There are several aspects to a good alternate history novel, particularly one set several years after the Point of Divergence. It must tell a good story, of course, but it must also explore and illuminate the alternate world. Everyone knows how the modern-day world works, naturally, yet who can say the same of an alternate world? After all, if the Roman Empire survived the barbarian invasions and remained intact, the world would be nothing like the one we know and love.
Detective (and spy) novels make excellent introductions to alternate worlds because the detective has a good reason to explore. The detective, such as the main character of The Two Georges, needs to move from the alternate American seaboard up north to Quebec, through Indian-ruled territories and other places, which not only allows him to put together the pieces of the puzzle, but also lets us see the alternate world and admire the author’s handiwork in putting it together.
Alternate history novels can also help illuminate more about true history. When we look back at the Nazi Regime, we know that it deliberately set out to murder upwards of six billion people for the crime of being undesirable, at least in Nazi Germany. The people of that era, particularly in Germany, were largely unaware of the true scale of the holocaust. As Fatherland’s hero starts investigating a murder, we know what the murder conceals and watch his horror as he realises that Germany is built on a pile of ashes and bones.
I drew much inspiration for The Royal Sorceress from Sherlock Holmes. In many ways, The Great Game is my tribute to Holmes, although honesty leads me to admit that it doesn't really stand up to Conan Doyle’s work. But then, Holmes — unless you believe this book — didn't have to labour under the twin disadvantages of being a woman and being young. Lady Gwen, the heroine of The Royal Sorceress, does.
It was hard enough to be a detective in the 1800s. There was nothing along the lines of CSI ... or even Life on Mars or The Bill. With no fingerprint testing, no DNA scans, no cameras that might have caught the crime on tape ... it would be difficult to achieve a successful conviction unless one had a great deal of luck or skill. For Gwen, magic gives her some advantages, but her gender and her youth are still great disadvantages since it was hard for men of that era to take women seriously.
Another aspect to a good alternate detective novel is that the stakes can be very different. Just as the hero of The Two Georges fears an American uprising against the British Crown, Gwen fears that a treaty with Turkey will fall through if the murderer of a diplomat magician is not caught. With France threatening war, the treaty cannot be lost or Britain will be at a serious disadvantage in the coming unpleasantness.
And so Gwen, who was sheltered from many of the harsh realities of life before becoming The Royal Sorceress, plunges headlong into a tangled web of treachery, blackmail and murder, with some of her findings hitting dangerously close to home.
Continuing on from the end of The Royal Sorceress, The Great Game follows Gwen’s unfolding story as she assumes the role formerly held by Master Thomas. A satisfying blend of whodunit and magical fantasy; it is set against a backdrop of international political unrest in a believable yet simultaneously fantastic alternate history.
You can download a free sample of the story from my site and then obtain it from any of the links on this page. Reviews welcome.
Christopher Nuttall is a long-standing alternate history fan and writer, author of The Royal Sorceress (alternate history/fantasy) and numerous Kindle books. His webpage can be found here.
Paperbacks Jack Cloudie by Stephen Hunt Description from Amazon.
Jack Cloudie is a tale of high adventure and derring-do set in the same Victorian-style steampunk world as Stephen Hunt's acclaimed The Court of the Air and The Secrets of the Fire Sea.
Thanks to his father's gambling debts, young Jack Keats finds himself on the streets and trying to survive as a pickpocket. Following a daring bank robbery gone badly awry, Jack narrowly escapes the scaffold, only to be pressed into the Royal Aerostatical Navy. Assigned to the most useless airship in the fleet, serving under a captain who is most probably mad, Jack seems to be bound for almost certain death in the faraway deserts of Cassarabia.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the slave Omar ibn Barir finds his life turned upside down when his master's religious sect is banned. Unexpectedly freed, he joins the Caliph's military forces—just as war is brewing.
Two very similar young men prepare to face each other across a field of battle. But is Omar the enemy, or is Jack's true nemesis the sickness at the heart of the Caliph's court?
Resurrection Day by Brendan DuBois Description from Amazon.
"Everyone remembers exactly what they were doing the day President Kennedy tried to kill them."
In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of the nuclear war. The crisis was averted, but what would have happened if war had broken out? In "Resurrection Day," award-winning author Brendan DuBois brings this horrific concept to life...
Winner of the Sidewise Award for Best Alternative History Novel of the Year. With new Author's Afterward for the this edition.
After the uprising in London, Lady Gwendolyn Crichton is settling into her new position as Royal Sorceress and fighting the prejudice against her gender and age that seeks to prevent her fulfilling her responsibilities. But when a senior magician is murdered in a locked room and Gwen is charged with finding the culprit, her inquiries lead her into a web of intrigue that combines international politics, widespread aristocratic blackmail, gambling dens and personal vendettas… and some of her discoveries hit dangerously close to home.
Continuing on from the end of The Royal Sorceress, The Great Game follows Gwen’s unfolding story as she assumes the role formerly held by Master Thomas. A satisfying blend of whodunit and magical fantasy, it is set against a backdrop of international political unrest in a believable yet simultaneously fantastic alternate history.
Alternative history takes center stage as Operation Long Jump, the second book in the Jock Miles World War 2 adventure series, plunges us into the horrors of combat in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea. As a prelude to the Allied invasion, Jock Miles and his men seize the Japanese observation post on the mountain overlooking Port Moresby. The main invasion that follows quickly degenerates to a bloody stalemate, as the inexperienced, demoralized, and poorly led GIs struggle against the stubborn enemy. Seeking a way to crack the impenetrable Japanese defenses, infantry officer Jock finds himself in a new role—aerial observer. He’s teamed with rookie pilot John Worth, in a prequel to his role as hero of Grasso’s East Wind Returns. Together, they struggle to expose the Japanese defenses—while highly exposed themselves—in their slow and vulnerable spotter plane. The enemy is not the only thing troubling Jock: his Australian lover, Jillian Forbes, has found a new and dangerous way to contribute to the war effort.
To fans, authors and publishers...
Is you story going to be published in time for the next New Releases? Contact us at ahwupdate at gmail dot com. We are looking for works of alternate history, counterfactual history, steampunk, historical fantasy, time travel or anything that warps history beyond our understanding.
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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. His new story "The Enchanted Bean" can be found in Once Upon a Clockwork Tale from Echelon Press. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
Editor's Note I am in the market for a new junior editor now that Jake has gone MIA. Any takers? Work is not too difficult. Just need to occasionally proof guest posts and you get first dibs on review copies. Email me at ahwupdate at gmail dot com.
In fact if you would like to volunteer for anything (even for a position that is not created) or just want to give some feedback/criticism/complaints please feel free to email me that as well. Remember, The Update is a group blog. We are a community of alternate historians working to spread the news about our favorite genre. Any ideas you have to make The Update better, I would love to hear them. Many changes I have made to The Update over the years have not come from me, but from readers and contributors like you.
And now the news...
LoneStarCon 3 to Feature Author Jay Lake with Film Premiere and Special Exhibit
Lakeside began in 2012 as a film project about how Jay Lake had beaten cancer. He had been in remission for several months and everyone was pleased at how healthy he was looking. The film-makers decided to follow Jay for one year, from birthday to birthday (or "JayCon," as he now calls his public birthday parties). They began filming at Paradise Lost II, a writers' workshop in San Antonio, Texas, before they followed Jay back to Portland to cover JayCon 2012. He was among friends and family and was excited about the documentary. They started interviewing Jay and his family about his life ... then, as they were filming, life happened.
It started with a call that Jay's mother was being rushed to the emergency room. She was suffering symptoms that mirrored Jay's initial presentation of colon cancer. The entire production changed tone as the team was reminded that these are real people and that life does not always follow the script... then in August 2012, a scan showed that Jay's own cancer had returned and three aggressive tumors were devouring his liver. Thus, Lakeside became a film about whether Jay could win the game of "kill the cancer, save the patient."
The project was made all the more interesting when it became a Kickstarter project. Friends, family, and strangers responded overwhelmingly, helping to raise over $24,000 to fund the film. More of the background to Lakeside can be found on Kickstarter, and on the Waterloo Productions website.
The film's director, Donnie Reynolds, and Jay Lake will both be at LoneStarCon 3 to introduce the film on Friday, August 30, at 9 a.m., with a repeat showing on Monday, September 2, at 1 p.m. In addition to the premiere of Lakeside, the convention will be presenting a special exhibit on Jay Lake's genome, sequenced by Illumina as part of Jay's search for possible therapies and to provide information that may help future cancer patients. The exhibit will be presented in the main Exhibit Hall, in Exhibit A in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
Coming Soon: The Great Game by Christopher Nuttall
Friend of The Update, Christopher Nuttall, has a new book coming out next week in his Royal Sorceress series. Titled The Great Game, it follows the protagonist Gwen’s unfolding story as she assumes the role vacated by Master Thomas. The book has been descrined as "[a] satisfying blend of whodunit and magical fantasy, it is set against a backdrop of international political unrest in a believable yet simultaneously fantastic alternate history." Here is the description from Elsewhen Press:
It’s 1831, and Lady Gwendolyn Crichton has been appointed Royal Sorceress following the tragic events known as the Swing. Although unleashed by the rebel master magician Jack in battle with Gwen’s mentor Master Thomas, the popular press firmly laid the blame at the feet of the French. Now alone at the head of the Royal College of Sorcerers, Gwen must overcome prejudice against her gender and age if she is to exercise her authority and fulfil her responsibilities. Soon an unexpected responsibility is made manifest when Sir Travis Mortimer, a senior magician recently returned from India, is found murdered in a locked room. Gwen is required to investigate, but before long her inquiries lead her into a web of intrigue that combines international politics, widespread aristocratic blackmail, gambling dens, and personal vendettas. Should she believe apparent evidence that Mortimer betrayed his country, or is she being manipulated to keep her away from the truth? Who can she really trust? Is a title or popular acclaim a valid basis for trust? Soon, some of the more unsavoury aspects of the case get dangerously close to home, which means Gwen must make hard decisions and ask difficult questions of her own nearest and dearest.
We congratulate Chris on his recent accomplishment and hope to see even more stories from this already prolific author.
Paradox Announces War of the Vikings and Releases EUIV Demo
Paradox Interactive last week announced War of the Vikings, an all-new multiplayer game built upon the technology that drives Paradox’s medieval squad combat title War of the Roses. Developed by Fatshark, War of the Vikings is a new standalone entry into the War franchise that will pull players into the brutal and bloody Viking Age, challenging them to design a personalized warrior and sack England as a mighty Norseman – or defend it as a brave Saxon. Featuring intense close-quarters combat, authentically inspired settings and weaponry, rich customization options, and large-scale 64-player battles, War of the Vikings will add a new unforgettable experience to Paradox’s close combat arsenal. View the teaser trailer for War of the Vikings below:
“War of the Roses was a fantastic experience for us to launch, and as it’s evolved over time, eventually growing into its current Kingmaker edition, we've been inspired many times over by the possibilities of the close-combat genre,” said Gordon Van Dyke, Executive Producer for the War of the Roses franchise. “It’s clear to us that that there are many more experiences we can share with our players, and War of the Vikings is our next step in establishing Paradox and Fatshark as leaders in the art of online war.”
People seem excited by this announcement and this editor can attest that at one point "War of the Vikings" was trending on Twitter. The game requires players to band together on the battlefields of 9th and 10th Century England and fight to conquer or defend Britannia. Environments, weapons, and visuals drawn from Viking Age history will immerse players in a bloody new conflict between the Vikings and the Saxons, with each warrior hand-designed by its player from a wide variety of customization options. Built on skill-driven gameplay and a deep combat system, War of the Vikings will bring close combat closer than ever.
Players can apply to join the Alpha for War of the Vikings or see footage from the game at Gamescom from August 20-22. War of the Vikings is scheduled to release in Q1 2014.
On top of this announcement, Paradox also released a demo on Steam for their upcoming empire-building game, Europa Universalis IV, to allow players to take their first steps on the journey towards global domination. It can now be sampled for free, tasting just a bit of power before the full game is released next week on August 13.
Paradox also announced that the battle for conquest will take shape exactly as players desire, thanks to support for Steam Workshop for game modifications, and cross-platform multiplayer which will allow rulers to clash with the rivals of their choice across Windows, Mac, and Linux. Both Workshop support and cross-platform play will be included at launch.
In the demo version of Europa Universalis IV, players can take up the flag of one of four available nations, sampling the trade system as Venice, going to war as the Ottoman Empire, founding new colonies as Portugal, or engaging in shrewd diplomacy as Austria. Demo games will last for 28 in-game years and include an extensive tutorial and hint system. The demo will not include multiplayer capabilities, and please note that the abilities to save & load have been disabled.
Keeping a long-held tradition of community interaction and support, Europa Universalis IV intends to foster a strong ‘modding’ community through the support of Steam Workshop. For the first time in the series, players will be able to easily share their customizations to Europa Universalis IV with friends and fans through a central, easily searched repository, where fellow gamers can download and implement mods with a single click.
In addition, for the first time ever in a Paradox Development Studio strategy game, multiplayer matches in Europa Universalis IV will be fully cross-platform. Games will function just as if each player were using the same platform, whether they are playing on a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer, for both competitive and cooperative play.
Strategy fans can prepare for conquest by pre-ordering the empire-building game. Anybody who pre-orders Europa Universalis IV will receive all pre-order bonuses, including the recently announced Crusader Kings II save converter and a free copy of Crusader Kings II.
More Trailers: The Star Wars and a Steampunk Cowboy
Check out these two new trailers alternate historians can enjoy. First up we have Dark Horse Comics The Star Wars, a new 8 issue series based on Lucas' rough draft screenplay.
Next up, Swedish developer Image & Form have released a trailer for their Nintendo 3DS platformer SteamWorld Dig:
Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. His new story "The Enchanted Bean" can be found in Once Upon a Clockwork Tale from Echelon Press. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
Holy crap what a long Weekly Update, I actually had to split it into two parts. You will see the rest of last week's news this afternoon.
No time to editorialize, too much to talk about. All I want to say is that tomorrow's New Releases post is cancelled since there is only one alternate history work coming out this week and I am moving its announcement to next week. Instead I will be sharing a book giveaway that I think you will all enjoy.
And now the news...
What if Romney had won?
It still might be too early to dust of your President Romney timeline (although that hasn't stopped some people) since it has only been a year since the 2012 US presidential election, but people wanting to write such an alternate history should check out the Romney Readiness Project: Retrospective & Lessons Learned byChristopher Liddell, Daniel Kroese and Clark Campbell. Here is the description from Amazon:
The importance of effective and well-planned presidential transitions has long been understood. The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 provided a formal recognition of this principle by providing the President-elect funding and other resources “To promote the orderly transfer of the executive power in connection with the expiration of the term of office of a President and the Inauguration of a new President.” The Act received minor amendments in the following decades, but until 2010 all support provided was entirely post-election. The Pre-Election Presidential Act of 2010 changed this by providing pre-election support to nominees of both parties. Its passing reinforced the belief that early transition planning is prudent, not presumptuous. The Romney Readiness Project was the first transition effort to operate with this enhanced pre-election focus. While Obama’s re-election prevented a Romney transition from occurring, it is hoped that the content of this book can provide a valuable insight to future transition teams of both parties.
In summary the book explains Romney's plan to reorganize the White House along the lines of the business and begin implementing new policy (rolling back Obamacare, tax reform, deregulation and increased military spending). Of course this book has spurred some commentators to imagine what a counterfactual Romney administration would have been like.
Mark Whittington at Yahoo used the book to highlight "what a Romney Administration would have been to the reality of the second term Obama Administration, careening from scandal to scandal, flailing about rudderless with no prospect for anything better for the next three or so years...The tragedy is that the American voters chose chaos over order, incompetence over sound management. Elections have consequences." Despite these strong word, Whittington did admit Romeny would have to deal with a divided Congress just as Obama has OTL.
David Gee at Staffing Talk, however, was a little critical of Romney's plan and shared an example of a client who was trying to find a successor and picked someone who was "a real my way or the highway type." The outcome wasn't pretty: "The staff basically mutinied and ran the VP and would-be CEO out, leaving the wounded company leader to begin his succession plan anew."
Again, it is still pretty early to start guessing whether a Romney presidency would be better then a second term Obama. The people who now think Obama's presidency is finished appear to have forgotten the failed predictions of an all but certain Romney victory. Let history become history, your counterfactual will be better for it.
Chris Nuttall's Great Week
Long-time contributor and friend of The Update Chris Nuttall has been having a great week. Among other things, it was recently announced that Blanvalet Verlag/Verlagsgruppe Random House GmbH will publish the German edition of Chris' novel Bookwormin 2015.
Set in a fantasy world of magic and political intrigue, Bookworm is a dark tale of power and temptation, fear and lust, secrets and destiny. When first published in January of this year it soared up the fantasy best-selling charts on Amazon in the US, UK and Germany, with significant sales across 12 different countries in both ebook and print editions.
This deal marks a significant milestone for Chris and for Elsewhen Press. Chris began self- publishing his novels in 2011. He also submitted his historical fantasy novel The Royal Sorceress to Elsewhen Press, beginning a successful relationship. Bookworm was the second of his fantasy novels to be published by Elsewhen Press. In July, Elsewhen Press will publish their next Chris Nuttall title, Sufficiently Advanced Technology, while August will see the release of The Great Game, the much- anticipated sequel to The Royal Sorceress. The acquisition by Blanvalet of rights for the German language edition of Bookworm serves to underline the quality and appeal of Chris’s writing to a global audience.
On top of this great news, Chris also started blogging at Amazing Stories. He is going to be doing a series of book reviews for the relaunched magazine and you can check out his first one onAllies and Aliens
by Roger Macbride Allen. I look forward to working with Chris at Amazing Stories. Chris has been a popular contributor here at The Update and I am confident the Amazing Stories audience will welcome him.
Apex Magazine’s June 2013 Issue
Issue 49 of the 2013 Hugo Award-nominated Apex Magazinehas been released and it has some good stuff for alternate historians. Among other authors, we get new fiction from well-known alternate history authors Lavie Tidhar (Osama) and and Cherie Priest (Boneshaker). Priest also did an interview with Apex that you can check out.
The issue is free to read in its entirety at the Apex Magazinewebsite., but formatted eBook editions are available at Apex Digital, Amazon, Nook, Weightless and other.
By the way, all of you aspiring authors out there should know that Apex Magazine is currently open for submissions. Links to the Multiverse Articles
Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. His new story "The Enchanted Bean" can be found in Once Upon a Clockwork Tale from Echelon Press. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
