even with the help of two American agents from the Office of the Supernatural and the Metaphysical, Braun and Books have their work cut out for them as their chief suspect in a rash of nautical and aerial disasters is none other than Thomas Edison. Between the fantastic electric machines of Edison, the eccentricities of MoPO consultant Nikola Tesla, and the mysterious machinations of a new threat known only as the Maestro, they may find themselves in far worse danger than they ever have been in before…

Computer Games

Crusader Kings II: Rajas of India by Paradox

Rise up from the ashes of turmoil and anarchy to rule over a land fragmented into petty fiefs. Now is the time to take control. Now is the time for greatness.

Crusader Kings II: Rajas of India is the sixth expansion for the critically praised strategy/RPG Crusader Kings II and will focus on Eastern Persia and India. The expansion Rajas of India extends the map to the east, including the entire Indian subcontinent, and allows you to play as a Hindu, Buddhist or Jain ruler. Can you defend Dharma against foreign invaders and bring order to the subcontinent?

Crusader Kings II explores one of the defining periods in world history in an experience crafted by the masters of Strategy where medieval times is brought to life in this epic game of knights, schemes, and thrones...

To fans, authors and publishers...

Is your 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. Check out his short fiction. 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.

Weekly Update #125

Editor's Note

SF has been accused of being a boys-only club and alternate history is no exception. With a few exceptions, many female writers in the genre stick to the steampunk side. Most protagonists in our favorite stand-alone stories are men (although Turtledove and Stirling have both made efforts to include important female POV characters in their longer series). Fans of the genre as well tend to be men in the 25-34 age range (if the Alternate History Facebook page I administer is any guide).

Do I have any hard evidence to prove this? No, but it is something I am interested and I am hoping to learn more about in the future. Stay tuned.

And now the news...

Update: If Kennedy Live by Jeff Greenfield

The big news from last week was the release of If Kennedy Lived by Jeff Greenfield (author of The Everything Changed and 43*). For those who missed it, here is the description from Amazon:

From one of the country’s most brilliant political commentators, the bestselling author of Then Everything Changed, an extraordinary, thought-provoking look at Kennedy’s presidency—after November 22, 1963. 

November 22, 1963: JFK does not die. What would happen to his life, his presidency, his country, his world? 

In Then Everything Changed, Jeff Greenfield created an “utterly compelling” (Joe Klein), “riveting” (The New York Times), “eye-opening” (Peggy Noonan), “captivating” (Doris Kearns Goodwin) exploration of three modern alternate histories, “with the kind of political insight and imagination only he possesses” (David Gregory). Based on memoirs, histories, oral histories, fresh reporting, and his own knowledge of the players, the book looked at the tiny hinges of history—and the extraordinary changes that would have resulted if they had gone another way. 

Now he presents his most compelling narrative of all about the historical event that has riveted us for fifty years. What if Kennedy were not killed that fateful day? What would the 1964 campaign have looked like? Would changes have been made to the ticket? How would Kennedy, in his second term, have approached Vietnam, civil rights, the Cold War? With Hoover as an enemy, would his indiscreet private life finally have become public? Would his health issues have become so severe as to literally cripple his presidency? And what small turns of fate in the days and years before Dallas might have kept him from ever reaching the White House in the first place? 

As with Then Everything Changed, the answers Greenfield provides and the scenarios he develops are startlingly realistic, rich in detail, shocking in their projections, but always deeply, remarkably plausible. It is a tour de force of American political history.

Greenfield, of course, has been promoting the heck out of his new novel. Check out the interviews he did on msnbc and The Daily Caller. I'm not too happy with msnbc interview. I don't like it when people use the word "obsession" with alternate history. Its not like someone who writes a cook book is accused of having an "obsession with cooking. Meanwhile, you can also check out an article written by Greenfield on Yahoo where he discusses his book and the history behind it.

Not everyone, however, finds this book plausible. H.W. Brands' review on The Washington Post argued that the popular scenario that Kennedy would have prevented increased American intervention in Vietnam is implausible because "the American effort in Vietnam looked promising to most observers until very late in what would have been that second term. Of course, Greenfield’s Kennedy is blessed with the author’s hindsight. Real presidents aren’t so fortunate."

How do you think Kennedy's presidency would have played out if he had lived? Does Greenfield get it right?

Dark Quest’s Clockwork Chaos Out Now

Fans of steampunk might be interested in this new anthology from Dark Quest Books. Edited by Neal Levin and Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Clockwork Chaos is an anthology of steampunk stories currently available on Amazon. Here is the description from the press release.

Finding Order Out of Chaos… 

History, invention, the power of deduction… Clockwork Chaos is more than goggles and gears. It is about order and structure and timing striving for mechanical perfection. But in an era where mass production does not yet exist, the unique machinery brought forth into the world is at times bound to fall short of the goal. This chaos turns the science into mayhem and when the gears spring forth this mechanical viscera is indicative of a world turned inside out. Join us in our journey through the shine of society to the dark steamy underbelly of grit and crime. 

Thirteen stories of steam-driven genius plumb the depths of human intrigue even as they raise our vision to the skies. Patrick Thomas’s Spellpunk tale Deadly Imitation turns the Ripper into a tourist attraction. Gail Gray’s The Foxglove Broadsides uses the power of the press to bring down the political machine. And Jeff Young’s Ambergris in Ice gets to the grist of the matter on the issue of smuggling. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but read on to discover how mods make the man. 

Featuring the work of Jeff Young, Richard Marsden, Matt Dinniman, Bernie Mojzes, R. Rozakis, Patrick Thomas, Angel Leigh McCoy, Gail Gray, Patricia Puckett, James Chambers, N.R. Brown, C.J. Henderson, and James Daniel Ross.

As always, if you read any of the books we mention on The Update, let us know. We can post your review and help promote any of your alternate history projects as well. Just remember to contact us at ahwupdate at gmail dot com.

Crusader Kings II: Sons of Abraham Announced

Listed as one of the top video games for researching your alternate history by Daniel Ottalini (author of Brass Legionnaire and Copper Centurion), Crusader King II has a new expansion coming out called Sons of Abraham. The expansion will introduces new features focusing on the big three religions of Medieval Europe: Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

As explained from the press release: "Plunge into the powerful and profitable world of Papal politics, appointing your bishops, gaining influence with the College of Cardinals and reap the rewards of the Pope’s money and favours. Show your devotion with the Holy Orders; their clout will come in handy when you want to expel troublesome relatives to a monastery!  Pick sides of the Islamic debate, choosing to follow the rationalist Mutazili or opposing Ashari or play as a Jewish lord and restore the Kingdom of Israel (now this scenario I liked). Crusader Kings II: Sons of Abraham features hundreds of new religious events no matter what doctrine you follow!"

You can learn more by checking out the recent developer diary. Crusader Kings II: Sons of Abraham will release on all major digital-download portals on November 18, 2013.

Video Gallery

There are a whole host of YouTube videos for alternate historians to check out. First up, Epic Rap Battles of History returns with Al Capone vs. Blackbeard:

Next up, the trailer for Aerena - Clash of Champions, a steampunk turn-based combat game, now in the alpha stage:

Enjoy!

Calendar

Nov 1: Valley Catholic High School of Oregon drama department begins its run of the steampunk version of "As You Like It".

Dec 31: Last day to send unagented submissions to Angry Robot.

Links to the Multiverse

Articles

10 Historical Figures We're Sick of Seeing in Science Fiction by Annalee Newitz at io9.

Books

DJ Taylor's top 10 counter-factual novels at The Guardian.
Einstein Must Die! - A novel with a steampunk twist on US history at The Sacramento Bee.
Free Steampunk Reads by omgrey at Steamed!
How to write the world of INCEPTIO and PERFIDITAS by Alison Morton at Let us Talk of Many Things; of Books and Queens and Pirates, of History and Kings...
The Martian at the Parthenon by Matthew Buchholz at Slate.
Tales of the Wold Newton Universe, Part 1 of 4 by Christopher Paul Carey at Black Gate.

Counterfactual and Traditional History

An Alternate History of the Government Shutdown by Rick Klein at Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.
A Baseball Counterfactual: How Will Red Sox Fans Remember the Tigers Series? by Gavriel D. Rosenfeld at The Counterfactual History Review.
President Romney's Obamacare Problem by Christopher Flavelle at Bloomberg.
So here’s an interesting historical counterfactual scenario at CAMaraderie.

Films

Steampunk Meets Deep Ocean Creatures In This Eerie Short Film by Sarah Barness at The Huffington Post.

Games


InSomnia is a diesel-punk MMO but you wouldn’t know it from this trailer by Julian Benson at IndieN.
Screenshots of PS4 exclusive The Order: 1886 remind us of Gears of War by Wesley Yin-Poole at EuroGamer.net.

Interviews

Gail Carriger at SF Signal.
Katina French at The Masquerade Crew.
George Mann at SF Signal.

Reviews

After Earth at Amazing Stories.
The Alchemist of Souls by Anne Lyle at Bookworm Blues.
Cold Magic by Kate Elliott at Staffer's Book Review.
The Cowboy and The Goliath by Iann Robinson at Crave Online.
Elementary 2.5: Ancient History at Thinking about books.
Fiendish Schemes by KW Jeter at Locus.
Fires of Alexandria by Thomas K. Carpenter at Carole P. Roman.
The Harker Legacy by Teel James Glenn at Innsmouth Free Press.
Liverpool Fantasy by Larry Kirwan at NJ.com.

Television

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Cast Announced by Jordan Farley at SFX.

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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.