Showing posts with label Top 10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top 10. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

New Releases 4/21/15

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

Hardcovers

Techno-Orientalism: Imagining Asia in Speculative Fiction, History, and Media edited by David S. Roh, Betsy Huang and Greta A. Niu

What will the future look like? To judge from many speculative fiction films and books, from Blade Runner to Cloud Atlas, the future will be full of cities that resemble Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, and it will be populated mainly by cold, unfeeling citizens who act like robots. Techno-Orientalism investigates the phenomenon of imagining Asia and Asians in hypo- or hyper-technological terms in literary, cinematic, and new media representations, while critically examining the stereotype of Asians as both technologically advanced and intellectually primitive, in dire need of Western consciousness-raising.

The collection’s fourteen original essays trace the discourse of techno-orientalism across a wide array of media, from radio serials to cyberpunk novels, from Sax Rohmer’s Dr. Fu Manchu to Firefly.  Applying a variety of theoretical, historical, and interpretive approaches, the contributors consider techno-orientalism a truly global phenomenon. In part, they tackle the key question of how these stereotypes serve to both express and assuage Western anxieties about Asia’s growing cultural influence and economic dominance. Yet the book also examines artists who have appropriated techno-orientalist tropes in order to critique racist and imperialist attitudes.

Techno-Orientalism is the first collection to define and critically analyze a phenomenon that pervades both science fiction and real-world news coverage of Asia. With essays on subjects ranging from wartime rhetoric of race and technology to science fiction by contemporary Asian American writers to the cultural implications of Korean gamers, this volume offers innovative perspectives and broadens conventional discussions in Asian American Cultural studies.

Paperbacks

Top 10 by Alan Moore

The massive, multilayered city of Neopolis, built shortly after World War II, was designed as a home for the expanding population of science-heroes, heroines and villains that had ballooned into existance in the previous decade. Bringing these powered beings together solved some problems but created others - turning Neopolis into a pressure cooker that normal policing methods could never contain.

Join rookie cop Robyn Singer, alter ego "Toybox," as she hits the streets for the first time along with a colorful crew of fellow officers, each having the required training to deal with science-villains and super-crimes. You'll never look at powers, or police work, the same way again!

Written by Alan Moore (WATCHMEN, V FOR VENDETTA) and drawn by the team of Gene Ha and Zander Cannon, TOP 10 combines superheroics and cop drama like no series before or after it. Collects issues #1-12.

E-books

1882: Custer in Chains by Robert Conroy

Following his unlikely but decisive (and immensely popular) 1876 victory over Sitting Bull and the Sioux at the Little Big Horn, George Armstrong Custer is propelled into the White House in 1880.

Two years later, he finds himself bored and seeks new worlds to conquer. He and his wife Libbie fixate on Spain’s decaying empire as his source for immortality. What President Custer doesn’t quite comprehend is that the U.S. military isn’t up to such a venture. When a group of Americans on a ship headed for Cuba is massacred, war becomes inevitable—and unless calmer, patriotic citizens and soldiers can find a way to avoid debacle, this war may be America's last stand!

A Long Time Until Now by Michael Z. Williamson

Book 1 in a new series from the creator of the best-selling Freehold Universe series. A military unit is thrust back into Paleolithic times with only their guns and portable hardware.

Ten soldiers on convoy in Afghanistan suddenly find themselves lost in time. Somehow, they arrived in Earth's Paleolithic Asia. With no idea how they arrived or how to get back, the shock of the event is severe. They discover groups of the similarly displaced: Imperial Romans, Neolithic Europeans, and a small cadre of East Indian peasants. Despite their technological advantage, the soldiers only have ten people, and know no way home. Then two more time travelers arrive from a future far beyond the present. These time travelers may have the means to get back, but they aren't giving it up. In fact, they may have a treacherous agenda of their own, one that may very well lead to the death of the displaced in a harsh and dangerous era.

The Whitechapel Fiend by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson

Jack the Ripper stalks through London, and only the Shadowhunters can stop him. One of ten adventures in Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy.

Simon learns the truth behind the Jack the Ripper murders—“Jack” was stopped by Will Herondale and his institute of Victorian Shadowhunters.

This standalone e-only short story follows the adventures of Simon Lewis, star of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Mortal Instruments, as he trains to become a Shadowhunter. Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy features characters from Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments, Infernal Devices, and the upcoming Dark Artifices and Last Hours series. The Whitechapel Fiend is written by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson.

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 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.

Friday, December 7, 2012

120,000 Page Views!

Today at 12:37 PM CST, Alternate History Weekly Update reached 120,000 page views! What a great early Xmas present. The last time we reached such a milestone was when we surpassed 100,000 page views on 10/24/12.  Thanks to all of our contributors and fans who made this possible. I have decided that after reaching this goal (and struggling to find a good picture to commemorate it) I will not do this celebratory post again until we reach 150,000 page views.

First up, let us look at the top posts of all time (the list on the left is only for the month):

1) Preview: Before Watchmen by Sean Korsgaard.

2) Review: "Red Inferno 1945" by Robert Conroy by Sebastian Breit.

3) Showcase: Images of 1984 - Stories from Oceania by Sean Korsgaard.

4) A first look at NBC's Revolution by Sebastian Breit.

5) Civilization II: Eternal War by Matt Mitrovich.

6) Review: Spike's Alternate History by Matt Mitrovich.

7) One Way to Divide America: Ethnicity by Matt Mitrovich.

8) Review: The Beast of the Bosporus by Matthew Quinn by Matt Mitrovich.

9) Showcase: A Giant Sucking Sound by Sean Korsgaard.

10) 2012 AH.com Turtledove Awards by Sean Korsgaard.

As usual Sean takes the top spot, but I tied with him for most articles in the top ten, with Seb having a respectable two in the list. Alright lets move on to the state of our social networking presence:
  • We had 58 Google followers on 10/24/12, now we have 60 (Goal: 100 by 6/13, 60% complete).
  • We had 172 Facebook fans on  10/24/12, now we have 185 (Goal: 300 by 6/13, 62% complete).
  • We had 67 members in our Facebook group on 10/24/12, now we have 74 (Goal: 150 by 6/13, 49% complete).
  • We had 233 Twitter followers on 10/24/12, now we have 273 (Goal 300 by 6/13, 90% complete)
  • We have 12 Networked Blogs followers on 10/24/12, now we have 13 (Goal: 15 by 6/13, 91% complete).
  • We have 5 Reddit subscribers on 10/24/12 (Goal: 25 by 6/13, 20% complete)
We are so close to reaching both our Twitter and Networked Blogs goal. Please, if you use either service, follow us and help us reach our goal before our two year anniversary. Also, members of our Facebook group, don't forget you can invite your friends to the group. If you know someone out there who likes alternate history, introduce them to the Update.

I am proud to say the Update averages more than 10k views a month, and we continue to grow.  Those interested in advertising with us should check out our Advertise page for more details. If our readers like one of our advertisements I highly recommend that you click on it and help support Weekly Update.  Please check out our Amazon page as well to purchase a subscription for your Kindle (or Kindle app) or write a review (Hmm...I really need to update that page). All proceeds go to help fund our upcoming podcast and other projects.

If you would like to contribute, I encourage you to contact me at ahwupdate at gmail dot com.  Weekly Update would not have grown to become what it is today without the help of the contributors who routinely submit articles to be enjoyed by you, the reader.  All contributors will be given the opportunity to promote their current projects, plus a link to their website(s) in the "Our Favorites" section on the left had side of the blog. I also hope to one day pay the contributors who write for Weekly Update if we can get a few advertisers. If you are struggling for ideas, check out the announcement for our upcoming writing contest in January.

Thank you once again for being a fan of Weekly Update and I hope that we can continue to provide top quality content for years to come.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a volunteer editor for Alt Hist magazine. His fiction can be found at Echelon PressJake'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.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

The Top 10 Posts of November

Trying a new series of posts where I feature the most viewed articles of the past month. Enjoy:

1) Showcase: A Giant Sucking Sound by Sean Korsgaard: Showcase on an AH.com TL where Ross Perot is elected president in 1992.

2) Review: The Beast of the Bosporus by Matthew Quinn by Matt Mitrovich: Review of Quinn's new Lovecraft/AH short story featuring the Ottomans calling upon the Great Old Ones.

3) Interview: Henrik FĂ„hraeus by Matt Mitrovich: My interview with the project lead and lead designer of Crusader Kings II.

4) Alternative Elections: 1844 by Jake Schenberg: Debut article about what if Henry Clay was elected president in 1844.

5) Review: Fatherland by Robert Harris by Evelyn Robinson: Debut article reviewing one of the classic works of alternate history.

6) Review: 43* by Jeff Greenfield by Andrew Schneider: Debut article reviewing a short story about President Gore in 2000.

7) Weekly Update #80 by Matt Mitrovich: News pieces on Sunset Invasion, test writing fails, steampunk and more chances to get published.

8) Review: Aztec Century by Christopher Evans by Chris Nuttall: Book review about a global Aztec empire.

9) Review: Lone Star Rising: The Voyage of the Wasp by Jason Vail by Fxgentleman: Debut article on a review of a failed American Revolution that gets one more shot in Texas.

10) Interview: Mark Jeffrey by Matt Mitrovich: My interview with the author of Age of Aether.

So what can we take away from last month? Korsgaard does get the top spot, but I can pat myself on the back for getting the most appearances on the list. I am also happy by the four debut articles from new contributors making the list. I look forward to seeing what December brings.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a volunteer editor for Alt Hist magazine. His fiction can be found at Echelon PressJake'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.