Alternate History Weekly Update: Wild Cards

Showing posts with label Wild Cards. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

New Releases 8/30/16

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Hardcovers

High Stakes: A Wild Cards novel edited by George R.R. Martin and Melinda M. Snodgrass

Perfect for old fans and new readers alike, High Stakes (Wild Cards) delves deeper into the world of aces, jokers, and the hard-boiled men and women of the Fort Freak police precinct in a pulpy, page-turning novel of superheroics and Lovecraftian horror.

After the concluding events of Lowball, Officer Francis Black of Fort Freak, vigilante joker Marcus "The Infamous Black Tongue" Morgan, and ace thief Mollie "Tesseract" Steunenberg get stuck in Talas, Kazakhstan. There, the coldblooded Baba Yaga forces jokers into an illegal fighting ring, but her hidden agenda is much darker: her fighters' deaths serve to placate a vicious monster from another dimension. When the last line of defense against this world weakens, all hell breaks loose, literally....

The Committee in New York sends a team of aces to investigate. One by one, each falls victim to evil forces--including the dark impulses within themselves. Only the perseverance of the most unlikely of heroes has a chance of saving the world before utter chaos erupts on Earth.

Edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin, High Stakes features the writing talents of Melinda M. Snodgrass, John Jos. Miller, David Anthony Durham, Caroline Spector, Stephen Leigh, and Ian Tregillis.

Paperbacks

Eagle in Exile: The Clash of Eagles Trilogy Book II by Alan Smale

Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Steve Berry, Naomi Novik, and Harry Turtledove, Alan Smale’s gripping alternate history series imagines a world in which the Roman Empire has survived long enough to invade North America in 1218. Now the stunning story carries hero Gaius Marcellinus deeper into the culture of an extraordinary people—whose humanity, bravery, love, and ingenuity forever change his life and destiny.

In A.D. 1218, Praetor Gaius Marcellinus is ordered to conquer North America and turning it into a Roman province. But outside the walls of the great city of Cahokia, his legion is destroyed outright; Marcellinus is the only one spared. In the months and years that follow, Marcellinus comes to see North America as his home and the Cahokians as his kin. He vows to defend these proud people from any threat, Roman or native.

After successfully repelling an invasion by the fearsome Iroqua tribes, Marcellinus realizes that a weak and fractured North America won’t stand a chance against the returning Roman army. Worse, rival factions from within threaten to tear Cahokia apart just when it needs to be most united and strong. Marcellinus is determined to save the civilization that has come to mean more to him than the empire he once served. But to survive the swords of Roma, he first must avert another Iroqua attack and bring Cahokia together. Only with the hearts and souls of a nation at his back can Marcellinus hope to know triumph.

Germanica by Robert Conroy

Best-selling alternate history master Robert Conroy returns to World War II, this time for a dangerous last stand of the Nazis in the heart of the Alps.

GERMANICA, ÜBER ALLES!

Deep in the heart of Europe's Alps in the redoubt called Germanica, Nazi propaganda master Josef Goebbels and a battalion of Nazi zealots hold out against a frantic final Allied push to end World War II. With Churchill losing his election, De Gaulle consolidating his rule over a newly liberated France, and Stalin asserting his own nefarious land-grab in Eastern Germany, only America, led by its untried new president Harry Truman, remains to face the toughest of Nazi warriors as they hunker down for a bitter fight to the last man.

Goebbels knows that if he can hold out just a bit longer, the war weary of the Western nations will back away from unconditional surrender for Germany, and he and his zealots can remain in power—never to answer for their war crimes, and able to prepare for the moment when their hateful Nazi ideology is ready once again to rise from its alpine grave and strike at the heart of humanity!

But there are Americans and a few stalwart Europeans just as determined to put a final stake in the Nazi heart. It is now up to heroes in the making such as newly minted O.S.S. operative Ernie Janek, commando Captain Scott Tanner, and formerly enslaved Czech "Jew" Lena Bobek, to bring down the dark Nazi menace growing like a cancer in the mountainous heart of the continent.

E-Books

FAB: The Fifth Angel by Mark Gillespie

John Lennon Is Writing Songs Again. He's Also The World's Most Wanted Man

1995
John Lennon. Whereabouts unknown.

The former Beatle and US Presidential candidate - who took the world to the brink of nuclear war in 1988 - has disappeared, seemingly off the face of the earth.

Frank Vogel is the FBI agent who let Lennon slip through his fingers back in '88. Now working as a small-time bounty hunter, Vogel has spent the last seven years following up countless Lennon sightings all over the world, but with little success.

One day, Vogel receives a tip from across the Atlantic. There’s a rumour going around that John Lennon - the world’s most wanted man - is writing songs again.

Vogel travels to the UK where he encounters The Angelicas. Known to their fans as 'the Angels’ - the band’s meteoric rise to stardom is largely credited to an anonymous songwriting collaborator, known only as the 'Fifth Angel’.

But who is the 'Fifth Angel’? Can it really be John Lennon? And if Vogel manages to track the ex-Beatle down, will revenge lead to redemption?

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.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a blogger for Amazing Stories, a volunteer interviewer for SFFWorld and a Sidewise Awards for Alternate History judge. When not exploring alternate timelines he 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, Tumblr and YouTube. Learn how you can support his alternate history projects on Patreon.

Monday, August 15, 2016

Weekly Update #243! George RR Martin's Wild Cards Are Coming to Television

Editor's Note

A quick recap of last week's post. First up, go learn more about Tales From Alternate Earths and the recognizable names you might find on Weekly Update. Next up, do you like alternate maps of Liberia? Then you may want to check out "And Mighty Be Her Powers" by SRegan. Also, check out how Brooke Johnson's rewrites history for your entertainment in her guest post to promote her new novel, The Guild Conspiracy.

Also don't forget there were a lot of new alternate history releases last Tuesday. If you see anything you like, please click on the links provided when you go to buy it and support The Update.

And now the news...

George RR Martin's Wild Cards Are Coming to Television

On his official website, George RR Martin announced that Universal Cable Productions (UCP) had acquired the rights to adapt Wild Cards for television. For those who don't know, Wild Cards is a long running series of anthologies and mosaic novels that is contributed to by multiple authors, including Martin. It is set in an alternate timeline where history changed in 1946 when an alien virus was released over New York City, killing many and also mutating others into hideous, deformed creatures called "Jokers". A few lucky "Aces", however, were granted superpowers.

It combines the realism that people love from A Song of Ice and Fire/Games of Thrones with the superhero genre. In fact the first volume of Wild Cards lost the 1986 Hugo Award to Watchmen, another superhero work known for its gritty reimagining of the cape and cowl crowd. Its odd how deconstructing superheroes was so popular 1980s.

Anywho, according to Martin, there will be several interlocking series. Melinda M. Snodgrass, a long time Wild Cards editor and contributor, is attached as an executive producer on the project, together with Gregory Noveck (who previously attempted to adapt Wild Cards into a movie). At the moment we don't know which characters or stories will be adapted, but with such a large volume of works to pull from (I believe there are 22 volumes as of now) I am sure they will never run out of tales to tell.

Martin, however, did assure us we will see Croyd Crenson. Known as "The Sleeper", every time Croyd fell asleep, he awoke with a new body and powers...but these changes aren't always welcomed developments. I am curious to see what they will do with this character. Since you would essentially need to cast an entirely new actor every time Sleeper changes, this could be an ingenious way to get well known actors to guest star on certain episodes.

That being said, Martin will not be involved in the production, since he has an exclusive deal with HBO and is busy writing The Winds of Winter. As much as I would like to see him involved in the project...I want him to finish The Winds of Winter. GOD DAMN IT GEORGE! I NEED MY FIX!

Excuse me...not sure what came over me there. Anywho, well I am excited about this news. I haven't read all of the Wild Cards volumes yet, but what I have read I have enjoyed immensely. If you love comics or just like realistic takes on popular tropes, then you should definitely check out the series. Here is hoping Hollywood pulls through and brings Wild Cards to the small screen.

You Should Also Check Out...

Why Brooklynites are upset about a statue of Captain America. (via NY Post)
Alex Wallace's interview with alternate cartographer Rvbomally. Also, stay tuned for today's Map Monday for some more Rvbomally. (via Odyssey Online)
This record Michael Phelps tied last week that sounds like it should have happened in an alternate history. (via Deadspin)
That season 2 of The Man in the High Castle will premier on December 16. (via IGN)

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Tuesday, October 27, 2015

New Releases 10/27/15

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

Hardcovers

The British Lion: A Novel by Tony Schumacher

In this crackling alternate history thriller set in the years after World War II—the riveting sequel to The Darkest Hour—London detective John Rossett joins forces with his Nazi boss to save the commander’s kidnapped daughter as the Germans race to make the first atomic bomb.

With the end of the war, the victorious Germans now occupy a defeated Great Britain. In London, decorated detective John Henry Rossett, now reporting to the Nazi victors, lies in a hospital bed recovering from gunshot wounds. Desperate to avoid blame over the events that led to the shooting, his boss, Ernst Koehler, covers up the incident. But when Koehler’s wife and daughter are kidnapped by American spies, the terrified German turns to the only man he trusts to help him—a shrewd cop who will do whatever is necessary to get the job done: John Rossett.

Surviving his brush with death, Rossett agrees to save his friend’s daughter. But in a chaotic new world ruled by treachery and betrayal, doing the right thing can get a man killed. Caught between the Nazi SS, the violent British resistance, and Americans with very uncertain loyalties, Rossett must secretly make his way out of London and find Ruth Hartz, a Jewish scientist working in Cambridge. Spared from death because of her intellect and expertise, she is forced to work on developing the atom bomb for Germany. Though she knows it could end any hope of freedom in Europe and maybe even the world, Ruth must finish the project—if she, too, wants to survive.

The Outlandish Companion Volume Two: The Companion to The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon

More than a decade ago, #1 New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon delighted her legions of fans with The Outlandish Companion, an indispensable guide to all the Outlander books at the time. But that edition was just a taste of things to come. Since that publication, there have been four more Outlander novels, a side series, assorted novellas, and one smash-hit Starz original television series. Now Gabaldon serves up The Outlandish Companion, Volume Two, an all-new guide to the latest books in the series.

Written with Gabaldon’s signature wit and intelligence, this compendium is bursting with generous commentary and juicy insider details, including

• a complete chronology of the series thus far

• full synopses of A Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart’s Blood

• recaps of the Lord John Grey novels: Lord John and the Private Matter, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, Lord John and the Hand of Devils, and The Scottish Prisoner

• a who’s who of the cast of Outlander characters, cross-referenced by book

• detailed maps and floor plans

• a bibliographic guide to research sources

• essays on subjects as wide ranging as Outlandish controversies regarding sex and violence, the unique responsibilities of a writer of historical fiction, and Gabaldon’s writing process

• a guided tour of the clothes, food, and music of the eighteenth century

• a Scottish glossary and pronunciation guide

• personal photos from the author taken on the set of the Starz Outlander series

As entertaining, sweeping, and addictive as the series itself, this second volume of The Outlandish Companion is a one (or two)-of-a-kind gift from an incomparable author.

Paperbacks

Anno Dracula by Kim Newman

It is 1888 and Queen Victoria has remarried, taking as her new consort Vlad Tepes, the Wallachian Prince infamously known as Count Dracula. Peppered with familiar characters from Victorian history and fiction, the novel follows vampire Geneviève Dieudonné and Charles Beauregard of the Diogenes Club as they strive to solve the mystery of the Ripper murders.

Anno Dracula is a rich and panoramic tale, combining horror, politics, mystery and romance to create a unique and compelling alternate history. Acclaimed novelist Kim Newman explores the darkest depths of a reinvented Victorian London.

Ivar, Timewalker Volume 2: Breaking History TP by Fred Van Lente and Raul Allen

A little confused by time travel? Don't worry, these guys don't really understand it either. So they're breaking history! With the universe on the brink of destruction, Ivar must turn to his closest relatives - Armstrong and Gilad Anni-Padda - to save Neela Sethi from the machinations of the Prometheans! The problem? These three guys couldn't be further apart. Time doesn't heal all wounds as the assault on Oblivi-1 begins! Join New York Times best-selling writer Fred Van Lente (ARCHER & ARMSTRONG) and rising star Francis Portela (Green Lantern Corps) as they kick off the next volume of the series that io9 calls "impressively shocking!" Collecting IVAR, TIMEWALKER #5-8.

Patriot (A Jack Sigler Continuum Novella) by Jeremy Robinson

SOMETIMES, THE COST OF IMMORTALITY IS TOO HIGH…

The year is 1775, and the first rumblings of the American Revolution are only just being felt. But the War for Independence may be over before it even begins. When General George Washington learns of a daring expedition by British troops to discover a place of ultimate power—and the key to immortality itself—he knows that to salvage the war effort, his forces must get there first.

And to find the legend, Washington must employ a legend. Rumors of an ageless pirate who has haunted the high seas for more than a century abound. General Washington commissions an expedition to find and hire the immortal pirate, Lanme Wa—the Sea King—who has been stretched to the point of breaking, and who wants nothing more than to be left alone.

Their mission will not be easy. In a Caribbean world filled with voodoo, giant pythons, mischievous spirits and an army of mindless creatures who could live for millennia, the privateers of the Continental Navy might have bitten off more than they can chew.

Jack Sigler, an immortal Special Ops soldier stuck in the past, forced to live through thousands of years of history to return to his family in the present, is back in this second Continuum thriller from Jeremy Robinson and J. Kent Holloway, who once again boldly re-imagine history.

Wild Cards V: Down and Dirty edited by George RR Martin

Wild Cards V: Down and Dirty is the latest of the George R.R. Martin's original Wild Cards series, now in trade paperback

Let the secret history of the world be told-of the alien virus that struck Earth after World War II, and of the handful of the survivors who found they now possessed superhuman powers. Some were called Aces, endowed with powerful mental and physical prowess. The others were Jokers, tormented by bizarre mind or body disfigurements. Some served humanity. Others caused terror. And now, forty years later, as a gang war between the Shadow Fists and the mafia rages out of control in the streets of Jokertown, Aces and Jokers go underground-to wage their own war against the powers of the netherworld.

Here, in the fifth volume of the exciting series, ten of science fiction's most gifted writers take readers on a journey of wonder and excitement in an astounding alternate history.

Featuring the talents of John J. Miller, Roger Zelazny, Leanne C. Harper, Arthur Byron Cover, Melina C. Snodgrass, Edward Bryant, Stephen Leigh, Pat Cadigan, Walter Jon Williams, and George R. R. Martin.

To readers, authors and publishers...

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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.

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Book Review: Jokers Wild edited by George R. R. Martin

I talked originally about reviewing this on my channel, but I think instead I am going to focus more on my Trope Talk series instead (next episode TBA). So now I will review Jokers Wild, the third volume of the Wild Cards shared universe, edited by Sharknado 3 star, George RR Martin.

Jokers Wild takes place shortly after the events of Aces High on Wild Cards Day, the 40th anniversary of the day when an alien virus was released over New York City, killing most of the people that contracted it and horribly disfiguring the few survivors, except for those lucky enough to gain superpowers. The Astronomer and his followers are taking revenge on those Aces who defeated their attempt at world domination by killing them one by one. While Fortunato and others race to stop him, an Ace named Wraith steals some notebooks from a wealthy New Yorker, but soon discovers he is a powerful criminal who will stop at nothing to get his property back. On top of that, Sewer Jack learns his niece ran away from home and is alone somewhere in New York City. As he seeks her out he enlists the help of his friend Bagabond who also...okay lets just say there are a hell of lot of subplots going on at once.

If everything above sounds confusing, it is. Not only is Jokers Wild a book where you need to read what came before, the problems are compounded by the fact that this is a "mosaic novel", where different short stories from various authors are edited together to tell one story. Now the previous two books in the series had overarching themes that tied many of the stories together, Jokers Wild on the other hand, is presented as one story told by seven different authors, including Martin, with each author writing for a different point of view character. I have to give them credit for putting together a readable novel with that many minds/egos, but the finished product is still rather rough. Transitions don't always flow well with characters changing drastically as points of view switch. I can forgive them, however, since this was their first time and considering the Wild Cards series now has over twenty volumes, perhaps later mosaic novels are more polished now that they have more experience.

I am not going to nitpick all the issues with the book, but I do want to point out how clumsily the Sewer Jack "reveal" was handled. Turns out he is gay and before you get angry, trust me, it really isn't much of a spoiler. They pretty much broadcast that fact on a giant neon sign almost straight from the beginning. A beautiful woman wonders why he is uninterested in her advances, he looks for his niece in a gay bar that he implies he has visited once or twice, he gets really upset when a random stranger calls him a "fag", his male friend who he has strong feelings for has HIV, he knows a lot about women's makeup...wait, what? Maybe its just because I am a heterosexual, but I don't think being gay means you immediately know how to apply makeup competently!

To be fair this book was originally published in 1987, and presumably the stories themselves were written even earlier, so just having a gay major character in a book marketed to the general public was a pretty big deal. I mean there were some states that still were enforcing anti-sodomy laws. Critics I listen to have pointed out that writers in the 80s and 90s really didn't know how to write gay characters and often fell back on stereotypes and cliches. So perhaps everyone involved can be forgiven for this issue, especially because even with all of my negativity above, I can still recommend this book.

What is great about Wild Cards is that it presents a surreal superhero universe where things don't quite work out the way they would in the comics. Most of the people who survived the Wild Cards virus are grotesque monstrosities and have been relegated to the lowest rung of society because of it, even if they do have a superpower. Even those who kept their normal, human looks don't always get useful powers (i.e. being able to fly, but not lift anything up because you are not strong enough or gaining magical-esque powers, but to recharge you have to have sex and never ejaculate). Even the "heroes" come off more like reality TV stars than actual heroes and the few traditional vigilantes are often viewed at best as menaces and at worst serial killers. That is all on display throughout the book and it was those elements that kept me reading until the end.

Jokers Wild is a bizarre and fun breakdown of the usual superhero tropes and if the technical side of the book is rather weak, the universe Martin and his friends created more than makes up for it. Go check out Jokers Wild, but make sure you read the first two books first.

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

New Releases 1/13/15

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

Hardcovers

The Just City by Jo Walton

"Here in the Just City you will become your best selves. You will learn and grow and strive to be excellent."

Created as an experiment by the time-traveling goddess Pallas Athene, the Just City is a planned community, populated by over ten thousand children and a few hundred adult teachers from all eras of history, along with some handy robots from the far human future—all set down together on a Mediterranean island in the distant past.

The student Simmea, born an Egyptian farmer's daughter sometime between 500 and 1000 A.D, is a brilliant child, eager for knowledge, ready to strive to be her best self. The teacher Maia was once Ethel, a young Victorian lady of much learning and few prospects, who prayed to Pallas Athene in an unguarded moment during a trip to Rome—and, in an instant, found herself in the Just City with grey-eyed Athene standing unmistakably before her.

Meanwhile, Apollo—stunned by the realization that there are things mortals understand better than he does—has arranged to live a human life, and has come to the City as one of the children. He knows his true identity, and conceals it from his peers. For this lifetime, he is prone to all the troubles of being human.

Then, a few years in, Sokrates arrives—the same Sokrates recorded by Plato himself—to ask all the troublesome questions you would expect. What happens next is a tale only the brilliant Jo Walton could tell.

The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith

Vampire Henry Sturges returns in the highly anticipated sequel to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter-a sweeping, alternate history of twentieth-century America by New York Times bestselling author Seth Grahame-Smith.

THE LAST AMERICAN VAMPIRE

In Reconstruction-era America, vampire Henry Sturges is searching for renewed purpose in the wake of his friend Abraham Lincoln's shocking death. Henry's will be an expansive journey that first sends him to England for an unexpected encounter with Jack the Ripper, then to New York City for the birth of a new American century, the dawn of the electric era of Tesla and Edison, and the blazing disaster of the 1937 Hindenburg crash.

Along the way, Henry goes on the road in a Kerouac-influenced trip as Seth Grahame-Smith ingeniously weaves vampire history through Russia's October Revolution, the First and Second World Wars, and the JFK assassination.

Expansive in scope and serious in execution, THE LAST AMERICAN VAMPIRE is sure to appeal to the passionate readers who made Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter a runaway success.

Paperbacks

The Afrika Reich by Guy Saville

From Guy Saville, the explosive new thriller of a world that so nearly existed

Africa, 1952. More than a decade has passed since Britain’s humiliation at Dunkirk brought an end to the war and the beginning of an uneasy peace with Hitler.

The swastika flies from the Sahara to the Indian Ocean. Britain and a victorious Nazi Germany have divided the continent. The SS has crushed the native populations and forced them into labor. Gleaming autobahns bisect the jungle, jet fighters patrol the skies. For almost a decade an uneasy peace has ensued.

Now, however, the plans of Walter Hochburg, messianic racist and architect of Nazi Africa, threaten Britain’s ailing colonies.

Sent to curb his ambitions is Burton Cole: a one-time assassin torn between the woman he loves and settling an old score with Hochburg. If he fails unimaginable horrors will be unleashed on the continent. No one – black or white – will be spared.

But when his mission turns to disaster, Burton must flee for his life.

It is a flight that will take him from the unholy ground of Kongo to SS slave camps to war-torn Angola – and finally a conspiracy that leads to the dark heart of The Afrika Reich itself.

Twenty Trillion Leagues Under the Sea by Adam Roberts

Adam Roberts revisits Jules Verne's classic novel in a collaboration with the illustrator behind a recent highly acclaimed edition of The Hunting of the Snark

It is 1958 and France's first nuclear submarine, Plongeur, leaves port for the first of its sea trials. On board, gathered together for the first time, are one of the Navy's most experienced captains and a tiny skeleton crew of sailors, engineers, and scientists. The Plongeur makes her first dive and goes down, and down and down. Out of control, the submarine plummets to a depth where the pressure will crush her hull, killing everyone on board, and beyond. The pressure builds, the hull protests, the crew prepare for death, the boat reaches the bottom of the sea and finds nothing. Her final dive continues, the pressure begins to relent, but the depth guage is useless. They have gone miles down. Hundreds of miles, thousands, and so it goes on. Onboard the crew succumb to madness, betrayal, religious mania, and murder. Has the Plongeur left the limits of our world and gone elsewhere?

Wild Cards IV: Aces Abroad edited by George RR Martin

Wild Cards IV: Aces Abroad -- book four of the original Wild Cards series now in trade paperback—featuring two brand-new stories

The action-packed alternate fantasy returns for a new generation, featuring fiction from #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin, Michael Cassutt, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Lewis Shiner, and more—plus two completely new stories from Kevin Andrew Murphy and bestselling author Carrie Vaughn. Forty years after the Wild Card Virus’s release, the World Health Organization decides it’s time to take a delegation of Aces, Jokers, politicians, and journalists on a fact-finding mission to learn how other countries are dealing with the virus that reshaped humanity. Leading the team is Gregg Hartmann, a senator with presidential aspirations and a dangerous ace up his sleeve. Joining him is a menagerie of some of the series’ best and most popular Wild Cards, including Dr. Tachyon, aces Peregrine and Golden Boy, and jokers Chrysalis, Troll, and Father Squid.

From the jungles of Haiti and Peru to the tumultuous political climate of Egypt, from a monastery in Japan to the streets of the most glamorous cities of Europe, the Wild Cards are in for an eye-opening trip. While some are worshiped as actual gods, those possessing the most extreme mutations are treated with a contempt that's all too familiar to the delegates from Jokertown. New alliances will be formed, new enemies will be made, and some actions will fulfill centuries-old prophecies that make ripples throughout the future of the Wild Cards universe.

To fans, authors and publishers...

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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.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

New Releases 11/25/14

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

Paperbacks

Dangerous Women 3 edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois

Dangerous Women Vol. 3 includes stories by Sherilynn Kenyon, Joe Abercrombie, Diana Rowland, Melinda Snodgrass, and Pat Cadigan, and features an entirely new 18,000-word novella by New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, and a new story of Harry Dresden’s world by bestselling author Jim Butcher.

Wild Cards III: Jokers Wild edited by George R. R. Martin

Back in print after a decade, featuring fiction by George R. R. Martin, Roger Zelazny, Walter Jon Williams, and others

On September 15, 1946, the Wild Card virus was released, spreading a wave of mutations around the globe. "Aces" were endowed with extraordinary powers, while "Jokers" were cursed with bizarre mental or physical disabilities. September 15th is now Wild Card Day. With each passing year, the festivities become larger and more fevered. And 1986—the fortieth anniversary—promises to be the biggest Wild Card Day ever. But in New York City not everyone is celebrating: The Astronomer, a twisted, powerful genius, has been planning his own special festivities for Wild Card Day…a day of revenge against those who have opposed him…

To fans, authors and publishers...

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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

New Releases 2/11/14

Hardcovers

The Tinker King by Tiffany Trent

Description from Amazon.

Science and magic mean danger in this sequel to The Unnaturalists, which School Library Journal called “an entertaining mix of steampunk and fantasy.”

After Vespa, Syrus, and Bayne defeated the Grue and restored order to their world in The Unnaturalists, they thought their future was secure. Empress Olivia, committed to peace and equality for humans and Elementals alike, was a fair and just ruler. And the Creeping Waste had vanished, giving them hope for the first time.

But rebellion is brewing in the far-off city of Scientia, and dark Elementals are plotting war in the ruins of New London. Before they know what’s happening, Vespa, Syrus, and their friends are plunged into a new swamp of intrigue, deception and magic—and the cost of survival may be more than any of them are willing to pay.

Paperbacks

The Court Martial of Robert E. Lee: A Novel by Douglas Savage

Description from Amazon.

On the first day of July, 1863, Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia accidentally crossed swords with George Gordon Meade’s federal Army of the Potomac. They clashed at a tiny Pennsylvania crossroads called Gettysburg. Three days later, at least 22,000 Confederate men and boys were dead, wounded or captured, and the Yankees held the field when the river of bloodshed finally stopped. Gettysburg was General Lee’s worst defeat on an open field of battle.

In The Court Martial of Robert E. Lee, a discouraged Confederate Congress summons General Lee to Richmond in December, 1863, to face a board of inquiry on the Battle of Gettysburg. Through this specualtive board of inquiry, the reader is drawn into the true history of the Army of Northern Virginia and the real political personalities and true political intrigue of Richmond in 1863. Will General Lee be relieved of command? Perhaps sent into retirement borne of catastrophic failure, leaving behind forever his beloved Army of Northern Virginia? The reader feels his pain and the anguish of a defeated general who wrote four months after Gettysburg that, “My heart and thoughts will always be with this army.”

Empire of Alexandria by Thomas K. Carpenter

Description from Amazon.

One hundred years after the murder of Julius Caesar, the circumstances of his death could change the course of the fledgling Alexandrian Empire. Left in charge of the treacherous Roman Senate while Agog heads north to deal with the traitor Marcus, Heron finds the game of politics maddening. Her constant missteps encourage a growing list of enemies while a mysterious benefactor proves too dangerous to trust. As the city races towards a political showdown, Heron must discover the truth about the murder of Julius Caesar—a death witnessed by hundreds and understood by few—before a perilous vote hands power back to the Romans.

Wild Cards III: Jokers Wild edited by George RR Martin

Description from Amazon.

The journey into high adventure soars on!

Let the secret history of the world be told—of the alien virus that struck Earth after World War II, and of the handful of survivors who found they now possessed superhuman powers. Some were called Aces, endowed with powerful mental and physical prowess. The others were Jokers, tormented by bizarre mind or body disfigurements. Some served humanity. Others wreaked terror. Now, forty years later, under the streets of Manhattan an evil genius unleashes the powers of darkness—and Aces and Jokers alike must fight for their lives.

Here, in the third volume of the Wild Cards series, seven of science fiction's most gifted writers take you on a journey of wonder and excitement.

E-books

Reaper's Touch by Eleri Stone

Description from Amazon.

Abby is a Ranger, part of an elite group who defend the border against Reapers-humans infected with a parasite that turns them into mindless cannibals. Rangers are immune to Reaper infection, and as one of the only female Rangers, Abby is expected to settle down and breed more Rangers-a fate she's keen to avoid. When she's ambushed on the plains, she's ready to go out with guns blazing-until a mysterious, handsome cowboy rides to her rescue.

Jake has his own motives for helping Abby, beyond aiding a damsel in distress. He's a Reaper, and while he's learned to wrest control of his mind from the parasite, the effects won't last without a permanent cure. And he needs Abby to get it.

Abby and Jake are natural enemies and unlikely partners. But when their search reveals a conspiracy between Reapers and the rich industrialists who own the mountain cities, they must work together to find the cure-or lose the border, and each other, forever.

Wind-Up Hearts by Stan Swanson

Description from Amazon.

If one’s heart is constructed of metal and considered indestructible, can love and romance still find a place within?

That is the question facing Henry Thackery who spends over a hundred years pursuing the woman of his dreams—Emily Harding. After Henry and Emily become recipients of the Merganthol Circulatory Assistance Device, we follow their journey from 1875 to the present day and Henry’s unflinching quest to convince Emily (the love of his life) to become his bride.

Will Henry be successful in his pursuit of love or will Emily ultimately “break” his indestructible heart?

A tale of romance more than science fiction, Wind-Up Hearts will tug at the strings of your heart whether it be mechanical or flesh and blood.

Audiobooks

Police Operation by H. Beam Piper

Description from Amazon.

H. Beam Piper wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of Paratime alternate history tales. This short story is the first of his Paratime tales. Verkan Vall is investigating the death of Gavran Sarn, a First Level noble who was killed in an auto accident on a Fourth Level timeline which might well have been our own...

To fans, authors and publishers...

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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.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Weekly Update #99

Editor's Note

I am more amazed than you know that I actually made it to the 99th Weekly Update. So much has changed since the original and now that I look back on it I find it ironic that I am talking about the Wild Card series in both posts. I don't do the "Important Events in Alternate History" anymore, but they have been replaced by my "Today in #althist" on Twitter. I can't even remember what the blog looked like back in the day. I should have took some screenshots before I started making changes.

Next week I will be doing a special thank you to my fans to celebrate Weekly Update #100. I hope all of you check it out because it is really important for me to share with you how grateful I am that you gave The Update and I a chance to inform and entertain you.

And now the news...

Coming Soon: Lowball edited by George R.R. Martin

One of my favorite shared world series, Wild Cards, has an important announcement. For those who don't know, Wild Cards is a multi-author series edited by George R.R. Martin (Song of Ice and Fire) with assistance from Melinda M. Snodgrass. The POD is in 1946 when an alien genetically-tailored virus is released in Earth's stratosphere over New York city, killing or horribly deforming many, but giving a few lucky individuals super powers. With twenty-one volumes of content, the participating authors cover the many effects of the virus during the ensuing decades as super-heroes and super-villains appear all over the world.

Like a lot of comic book series, history is not altered greatly by the presence of these miraculous humans, but there some changes including the fall of communist Vietnam, a new Caliphate and a Marxist nation controlling much of Central and Western Africa. Paul at Gollancz reviewed the updated trillogy, calling the first book a "very entertaining book to read" and said the second book has a "kick-ass plot."

The news I am excited about, however, is the announcement made over at Martin's not a blog: the twenty-second volume LOWBALL is complete and has been delivered to Tor. Exciting!

Update: The Age Atomic by Adam Christopher

The Age Atomic, Adam Christopher's sequel to the superhero noir fantasy thriller Empire State, continues to get coverage across the Internet. Here is the description from Angry Robot in case you missed it:

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.

"Montoc1701" of Geek Syndicate reviewed the novel calling it a "sequel that not only delivers but shows how comfortable the author has become in his creation, delivering what can only be describing as a fun atomic rollercoaster of a ride that is begging for more." Cool. Adam Christopher was also a guest on Episode 140 of The Skiffy and Fanty Show to talk review etiquette for published authors, Amazon’s recent acquisition of Goodreads and his new book. Tim Pratt was also a guest on the episode.

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

Guy Adams is continuing to promote his recent novel: The Good, the Bad and the Infernal. Here is the description in case you missed it:

A weird western, a gun-toting, cigarrillo-chewing fantasy built from hangman’s rope and spent bullets. The west has never been wilder. A Steampunk-Western-Fantasy from Guy Adams.

“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.

Those looking to learn more can read Adams' guest blog on SFX where he discusses the joys and challenges of writing a steampunk western and his interview over at The Qwillery, which described his novel as "a Weird Western with a remarkable cast of characters".

LoneStarCon 3 Announces Additional Program Participants

LoneStarCon 3, the 71st World Science Fiction Convention ("Worldcon"), has confirmed over 90 additional program participants, taking the number announced so far to more than 170 in total.

The latest additions include authors and editors from all areas of the science fiction field. Newly-confirmed authors include Catherine Asaro, David Brin, Steven Brust, Charlaine Harris, Tanya Huff, David D. Levine, George R. R. Martin, Elizabeth Moon, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Howard Waldrop and the master of alternate history Harry Turtledove. Editors include John Joseph Adams ("Lightspeed"), Lou Anders (Pyr), Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden (Tor), and Jacob Weisman (Tachyon).

With over 500 hours of programming planned, LoneStarCon 3 expects well over 400 participants, and they will be adding further names to the list regularly between now and the start of the convention on August 29. The full list of confirmed participants may be found on the LoneStarCon 3 website.

Calender

April 25-June 15: Steampunk: Nature & Machine in Norwalk, CT.

May 26: Last day to see the steampunk exhibition at Aigantighe Art Gallery in Fairfax, NZ.

June 15: JaycCon XIII in Portland, OR and the Time Traveler's Rummage Sales in Seattle, WA.

August 17: Another Time Traveler's Rummage Sales in Seattle, WA.

Oct 25-27: Steamcon in Seattle, WA.

Links to the Multiverse

Articles

The 5: Sports Alternate Histories at The Interrobang.

Asimov, de Camp and Heinlein at the Naval Aviation Experimental Station by Andrew Liptak at Kirkus.

Barnes & Noble Nook Press Contract Terms are INSANELY Bad! at Holly Lisle: Writer.

Coming Soon! “Fiendish Schemes”, The Long-Awaited Steampunk Sequel to K.W. Jeter’s “Infernal Devices” by John DeNardo at SF Signal.

The enigmatic and alternate Robert Harris by Alison Morton at Layered Pages.

Extract from Jasper Kent's THE PEOPLE'S WILL at Pat's Fantasy Hotlist.

Helping with the website by Richard Lee at Historical Novel Society.

HP Lovecraft, pulp philosopher by Brian Kim Stefans at Salon.

Iranian time travel machine not all it seems at Geeks are Sexy.

TOC: ‘Dead Man’s Hand: An Anthology of the Weird West’ Edited by John Joseph Adams at SF Signal.

What would the Senate look like without the 17th Amendment? by Scott Bomboy at Yahoo.

Book Reviews

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger at More Than a Reading Journal.

Necessary Evil by Ian Tregillis at Pat's Fantasy Hotlist.

The Rise of Ransom City by Felix Gilman at Functional Nerds.

The Spear of Destiny by Jason E. Thummel at Amazing Stories.

The Top 20 Zombie Novels of the Last Decade by Paul Goat Allen at B&N.

Comics

10 Insane Alternate Versions Of Batman You Won’t Believe Exist by Patrick Dane at WhatCulture!

Check out Chip Kidd’s ‘Before Watchmen’ deluxe edition covers by Kevin Melrose at CBR.

New comics releases include alternate-history fantasy-horror and a colorful foodie memoir by Noel Murray and Oliver Sava at AV Club.

Films

10 Movies That Improved On History By Blatantly Lying by Shaun Munro at WhatCulture!

Mortal Instruments’ Steampunk Prequel In Development…Too Soon? by Jessy Williams at Bleeding Cool.

Steampunk meets kung fu in action-comedy Tai Chi Hero at CultureMap Dallas.

Games

'BioShock Infinite': The steampunk style floating city, the 'virtual actress,' and more design notes by Nakisha Williams at EW.com.

Book Review - GURPS Alternate Earths at Other Times.

Interactive Storytelling In Video Games: How Much is Enough? by BH Shepherd at Lit Reactor.

Laika Believes preview: The robot space dog with a heart of gold by Jordan Mallory at Joystiq.

Pulp Manifesto - Crimson Skies and fan fiction gone horribly wrong/right by Grant Gardiner at Tommy Thunder.

Review of Zeitgeist III – Digging for Lies at Nerd Trek.

The Room for Android review: An excellent all-around puzzle game by Jason Parker at CNet.

Interview

Terry Bisson at Locus.

Ellen Datlow at LitStack.

Charles Stross at Tor.

Television

Review of Elementary: Season 1, Episode 19 at Thinking about books.

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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.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Weekly Update #26

Editor's Note

We beat our monthly page view record from August! This could not have been done without the help of our fans. Our new record (that I have every intention of beating in November) is at 10:53 AM CST...3360!

In the meantime, I am reading Prologue by Greg Ahlgren. It is an alternate history/time travel novel where scientists and rebels from a timeline where the Soviet Union won the Cold War attempt to change history by travelling back to the 1960s and preventing President Kennedy from making the choices that led to America's defeat. An intriguing POD, I hope to post a review of the novel eventually and Greg has graciously agreed to do an interview as well. Along with that upcoming interview, author Dale Cozort has also agreed to an interview. So you have two interviews to look forward to in the near future.

This week Korsgaard will be doing a showcase on Green Antarctica and I will also be posting another Airship Update. Sorry I do not have more info on future posts, but I promise that if you keep an eye out for new posts you will not be disappointed.

And now the news..,

Coming Soon: Wild Cards film

Syfy Films, the theatrical division created in December 2010 as a joint venture between Syfy and Universal Pictures, has acquired the screen rights to Wild Cards. For those who do not know, Wild Cards is a science fiction and superhero anthology series set in a shared universe. The series was created by a group of New Mexico science fiction authors, but it is mostly pulled together and edited by best-selling author George R. R. Martin (who will be an executive producer on the film) with assistance by Melinda Snodgrass, also a contributor to the series (who will be writing the screenplay and be executive producer as well).

The POD is as follows: in 1946, a genetically-tailored virus from outer space was released in Earth's stratosphere, killing many but giving super powers to others. The series documents many effects of the virus during the ensuing decades as super-heroes and super-villains appear all over the world, but history does not change as much as you would think. Nevertheless, with comic books movies and Martin's Game of Thrones being so popular, this alternate history may have a good chance of being made.

John Birmingham Update!

John Birmingham has been busy recently. His new novel Angels of Vengeance, the final book in a trilogy chronicling the events that happened after a wave of energy wipes out human life across much of North America on the eve of the Iraq War, is going to be published in Australia. Those in the States, however, will have to wait until April 10, 2012 to get their issue.

In the meantime, you can read an excerpt from the novel and catch an interview with Birmingham on Shearer's Books Blog.

Alternate History on reddit

You can find alternate history communities everywhere on the Internet, and reddit is no exception. For those who do not know, reddit is a social news website where the registered users submit content, which could either be links or a text "self" post. Other users then vote the submission "up" or "down," which is used to rank the post and determine its position on the site's pages and front page. The site is divided into "subreddits" where people can post specific types of content.

So what alternate history related subreddits are there? Well first there is HistoricalWhatIf, which acts as the Alternatehistory.com of reddit. Users can post what ifs and other users can discuss them in the comment section. No links though, if you want to post links to other AH sites you will have to go to Uchronie or Althistory. You may notice that I have begun posting links to Alternate History Weekly Update in those two subreddits, so that is another place to stay updated on what is happening on this blog.

Finally, we have the subreddit for the proposed film Rome, Sweet Rome. Some of you may remember a recent Weekly Update how a pitch for an alternate history film was picked up after it received significant number of votes of reddit. If you want to stay updated on that film, you can do so by subscribing to that subreddit.

Perhaps in the future I will make a subreddit for Alternate History Weekly Update...

Convention Update: Stirling at CoreCon

Those alternate historians living in and around Fargo, ND/Moorhead, MN should check out CoreCon, which is scheduled for May 4-6, 2012. Alternate history author S. M. Stirling will be the guest of honor and since he generally does not leave the West Coast all that often, now is the time to take advantage of his foray into the cold MidWest and go and meet him.

Links to the Multiverse

Articles

Counterfactual: What if David Davis Had Been Elected Leader of the Conservative Party in 2005? by Iain Dale at Dale & Co.

Counterfactual: What If The UK Had Not Gone to War in Iraq in 2003? by Tony McNulty at Dale & Co.

Get a sneak peek at the multiverse by Alan Boyle at msnbc.

Waiting For New Universes by Adam Frank at NPR.

Books

Atlantis and Other Places (audiobook) by Harry Turtledove reviewed by Jackson District Library.

The Big Switch by Harry Turtledove reviewed by Books for a Buck.

The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire #1) by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith reviewed by Dawn at Absolute Forest of Words.

Comics

Ben Towle gives steampunk a fresh twist by Brigid Alverson at CBR.

The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists by Seth reviewed by Ian Daffern at Quill & Quire.

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Mitro is founder, editor and contributor of Alternate History Weekly Update. When he is not busy writing about his passion for alternate history, he spends his time working as a licensed attorney in the state of Illinois and dreams of being a published author himself one day.