New Releases 12/1/15

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

Hardcovers

The Curse of Jacob Tracy: A Novel by Holly Messinger

St. Louis in 1880 is full of ghosts -- mangled soldiers, tortured slaves, the innocent victims of war -- and Jacob Tracy can see them all. Ever since Antietam, when he lay delirious among the dead and dying, Trace has been haunted by the country's restless spirits. The curse cost him his family, his calling to the church, and damn near his sanity. He stays out of ghost-populated cities as much as possible these days, guiding wagon trains West with his pragmatic and skeptical partner, Boz.

Then, just before the spring rush, Trace gets a letter from the wealthy and reclusive Sabine Fairweather. Sickly, sharp-tongued, and far too clever for her own good, Miss Fairweather needs a worthy man to retrieve a dead friend's legacy from a nearby town -- or so she says. When the errand proves far more sinister than advertised, Miss Fairweather admits to knowing about Trace's curse, and suggests she might be able to help him -- in exchange for a few more odd jobs.

Trace has no interest in being her pet psychic, but he's been searching eighteen years for a way to curb his unruly curse, and Miss Fairweather's knowledge of the spirit world is too tempting to ignore. As she steers him into one macabre situation after another, his powers flourish, and Trace begins to realize some good might be done with this curse of his. But Miss Fairweather is harboring some dark secrets of her own, and her meddling has brought Trace to the attention of something much older and more dangerous than any ghost.

Rich in historical detail and emotional depth, The Curse of Jacob Tracy is a fast-paced and inventive debut, an intriguing introduction to a bold new hero.

Paperbacks

Joe Steele by Harry Turtledove

The New York Times bestselling author of the Supervolcano trilogy envisions the election of a United States President whose political power will redefine what the nation is—and what it means to be American…

The Great Depression continues to cast its dark shadow over the country. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so the Democratic Party makes an interesting nomination for their Presidential candidate: California Congressman Joe Steele, the son of a Russian immigrant laborer who identifies more with the common man than with the wealthy power brokers in Washington D.C.

Achieving a landslide victory, President Joe Steele wastes no time pushing through Congress reforms that put citizens back to work. Anyone who gets in his way is getting in the way of America, and that includes the highest in the land. But Steele’s homeland political enemies pale in comparison to European tyrants whose posturing seems sure to drag America into war…

The Rising by Ian Tregillis

The second book in the Alchemy Wars trilogy by Ian Tregillis, an epic tale of liberation and war.

Jax, a rogue Clakker, has wreaked havoc upon the Clockmakers' Guild by destroying the Grand Forge. Reborn in the flames, he must begin his life as a free Clakker, but liberation proves its own burden.

Berenice, formerly the legendary spymaster of New France, mastermind behind her nation's attempts to undermine the Dutch Hegemony -- has been banished from her homeland and captured by the Clockmakers Guild's draconian secret police force.

Meanwhile, Captain Hugo Longchamp is faced with rallying the beleaguered and untested defenders of Marseilles-in-the-West for the inevitable onslaught from the Brasswork Throne and its army of mechanical soldiers.

Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind by Anne Charnock

History is storytelling. But some stories remain untold.

In fifteenth-century Italy, Paolo Uccello recognizes the artistic talent of his young daughter, Antonia, and teaches her how to create a masterpiece. The girl composes a painting of her mother and inadvertently sparks an enduring mystery.

In the present day, a copyist painter receives a commission from a wealthy Chinese businessman to duplicate a Paolo Uccello painting. Together, the painter and his teenage daughter visit China, and in doing so they begin their escape from a tragic family past.

In the twenty-second century, a painting is discovered that’s rumored to be the work of Paolo Uccello’s daughter. This reawakens an art historian’s dream of elevating Antonia Uccello, an artist ignored by history because of her gender.

Stories untold. Secrets uncovered. But maybe some mysteries should remain shrouded.

E-Books

Iron Tribune by Daniel Ottalini

Rome’s legions march ever onward in Daniel Ottalini’s Steam Empire Chronicles. Constantine Tiberius Appius leads his men back to Rome for a Triumph. But their respite is short lived, as they are soon sent east to face the ever-growing Mongol menace in Mesopotamia. With the Empire under attack from without, treachery and political maneuvering threaten to topple Rome from within. Constantine and his men have no choice. They must defeat the Mongols and their new weapons or die trying in IRON TRIBUNE.

To readers, 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.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a blogger on Amazing Stories and a Sidewise Awards for Alternate History judge. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the day when travel between parallel universes becomes a reality. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Learn how you can support his alternate history projects on Patreon.

Weekly Update #184

Editor's Note

As I get closer to Sideways in Time I am going to be blogging less (I can't remember if I have talked about this before and I am too lazy to go back and look), however, I still got a slate of alternate history articles lined up for this week. After that I think I will officially go on a two week break.

You know if I ever do write another scholarly article on alternate history, I would definitely write about all of the alternate history map makers out there on the Internet. Just from the brief conversations I have had with some of them about the amount of work they put into these maps blows my mind. Nevertheless, what do we know about them? Alternate history is such a literary movement that we rarely talk about the visual side of the genre. It would be an interesting subject to write about.

And now the news...

Updates: Tregillis' The Mechanical and O'Flaherty's King of the Cracksmen

The Internet is still talking about Tregillis' The Mechanical and O'Flaherty's King of the Cracksmen. Lets take a look at what the people are saying...

First up, Kristin at My Bookish Ways recommends The Mechanical saying "the worldbuilding is fantastic, and Tregillis manages to build it over time and avoid the exposition that can sometimes accompany something this intricate. He trusts his readers, and that trust is well rewarded. The author combines old-fashioned adventure elements with intelligent, wonderfully plotted SFF, and gives us a hero to root for in Jax. If you only read a couple of books this year, make this one of them." Mogsy at The Bibliosanctum agreed, giving the Mechanical 5 out of 5 stars and said it "is an excellent read, not to be missed by fans of alternate history fiction and steampunk. Even if you’re not into those genres, the mix of so many ideas and other elements from sci-fi and fantasy will surely make this worth checking out. Tregillis never fails to impress, and his writing and stories seem to be getting better with each novel. This book is truly unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and it’s my favorite work of his to date."

I am sure Tregillis was happy to read those reviews and if you would like to learn how you can lease your very own clakker, check out his guest post on SF Signal.

Next up, lets talk about King of the Cracksmen. Arthur Rosenfeld at Huff Post called O'Flaherty's novel "[is] not merely fanciful and clever; it has real substance. Real meat. Any sour notes or gripes? Well, with so much going on, the story has its Byzantine twists. They're part of the fun, though, and worth the effort it sometimes takes to follow them. King of the Cracksmen is a multi-layered treat, and you're going to read it twice." That's not a bad review to receive and if you would like to learn more about the author, go read his interview over at SF Signal.

O, SF Signal. You always have the best alternate history articles despite being a mainstream SF site.

Links to the Multiverse

Books & Short Fiction

Five (Non-Discworld) Works by Terry Pratchett You Should Read at io9.
Harry Turtledove’s Worldwar Series is Among the Best Alternate History at Unapologetic Nerd.
Heff in Dearborn by Michael Fertik – Free Extract at Alt Hist.
Review: The Arrival (The Displaced Detective, Book One) by Stephanie Osborn at The Chrishanger.
Review: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North at Strange Horizons.
Review: His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik at Rabid Reads.
Review: Joe Steele by Harry Turtledove at SFFWorld.
Review: The Only Thing to Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond at Stacked.
Review: Ultima by Stephen Baxter at It Doesn't Have To Be Right...
TOC: THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF DIESELPUNK Edited by Sean Wallace at SF Signal.

Counterfactuals, History and News

The anthropocene era of man's dominance began in 1610, claim scientists at The Independent.
China Says It Has “Decision-Making Power Over the Reincarnation of the Dalai Lama” at Slate.
Georgia school teaches Civil War in way designed ‘not to offend whites’: parents at Raw Story.
Outpost in Orbit: McDonnell Douglas Phase B Space Station at DSFP's Spaceflight History Blog.
The Selma Confederates: 'I want to protect, defend and preserve my white race' at Boing Boing.
Take the Long Way ‘Round by Michael Cain at Ordinary Times.
US tourists caught carving names into Rome’s Colosseum at The Guardians.
What If Klitschko Special: Back in the USSR, Part 1 at The Boxing Tribune.

Films & Television

12 Monkeys 1.9: Shelley, Keats, and Time Travel at Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress.
GSN Orders New Series ‘Steampunk’d' at Variety.
The Secret History Of Marvel's Movies Before Iron Man: Part 1 at io9.
Watch This Trailer For Back To The Future Documentary Back In Time at Giant Freaking Robot.
Why Agent Carter Is So Much Better Than Agents of SHIELD by Rob Bricken at io9.

Games

Fantasy worlds that break history's back by Katherine Cross at Boing Boing.

Graphic Novels & Comics

Alan Moore Heralds Providence: It’s Time To Go For A Reappraisal Of Lovecraft at Bleeding Cool.
My Favourite Reference In The New League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen Comic at Bleeding Cool.

Interviews

Elizabeth Bear at Reddit.
Mary Robinette Kowal at Functional Nerds.
Bec McMaster at The Qwillery.
Alison Morton at JJMarsh.
Genevieve Valentine at Tor.

Podcasts

Ratchet RetroCast Episode 47 – The Disney Retro-Afternoon 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.

New Releases 3/10/15

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

Hardcovers

The Dickens Mirror: Book Two of The Dark Passages by Ilsa J. Bick

Critically acclaimed author of The Ashes Trilogy, Ilsa J. Bick takes her new Dark Passages series to an alternative Victorian London where Emma Lindsay continues to wade through blurred realities now that she has lost everything: her way, her reality, her friends. In this London, Emma will find alternative versions of her friends from the White Space and even Arthur Conan Doyle.

Emma Lindsay finds herself with nowhere to go, no place to call home. Her friends are dead. Eric, the perfect boy she wrote into being, and his brother, Casey, are lost to the Dark Passages. With no way of knowing where she belongs, she commands the cynosure, a beacon and lens that allows for safe passage between the Many Worlds, to put her where she might find her friends--find Eric--again. What she never anticipated was waking up in the body of Little Lizzie, all grown up--or that, in this alternative London, Elizabeth McDermott is mad.

In this London, Tony and Rima are "rats," teens who gather the dead to be used for fuel. Their friend, Bode, is an attendant at Bedlam, where Elizabeth has been committed after being rescued by Arthur Conan Doyle, a drug-addicted constable.

Tormented by the voices of all the many characters based on her, all Elizabeth wants is to get rid of the pieces under her skin once and for all. While professing to treat Elizabeth, her physician, Dr. Kramer, has actually drugged her to allow Emma--who's blinked to this London before--to emerge as the dominant personality . . . because Kramer has plans. Elizabeth is the key to finding and accessing the Dickens Mirror.

But Elizabeth is dying, and if Emma can't find a way out, everyone as they exist in this London, as well as the twelve-year-old version of herself and the shadows--what remains of Eric, Casey, and Rima that she pulled with her from the Dark Passages--will die with her.

Tether by Anna Jarzab

Tether, the sequel to Tandem, continues the captivating tale of rebellion and romance that spans parallel worlds.

Everything repeats.

Sasha expected things to go back to normal once she got back on Earth. But now that she knows parallel worlds are real, and that an alternate version of herself exists in a world called Aurora, her old life no longer seems to make sense . . . and her heart breaks daily for Thomas, the boy she left behind. Troubled by mysterious, often terrifying visions and the echoes of a self she was just beginning to discover, Sasha makes the difficult decision to journey once more through the tandem.

Thomas is waiting for her on the other side, and so is strange, otherworldly Selene, Sasha’s analog from a third universe. Sasha, Selene, and their other analog, Juliana, have a joint destiny, and a new remarkable power, one that could mean salvation for Selene’s dying planet. With Thomas’s help, Sasha and Selene search for the missing Juliana. But even if they can locate her, is Sasha willing to turn her back on love to pursue a fate she’s not sure she believes in?

Paperbacks

The Mechanical by Ian Tregillis

My name is Jax.

That is the name granted to me by my human masters.

I am a slave.

But I shall be free.

Set in a world that might have been, of mechanical men and alchemical dreams, the new novel from Ian Tregillis confirms his place as one of the most original new voices in speculative fiction.

No Man's World: Omnibus by Pay Kelleher

On November 1st 1916, 900 men of the 13th Battalion of the Pennine Fusiliers vanish without trace from the battlefield only to find themselves on an alien planet.

There they must learn to survive in a frightening and hostile environment, forced to rely on dwindling supplies of ammo and rations as the natives of this strange new world begin to take an interest. However, the aliens amongst them are only the first of their worries, as a sinister and arcane threat begins to take hold from within their own ranks!

No Man's World presents all three novels from this series , Black Hand Gang, Ironclad Prophecy and The Alleyman, in one extraordinary collection.

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.

* * *

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 #183

Editor's Notes

Phew! Well its been months of research, interviews and writing, but I finally finished my Sideways in Time paper. I still need to create a stripped down version to use as a script for my presentation and get some beta readers opinions of it, but at least the hard part is over now. Everything is still good to go for my trip to London and I am really looking forward to it.

This means I am going to be blogging less than usual in the coming days. Please have patience with me guys because after the end of March I should be back to our regularly scheduled program.

By the way, no Map Monday this week. Sadly I was not impressed enough by last week cartographic offerings to write a piece on any of them, but I did share some links below to few interesting articles in case you are still looking for your weekly map fix.

And now the news...

Coming Soon: Clash of Eagles by Alan Smale

Much like Turtledove's Joe Steele, the upcoming novel by Alan Smale, Clash of Eagles, was originally a short story. For those who don't know, here is the description from Amazon:

Perfect for fans of action-adventure and historical fiction—including novels by such authors as Bernard Cornwell, Steve Berry, Naomi Novik, and Harry Turtledove—this stunning work of alternate history imagines a world in which the Roman Empire has not fallen and the North American continent has just been discovered. In the year 1218 AD, transported by Norse longboats, a Roman legion crosses the great ocean, enters an endless wilderness, and faces a cataclysmic clash of worlds, cultures, and warriors.

Ever hungry for land and gold, the Emperor has sent Praetor Gaius Marcellinus and the 33rd Roman Legion into the newly discovered lands of North America. Marcellinus and his men expect easy victory over the native inhabitants, but on the shores of a vast river the Legion clashes with a unique civilization armed with weapons and strategies no Roman has ever imagined.

Forced to watch his vaunted force massacred by a surprisingly tenacious enemy, Marcellinus is spared by his captors and kept alive for his military knowledge. As he recovers and learns more about these proud people, he can’t help but be drawn into their society, forming an uneasy friendship with the denizens of the city-state of Cahokia. But threats—both Roman and Native—promise to assail his newfound kin, and Marcellinus will struggle to keep the peace while the rest of the continent surges toward certain conflict.

Although the story sounds cliche, the setting is something that still interests me, especially since the historical Cahokia is not far from my hometown. Clash of Eagles is even getting some advance praise with Scott Strawn of the Savannah Morning News saying the novel will "challenge the reader’s perception of history."

If you would like to learn more, check out this extract over at Pat's Fantasy Hotlist.

Coming Soon: The Mechanical by Ian Tregillis

Out tomorrow is book one of Ian Tregillis' The Alchemy Wars series, The Mechanical. Here is the description from Amazon:

My name is Jax.

That is the name granted to me by my human masters.

I am a slave.

But I shall be free.

Set in a world that might have been, of mechanical men and alchemical dreams, the new novel from Ian Tregillis confirms his place as one of the most original new voices in speculative fiction.

Kind of bare to be honest, but it certainly has a steampunk/historical fantasy flavor to it and Uchronia says the alternate history focuses on a timeline where Christiaan Huygens combined alchemy with clockwork to create mechanical men. Nevertheless, the critics seem excited about the novel. John DeNardo (of SF Signal fame) at Kirkus called it one of the best SF reads for March and Diana Miller at B&N's blog called the story "promising".

If you would like to learn more about the story, check out this extract at Orbit.

Links to the Multiverse

Books & Short Fiction

Coming Soon! LOVECRAFT COUNTRY by Matt Ruff at SF Signal.
Cover reveal: Clockwork Lives by Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart at Kevin J Anderson Blog.
Elementary Novel Giveaway! at The Baker Street Babes.
An Exclusive Glimpse Of Jim Butcher's Next Book, Aeronaut's Windlass! at io9.
First Review of Alt Hist Issue 7 at Edi’s Book Lighthouse at Alt Hist.
The Independence Day by Pavel Nikiforovitch – Free Extract at Alt Hist.
Radio reading of The Daedalus Incident on The Author’s Corner by Michael J. Martinez.
Read a sample from PRUDENCE by Gail Carriger at Orbit.
Review: 11/22/63 by Stephen King at The Brock Press.
Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Scwhab at io9.
Review: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk Adventures edited by Sean Wallace.
Review: A Place Called Armageddon by C.C. Humphreys at Fantasy Literature.
Review: Sherlock Holmes: The Spirit Box by George Mann at Falcata Times.
Review: Tyrant: Force of Kings by Christian Cameron at Falcata Times.
Short SF Marathon Day 29: Turtledove, Valentine, Walters at Martin's Booklog.
Table of Contents: THE TIME IT HAPPENED Edited by Juliana Rew at SF Signal.

Counterfactuals, History & News

1970, The Year We Accidentally Bombed Mexico (Again) by Esther Inglis-Arkell at io9.
Cars From Another Universe: Bizarre Motor Vehicles That Never Caught On at io9.
Ed Miliband Refuses to Debate with Cameron in Election Campaign by Iain Dale.
The Time That Charles Babbage Tried To Summon The Devil by Lauren Davis at io9.
What If Hitler Had Been Assassinated in 1939? at The Counterfactual History Review.
What If? Writing Alternate Histories in Pop Culture at Nuskool.
‘Women On 20s’ wants female hero to replace Andrew Jackson on currency at Yahoo!

Film & Television

12 Monkeys 1.8: Intelligent Vaccine vs. Time Travel at Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress.
In Deleted 'Back To The Future' Scene, Marty McFly Worries He'll End Up Gay at Huff Post.
James Franco heading to Toronto to star in Stephen King miniseries ’11/22/63′ at Global News.
Review: Agent Carter at Ramblings of the Easily Distracted.
What if Wes Anderson directed an X-Men movie? at CBR.

Games

Gamers invited to try scenario based on the Iranian Revolution at The Sydney Morning Herald.
Polished, anachronistic sci-fi action in ‘The Order: 1886’ at The Oswegonian.

Graphic Novels & Comics

A History Of Time Travel In The DC Universe by James Whitbrook at io9.

Interviews

Adam Christopher at Author Gail Carriger.
Jeffrey S. Gurock at Foreword.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell's Bertie Carvel, Eddie Marsan & Nick Hirschkorn at TVDrama.
Cherie Priest at Lytherus.

Maps

25 maps that explain the English language by Libby Nelson at Vox.
The Saracen and the Cross by Sam McDonald at Knowledge, Adventure and Wonder.

Podcasts

Dissecting Worlds Series 9,Ep 5: Spy Trek! at Geek Syndicate.
EP 27: Alternate History Class at Almost Educational.
How to Create a WordPress Site for Podcasting by Jordan Harbour at History Podcasters.

* * *

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 3/4/14

Support The Update by clicking the banner on the top right when you go to buy something through Amazon or on the links below if you are going to purchase these specific alternate history works.

Hardcovers

Liberty 1784: The Second War for Independence by Robert Conroy

A compelling alternate history novel by the breakout author of WW II era alternate history Himmler’s War and Rising Sun.

The British win the American Revolutionary War, and a desperate Washington and the American founders must make a last stand in an enclave called Liberty.

In 1781, George Washington's attempt to trap the British under Cornwallis at Yorktown ends catastrophically when the French fleet is destroyed in the Battle of the Capes. The revolution collapses, and the British begin a bloody reign of terror. A group of rebels flees westward and sets up a colony near what is now Chicago. They call it Liberty. The British, looking to finish what they started, send a very large force under Burgoyne to destroy them. Burgoyne is desperate for redemption and the Americans are equally desperate to survive.

Had the Battle of the Capes gone differently, a changed, darker, New World would have been forced into existence. But even under those dire circumstances, Liberty may still find a way!

Paperbacks

Necessary Evil by Ian Tregillis

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 alternate history series.

Quintessence by David Walton

Five hundred years ago, in an alternate Age of Exploration, the earth is flat. Alchemy is a true science, sea monsters menace the oceans, and Europe is embroiled in religious controversy. At the edge of the world, where the stars reach down close to the Earth, wonders abound. This drives the bravest explorers to the beckoning Western Ocean.

Christopher Sinclair is an alchemist who cares only about one thing: quintessence, a substance he believes will grant magical powers and immortality. And he has a ship.

Fleeing an inquisition, physician Stephen Parris follows Sinclair to an island that perches upon the farthest horizon, bringing his daughter Catherine with him. The island teems with fantastical animals and alluring mysteries...and may even harbor the most coveted secret of all ... in this novel by David Walton.

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.

* * *

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 #103

Editor's Note

For those following us on Facebook and Twitter, you probably noticed some increased postings on my part. I have changed up my social media game to make both locations more enjoyable for fans. Here is my posting schedule (subject to change):

9 am: Today in #althist
11 am: New Post
2 pm: What if?
3 pm: From the archive
5: Good night

I also will occasionally post between those set times with any interesting stories or ideas I have. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear it. You can contact me at ahwupdate at gmail dot com.

It has been a while, but I finally have some new countries to add to my map. Welcome to our first readers from Chad and French Polynesia. I hope you guys enjoy your stay here and if you are reading this, tell us about alternate history from your countries.

And now the news...

Update: The Boleyn King by Laura Anderson

Last week saw the release of an intriguing new debut novel called The Boleyn King by Laura Anderson. Here is the description from Amazon:

Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, and Showtime’s The Tudors, The Boleyn King is the first book in an enthralling trilogy that dares to imagine: What if Anne Boleyn had actually given Henry VIII a son who grew up to be king?

Just seventeen years old, Henry IX, known as William, is a king bound by the restraints of the regency yet anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics sowing the seeds of rebellion at home, William trusts only three people: his older sister Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by William’s mother, Anne Boleyn.

Against a tide of secrets, betrayal, and murder, William finds himself fighting for the very soul of his kingdom. Then, when he and Dominic both fall in love with Minuette, romantic obsession looms over a new generation of Tudors. One among them will pay the price for a king’s desire, as a shocking twist of fate changes England’s fortunes forever.

If you are interested in learning more about Anderson, check out her interviews over at Suvudu, where she talks about writing alternate history, and over at Dawning of a Brighter Day, where she discusses among other things her LDS faith.

Update: Milkweed Triptych by Ian Tregillis

The Milkweed Triptych by Ian Tregillis is completed, but should you read it? For those who don't know, the series is set in a universe where children manipulated by a German physician manifest paranormal powers. The Nazis make use of these meta-humans to conquer the world, forcing Britain to call on warlocks to stop them (plus there is time travel).

Yes, ASB, I know but the books have received a lot of praise. James Long at Orbit said when he first read the original submission and the rest of the trilogy that "[j]ust when you think you might have figured them out, they’ll change direction and completely shatter your expectations (my jaw dropped so many times when reading this trilogy that I attracted more than one strange look from my fellow commuters)."

Elfy at Travels Through Iest also said "Milkweed as a whole is superlative story telling and Necessary Evil is the perfect end for it." If you have read any of theses books I would love to hear from you and maybe even post a review.

More on The Confederation

A lot of people have been viewing my write up on The Confederation web series, but donations haven't been forth coming. As I write this they have only raised $50 and that is chump change compared to their $50,000 goal. Still the news is starting to spread. Friend of the blog Matt Quinn and Sherman from Other Times both wrote posts about the planned series. If you are interested in learning more about this alternate history web series, check out their website and Facebook page.

Awards Watch

Good news for some alternate history writers. The Joan Hessayon Award was presented to Liesel Schwartz for A Conspiracy of Alchemists. The finalists for the 2013 Campbell and Sturgeon Awards were also announced with Any Day Now by Terry Bisson being nominated for the Campbell award. Let us all congratulate them on their success and hope this inspires more alternate historians in the future.

Calender

May 27: Last day to see Victorian Extreme: American Fancywork and Steampunk, 1850-Now at The Bennington Museum in Bennington, VT.

June 3: Last day to fund the All Quiet on the Martian Front, Miniature Tanks vs Tripods Kickstarter, although they have already reached their goal.

June 15: Last day to see the Steampunk: Nature & Machine exhibit at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum in Norwalk, CT.

June 30: Last day (I am sensing a pattern here) to fund the Iron Sky The Coming Race Indiegogo campaign.

Links to the Multiverse

Articles

Counterfactual: Boston Marathon Bombings by Josephine Huetlin at Varsity.
Iraq Goes Into Saudi Arabia? With Allies? by Matt Quinn at The World According to Quinn.
Sci Friday: The History That Never Was by Tommy at BookPeople's Blog.
What are the rules of time travel in the J.J. Abrams Universe? by Charlie Jane Anders at io9.
The Yellow Prose of Texas? Secession Movement Blooms in Fiction by Miguel Bustillo at WSJ.

Book Reviews

The Iron Sea's by Meljean Brook at Falcata Times.
The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow at books!
Steampunk Magic by Gypsey Elaine Teague at Patheos.
Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal at Tap Milwaukee.

Comics

Lord Of Mars – The Tarzan/John Carter Crossover, Only Dynamite Can’t Call It That by Rich Johnston at Bleeding Cool.

Films

Django Unchained: A Brief Word by Alex Kane at Amazing Stories.
DVD(s) of the Week: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Matt Farr at Ramblings of the Easily Distracted.

Games

Infinite Crisis video introduces the beefy steampunk butcher Gaslight Joker by John Funk at Polygon.
Just Cause Dev Talks Steampunk, 'Holy F**king S**t' Moments in Future Games by Stephen Daly at Gameranx.
Wolfenstein: New Order Announcement - Bethesda at Falcata Times.

Podcasts

Michael Panush Gets PULPED! at PULPED! The New Pulp Podcast.

Television/Web series

Elementary: Season 1, Episode 22. Risk Management at Thinking about books.
Revolution 1.17: Even Better Nanites at Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress.
When Sliders went to paradise, it was pure hell for viewers by Rob Bricken at io9.

* * *

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 and The 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.

New Releases 4/30/13

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 and The 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.

Weekly Update #97

Editor's Note

To quote what a wise woman once said: "Oops!... I Did It Again."

Yes, I failed to post an article on both Thursday and Friday. Sorry guys but I just did not want to post anything unless it was something worthwhile.  Hopefully today's Weekly Update will make up for it. The good news is despite my two bad weeks last month, The Update reached 13,797 hits. That is our third best month in our almost two years of existence. So good to know we are getting back on track.

Holy crap, is it really number 97?!?! I am just a few weeks away from breaking 100! I wonder if I should do anything special to mark the occasion...

And now the news...

Update: The Age Atomic by Adam Christopher

Adam Christopher's sequel to Empire State came out last week. Titled The Age Atomic, here is a brief description from Amazon:

The Empire State is dying. The Fissure connecting the pocket universe to New York has vanished, plunging the city into a deep freeze and the populace are demanding a return to Prohibition and rationing as energy supplies dwindle. 

Meanwhile, in 1954 New York, the political dynamic has changed and Nimrod finds his department subsumed by a new group, Atoms For Peace, led by the mysterious Evelyn McHale. 

As Rad uncovers a new threat to his city, Atoms For Peace prepare their army for a transdimensional invasion. Their goal: total conquest – or destruction – of the Empire State.

You can check out an extract from the novel at the Angry Robot website. Meanwhile, if you would like to learn more about the author and his works, you can read the interviews he did with Chuck Wendig,  Lawrence Schoen, Mary Robinette Kowal and a little known cable television channel called CNN.

Hope you had a happy release day Adam!

Update: The Good, The Bad and the Infernal by Guy Adams

Last week also saw the release of The Good, The Bad and the Infernal by Guy Adams. Here is the description from the interview Guy Adams did at My Bookish Ways:

“You wish to meet your God?” the gunslinger asked, cocking his revolver, “well now… that’s easy to arrange.” 

Every one hundred years a town appears. From a small village in the peaks of Tibet to a gathering of mud huts in the jungles of South American, it can take many forms. It exists for twenty-four hours then vanishes once more, but for that single day it contains the greatest miracle a man could imagine: a doorway to Heaven. 

It is due to appear on the 21st September 1889 as a ghost town in the American Midwest. When it does there are many who hope to be there: traveling preacher Obeisance Hicks and his simple messiah, a brain-damaged Civil War veteran; Henry and Harmonium Jones and their freak show pack of outlaws; the Brothers of Ruth and their sponsor Lord Forset (inventor of the Forset Thunderpack and other incendiary modes of personal transport); finally, an aging gunslinger who lost his wings at the very beginning of creation and wants nothing more than to settle old scores. 

A weird western, a gun-toting, cigarrillo-chewing fantasy built from hangman’s rope and spent bullets. The West has never been wilder.

But should you read it? Falcata Times was less than impressed saying "it’s a Guy Adams novel...clipped prose, some cracking turns of phrase and of course some dialogue that hangs around in your mind, but all round, it just wasn’t a book that took me on the journey into the unknown that I was wanting."

O well, not every AH book will be a hit.

Update: Milkweed series by Ian Tregillis

Those interested in the Milkweed series by Ian Tregillis will be happy to know the first book in the series, Bitter Seeds, is now only $2.99. Here is the description from Pat's Fantasy Hotlist:

It’s 1939. The Nazis have supermen, the British have demons, and one perfectly normal man gets caught in between. 

Raybould Marsh is a British secret agent in the early days of the Second World War, haunted by something strange he saw on a mission during the Spanish Civil War: a German woman with wires going into her head who looked at him as if she knew him. 

When the Nazis start running missions with people who have unnatural abilities—a woman who can turn invisible, a man who can walk through walls, and the woman Marsh saw in Spain who can use her knowledge of the future to twist the present—Marsh is the man who has to face them. He rallies the secret warlocks of Britain to hold the impending invasion at bay. But magic always exacts a price. Eventually, the sacrifice necessary to defeat the enemy will be as terrible as outright loss would be. 

Alan Furst meets Alan Moore in the opening of an epic of supernatural alternate history, the tale of a twentieth century like ours and also profoundly different. 

At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.

After you are done reading Bitter Seeds, you should check out the sequel The Coldest War, which Elfy from Travels Through Iest called "very very good and probably the book of the year so far for me." How can you say no to praise like that?

Paradox Interactive Expands Publishing Business with Paradox Books

Paradox Interactive made an interesting announcement that aspiring authors (especially fans of video games and history) should take note of. The global PC strategy games publisher will be branching out to book publishing with a new e-book initiative called “Paradox Books”.

“We’ve spent more than a decade creating and telling compelling stories through our computer games, stories that have engaged and captivated people from all parts of the globe, and books are just another medium to get those stories out there and engage with our audience,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. “Add to that the fact that our company was founded on pen and paper role-playing games and books, and that we have several published authors amongst our ranks here at Paradox, so this felt like a very natural progression for us.”

Three books will be available under Paradox Books initially, and several more have been signed and will be distributed later in the year. The books will broach everything from biographical behind the scenes books to game strategy guides to fiction and novels. The inaugural round of books to be made available will include: A Year with Mojang: Behind the Scenes of Minecraft by Tomas Arnroth, The Communist Campaign in Karelia - A Hearts of Iron III Strategy Guide by Jason Pitruzzello and Coriolis by Mattias Lilja.

If you got an idea that you think Paradox might like, it doesn't hurt to try...

Calender

April 4: Launching Adam Christopher's The Age Atomic at Forbidden Planet, London, UK.

April 10: "How to Change the Future" address by Brian David Johnson, author of Vintage Tomorrows: A Historian And A Futurist Journey Through Steampunk Into The Future of Technology at the San Francisco 2013 conference.

April 24: The last day to fund Time Soldiers, the WWII Board Game by Ray Shingler, on Kickstarter.

And for steampunk fans, check out Tor's list of steampunk events for April.

Links to the Multiverse

Articles

The Abuse of Counterfactual History (10 Years After, Cont’d) by CK MacLeod.

Counterfactual Dublin: Ernest Lee’s Science and Art Museum at Sibling of Daedalus.

Cover & Synopsis: “The Doctor and the Dinosaurs” by Mike Resnick (+ A Weird Western Cover Gallery) at SF Signal.

Did You Know?: 13 Moments In Alternate History by Trevor Abes at Buzz Feed.

Steampunk FAQ by Cindy Spencer Pape at Steamed!

Book Reviews

King of Trees by Carmen Webster Buxton at An Eclectic Bookshelf.

Lord Kelvin's Machine by James P. Baylock at Falcata Times.

Vintage Tomorrows by James H. Carrott and Brian David Johnson at BC Books.

Comics

The Land of Oz to get a Steampunk makeover for Free Comic Book Day at Flickering Myth.

Films

'ID4' Sequels To Have Alternate History Where Will Smith's Son Pushed to Prominency, Which Doesn't Really Sound That Different at I Watch Stuff.

Games

Couldn't Score a Copy of BioShock Infinite? Try Out These Other Alternate History Franchises! by Christopher Groux at Quick Jump.

Interviews

Mary Robinette Kowal at Lit Stack.

* * *

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 and The 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.