New Releases 11/3/15

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Hardcovers

Made to Kill: A Novel by Adam Christopher

It was just another Tuesday morning when she walked into the office--young, as I suspected they all might be, another dark brunette with some assistance and enough eye black to match up to Cleopatra. And who am I? I'm Ray, the world's last robot, famed and feared in equal measure, which suits me just fine--after all, the last place you'd expect to find Hollywood's best hit man is in the plain light of day.

Raymond Electromatic is good at his job, as good as he ever was at being a true Private Investigator, the lone employee of the Electromatic Detective Agency--except for Ada, office gal and super-computer, the constant voice in Ray's inner ear. Ray might have taken up a new line of work, but money is money, after all, and he was programmed to make a profit. Besides, with his twenty-four-hour memory-tape limits, he sure can keep a secret.

When a familiar-looking woman arrives at the agency wanting to hire Ray to find a missing movie star, he's inclined to tell her to take a hike. But she had the cold hard cash, a demand for total anonymity, and tendency to vanish on her own.

Plunged into a glittering world of fame, fortune, and secrecy, Ray uncovers a sinister plot that goes much deeper than the silver screen--and this robot is at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Made to Kill is the thrilling new speculative noir from novelist and comic writer Adam Christopher.

Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger

If one must flirt...flirt with danger.

Lessons in the art of espionage aboard Mademoiselle Geraldine's floating dirigible have become tedious without Sophronia's sweet sootie Soap nearby. She would much rather be using her skills to thwart the dastardly Picklemen, yet her concerns about their wicked intentions are ignored, and now she's not sure whom to trust. What does the brusque werewolf dewan know? On whose side is the ever-stylish vampire Lord Akeldama? Only one thing is certain: a large-scale plot is under way, and when it comes to fruition, Sophronia must be ready to save her friends, her school, and all of London from disaster--in decidedly dramatic fashion, of course.

What will become of our proper young heroine when she puts her years of training to the test? Find out in this highly anticipated and thrilling conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Finishing School series!

Tales from the Loop by Simon Stålenhag

Simon Stålenhag’s Tales from the Loop is a wildly successful crowd-funded project that takes viewers on a surprising sci-fi journey through various country and city landscapes―from small towns in Sweden and the deserts of Nevada to the bitter chill of Siberia―where children explore and engage with abandoned robots, vehicles, and machinery large and small, while dinosaurs and other creatures wander our roads and fields. Stålenhag’s paintings and stories take place in an alternate version of Sweden in the ’80s and ’90s, primarily in the countryside of Mälaröarna, a string of islands just west of Stockholm, and how this reality came about: the development of the Loop, a large particle accelerator and the side effects of the massive project. These incredibly captivating works and accompanying text capture perhaps a not-too-distant reality that is both haunting and imminent: addressing the many ways developing technology and nature can create havoc and wonder in our world―plus, its impact on the next generation. This is the English edition of the first book in Swedish that sold out in its initial printing.

E-Books

Alt Hist Issue 8: The magazine of Historical Fiction and Alternate History edited by Mark Lord

The eighth issue of the popular magazine of historical fiction and alternate history contains six great new short stories. Alt Hist Issue 8 includes new stories in the Battalion 202 series set in the aftermath of a successful German invasion of Britain, as well as tales featuring bridge burning in the American Civil War, a secret mission against the Suez Canal in the World War One, a story that speculates what if the atom bomb hadn’t been dropped on Japan, and taking us back to the Middle Ages, a story that follows the dreams and reality of a peasant girl caught up in the brutal Hundred Years War.

Stories include:

Dewey Defeats Truman by Mark Devane
A Sword by Andrew Knighton
The Retreat Proceeded Orderly, at Least by Kenan Orhan
The Fullness and the Hollowness by Jonathan Doering
Small Miracles by Jonathan Doering
His Last Day by Richard Buxton

Surrounded by Enemies: A Breakpoint Novel by Bryce Zabel

What if Kennedy survived Dallas?

President John F. Kennedy has lived through the ambush in Dealey Plaza. America holds its collective breath, seeing its president nearly executed in broad daylight. But as the country marches on, the office of the President finds itself under a much more insidious type of fire. Political scandal, an endless war, and a country coming apart at the seams take the 1960’s in a terrifying new direction, and both John and his attorney-general brother, Bobby, struggle to stay ahead of their enemies, political and otherwise, and steer America toward a greater future.

Bryce Zabel is a master of the cover-up and the conspiracy, creating the Emmy-award winning series DARK SKIES. SURROUNDED BY ENEMIES is the first novel in the new Breakpoint series—each book exploring seminal moments in popular history and taking readers on a journey into a mirror world where events are both unexpected yet startlingly believable.

This savvy, fiercely intelligent novel, perfect for readers of Harry Turtledove, brings together elements of political thriller and page-turning history, enthralling readers with a sharply written take on the America that was, and the America that could have been.

WINNER OF THE 2013 SIDEWISE AWARD FOR ALTERNATE HISTORY

The Time Travel Chronicles edited by Crystal Watanabe

Time travel. Humanity has long imagined what it would be like to be able to create a time machine, what we might see if we could travel into the future, or be transported to the distant past. And what if it were possible to travel into our own, more recent past? Would we be able to change our present, or are we prisoners of predestination? Is fate what we make of it?

In this latest title in the acclaimed 'Future Chronicles' series of speculative fiction anthologies, fourteen authors confront the question of time travel and its consequences, exploring a landscape where past, present and future all become imaginable destinations.

"The Time Travel Chronicles" features stories by science fiction grandmaster Robert J. Sawyer (Calculating God), Amazon bestselling author Rysa Walker (the Chronos series), Best American Science Fiction notable Samuel Peralta (Faith), plus eleven more of today's top authors in speculative and science fiction.

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.

New Releases 2/24/15

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

Hardcovers

A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab

From V.E. Schwab, the critically acclaimed author of Vicious, comes a new universe of daring adventure, thrilling power, and parallel Londons, beginning with A Darker Shade of Magic.

Kell is one of the last Travelers—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes—as such, he can choose where he lands.

There’s Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there’s Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne—a place where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London...but no one speaks of that now.

The Violent Century: A Novel by Lavie Tidhar

They never meant to be heroes.

For seventy years they guarded the British Empire. Oblivion and Fogg, inseparable friends, bound together by a shared fate. Until one night in Berlin, in the aftermath of the Second World War, and a secret that tore them apart.

But there must always be an account...and the past has a habit of catching up to the present.

Now, recalled to the Retirement Bureau from which no one can retire, Fogg and Oblivion must face up to a past of terrible war and unacknowledged heroism, - a life of dusty corridors and secret rooms, of furtive meetings and blood-stained fields - to answer one last, impossible question:

What makes a hero?

Weird Belfast: A Miscellany, Almanack and Companion by Reggie Chamberlain-King

Did you know that Herr Dobler, Wizard of the World, appeared at the Victoria Hall in Belfast in 1883? Did your granny ever try Dobbin's Blood Purifier, only available at Dobbin's Chemist, North Street? And did you hear about the arrest of Jack the Ripper in Memel Street in Belfast in 1888? Drawing on newspaper articles, ballads, playbills, and advertisements as well as anecdote, hearsay, and rumor, this is a vivid and endlessly fascinating account of the weird and wonderful and wonderfully weird in Belfast.

Paperbacks

1636: Seas of Fortune by Iver Cooper

National Best Seller in Trade Paperback. A new addition to the multiple New York Times best-selling Ring of Fire series. After carving a place for itself in war-torn 17th century Europe, citizens of the modern town of Grantville, West Virginia, the up-timers and their allies take on continental America and the Japan!

A cosmic catastrophe, the Ring of Fire, strands the West Virginia town of Grantville in the middle of Europe during the Thirty Years War. The repercussions of that event transform Europe and, in a few years, begin spreading across the world. By 1636, the Ring of Fire's impact is felt across two great oceans, the Atlantic and Pacific.

Stretching Out: The United States of Europe seeks out resources -- oil, rubber and even aluminum ore -- to help it wage war against the foes of freedom. Daring pioneers cross the Atlantic and found a new colony on the wild coast of South America. The colonists hope that with the up-timers' support and knowledge they can prosper in the tropics without resort to Indian and African slavery. Then a slave ship visits the colony, seeking water.... and the colonists must make a fateful choice.

Rising Sun: In 1633, the wave of change emanating from the Ring of Fire reaches Japan. The Shogun is intrigued by samples of up-time technology, but it's a peek at what fate had in store for Japan in the old time line that has the greatest impact -- setting events in motion whose tremors are felt thousands of miles away and for years to come, as Japan pulls back from a policy of isolation and stakes out its own claim in the brave new world created by the Ring.

Elementary: The Ghost Line by Adam Christopher

Summons to a bullet-riddled body in a Hell’s Kitchen apartment marks the start of a new case for consulting detectives Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson. The victim is a subway train driver with a hidden stash of money and a strange Colombian connection, but why would someone kill him and leave a fortune behind?

The search for the truth will lead the sleuths deep into the hidden underground tunnels beneath New York City, where answers—and more bodies—may well await them...

What Makes This Book So Great by Jo Walton

As any reader of Jo Walton's Among Others might guess, Walton is both an inveterate reader of SF and fantasy, and a chronic re-reader of books. In 2008, then-new science-fiction mega-site Tor.com asked Walton to blog regularly about her re-reading—about all kinds of older fantasy and SF, ranging from acknowledged classics, to guilty pleasures, to forgotten oddities and gems. These posts have consistently been among the most popular features of Tor.com. Now this volumes presents a selection of the best of them, ranging from short essays to long reassessments of some of the field's most ambitious series.

Among Walton's many subjects here are the Zones of Thought novels of Vernor Vinge; the question of what genre readers mean by "mainstream"; the underappreciated SF adventures of C. J. Cherryh; the field's many approaches to time travel; the masterful science fiction of Samuel R. Delany; Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children; the early Hainish novels of Ursula K. Le Guin; and a Robert A. Heinlein novel you have most certainly never read.

Over 130 essays in all, What Makes This Book So Great is an immensely readable, engaging collection of provocative, opinionated thoughts about past and present-day fantasy and science fiction, from one of our best writers.

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.

New Releases 7/29/14

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

Hardcovers

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century by Alan Moore

The nineteenth century, expiring with a flourish of Moriarty and Martians, has left the division of Military Intelligence commanded by Mina Murray in a state of disrepair. While she and her lover Allan Quatermain have achieved a measure of eternal youth, recruiting new talents such as the trans-gendered immortal Orlando, the ghost-finder Thomas Carnacki, and the gentleman thief A.J. Raffles to replace their deceased or missing colleagues, former associate Captain Nemo has retired to his Pacific pirate island to decline in surly isolation. Now it is the early years of a new and unfamiliar century, and forces are emerging that appear to promise ruin for the Murray group, the nation, and, indeed, the world, even were it to take a hundred years for this apocalyptic threat to come to its disastrous fruition. From the occult parlours and crime-haunted wharfs of 1910, through the criminal, mystical, and psychedelic underworlds of 1969 to the financially and culturally desolated streets of 2009, the disintegrating remnants of Miss Murray and her League must combat not only the hidden hand of their undying adversary, but also the ethical and psychological collapse accompanying this new era. And a lot of things can happen in a CENTURY!

Paperbacks

Jani and the Greater Game by Eric Brown

Jani and the Greater Game is the first book in a rip-roaring, spice-laden, steampunk action adventure series set in India and featuring a heroine who subverts all the norms...

It’s 1910 and the British rule the subcontinent with an iron fist – and with strange technology fuelled by a power source known as Annapurnite – discovered in the foothills of Mount Annapurna. But they rule but at the constant cost of their enemies, mainly the Russians and the Chinese, attempting to learn the secret of this technology... This political confrontation is known as The Greater Game.

Into this conflict is pitched eighteen year old Janisha Chaterjee who discovers a strange device which leads her into the foothills of the Himalayas. When Russians spies and the evil priest Durja Das find out about the device, the chase is on to apprehend Janisha before she can reach the Himalayas. There she will learn the secret behind Annapurnite, and what she learns will change the destiny of the world for ever...

Online Originals

"Brisk Money" by Adam Christopher

Raymond Chandler famously hated science fiction, saying “They pay brisk money for this crap?” However, it has recently come to light that Chandler secretly wrote a series of stories and novels starring a robot detective. He then burnt all the manuscripts and went on writing his noir masterpieces. Unknown to Chandler, his housekeeper had managed to save some of these discarded manuscripts from the grate in his study,  preserving the tales for future generations.

The first of these stories was recently unearthed by author Adam Christopher. On the topic of how the manuscript made its way from Chandler’s study in California to Christopher’s home in England, Christopher is suspiciously quiet.

This novelette was acquired and edited for Tor.com by editor Paul Stevens.

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 #154

Editor's Note

Two apologies today. First up, sorry for trolling all of my American viewers on the 4th. I still thought it was funny.

Second, sorry for the lack of content last week. Things sort of fell apart, but I am hoping for a better week this week. Remember, I did warn you that due to my upcoming move that I would be disappearing for stretches of time.

One more random thought: man is my lap top filthy.

And now the news...

Titan Book Acquires The LA Trilogy by Adam Christopher

Titan Books has acquired Adam Christopher's The LA Trilogy which is set in an alternate 1960s Los Angeles and stars a robot detective and his boss. The deal was struck between Titan Editor Natalie Laverick and Stacia Decker at the Donald Maass Literary Agency. The trilogy is inspired by Raymond Chandler's parody of science fiction in a letter to his agent, from whence Christopher's protagonist was born.

Laverick said, "I'm thrilled to be bringing Adam Christopher's robot PI trilogy over to the UK, and I think Ray and Googol will be right at home at Titan, alongside our Hard Case Crime heavy hitters and fresh sci-fi voices."

"I'm chuffed to bits that Raymond Electromatic has found a second home at Titan," says Christopher, celebrating the deal. 'It's going to be a lot of fun bringing his twisted, alt-universe version of Hollywood to life."

Christopher has written other alternate history novels before, including his debut novel, Empire State, which was SciFiNow’s book of the year and a Financial Times book of the year 2012. The first novel in this new trilogy will be published in September 2015. A novelette set in the same universe, titled Brisk Money, is set to be published by Tor on July 23.

Videos for Alternate Historians

Only one video this week. It is a review of Ignition City by Warren Ellis at Pulp Crazy.

If you know of any videos you think I should check out, shoot me a message. I am always on the lookout for good YouTube videos.

Links to the Multiverse

Books

Acquisitions Announcement from Titan Books by darkphoenix1701 at Geek Syndicate.
Excerpt of The Time Roads by Beth Bernobich.
FINALISTS: 2014 Chesley Awards at SF Signal.
Mark Charan Newton on The Fantasy Of Ancient History at SFX.
Norse Fire: The Nazi Civil War of 1991 by Chris Nuttall at The Chrishanger.
REVIEW: 'Archduke Franz Ferdinand Lives!': Counterfactual Examination of a World Without World War I -- and World War II at HuntingtonNew.net.
Shortlisted for the 2014 Self-Published Book of the Year Award by Alison Morton.
What Is Dieselpunk? by Misty Massey at Magical Words.
What is Punk Fiction? by Stephanie Sauvinet at World Weaver Press.

Counterfactual and Traditional History (Plus News)

Alternate endings: America could be vastly different if Founders had failed by Greg Jordan at Bluefield Daily Telegraph.
Bonnie King Charlie: An Alternate History Speculation by Chris Nuttall at The Chrishanger.
China Seeks Great Power Status After Sea Retreat by David Tweed at Bloomberg.
"Counter-Revolution of 1776": Was U.S. Independence War a Conservative Revolt in Favor of Slavery? at Democracy Now.
Kaaron Warren Celebrates Angry Robot’s 5th Birthday by Naming The 5 Most Horrendous Real People You May Not Have Heard Of (+ Giveaway!) at SF Signal.
These Soviet Concept Vehicles Are Clearly From An Alternate Universe by Vincze Miklós at io9.
What If America Had Lost the Revolutionary War? by Uri Friedman at The Atlantic.

Film and Television

The 10 Least Terrible Episodes of "The Time Tunnel" by Andy Hughes at Topless Robot.
Fox cancels sexy Egypt fantasy 'Hieroglyph' before premiere by James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly.
Getting What We Paid For: Penny Dreadful’s Season 1 Finale, “Grand Guignol” by Ryan Britt at Tor.
The Infinite Man Is A Skillfully Amusing Time-Travel Romance by ProjectCyclops at io9.

Games

Dieselpunk RPG InSomnia returns to Kickstarter, and it's not an MMO by Andy Chalk at PC Gamer.
Fox News rips off BioShock Infinite logo, irony ensues by Sam Barsanti at AV Club.

Interviews

Greg van Eekhout at My Bookish Ways.
Jo Walton at Boing Boing.

* * *

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 #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.

* * *

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 4/9/13

Paperbacks

The Age Atomic by Adam Christopher

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.

The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter

Description from Amazon.

From the author of the bestsellers The Emperor of Ocean Park and New England White, an electrifying and provocative historical novel set in an alternate history in which Abraham Lincoln survives assassination at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865. In this gripping legal and political thriller, Stephen L. Carter imagines what might have happened if Lincoln had lived to face the tumultuous post-war politics of 1865 Washington, D.C., including an impeachment trial for overstepping his Constitutional authority during the Civil War. At the novel’s center is Abigail Canner, a young black woman recently graduated from Oberlin, who is hired by the D.C. law firm that is working on Lincoln’s defense. When one of Lincoln’s lead lawyers is found brutally murdered, Abigail is plunged into a web of intrigue, politics, and conspiracy.

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.

New Releases 3/26/13

Hardcover

Island 731 by Jeremy Robinson

Description from Amazon.

The high adventure of James Rollins meets the gripping suspense of Matthew Reilly in Jeremy Robinson's explosive new thriller

Mark Hawkins, former park ranger and expert tracker, is out of his element, working on board the Magellan, a research vessel studying the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. But his work is interrupted when, surrounded by thirty miles of refuse,  the ship and its high tech systems are plagued by a series of strange malfunctions and the crew is battered by a raging storm.

When the storm fades and the sun rises, the beaten crew awakens to find themselves anchored in the protective cove of a tropical island...and no one knows how they got there. Even worse, the ship has been sabotaged, two crewman are dead and a third is missing. Hawkins spots signs of the missing man on shore and leads a small team to bring him back. But they quickly discover evidence of a brutal history left behind by the Island’s former occupants: Unit 731, Japan’s ruthless World War II human experimentation program. Mass graves and military fortifications dot the island, along with a decades old laboratory housing the remains of hideous experiments.

As crew members start to disappear, Hawkins realizes that they are not alone. In fact, they were brought to this strange and horrible island. The crew is taken one-by-one and while Hawkins fights to save his friends, he learns the horrible truth: Island 731 was never decommissioned and the person taking his crewmates may not be a person at all—not anymore.

Paperback

1636: The Kremlin Games by Eric Flint

Description from Amazon.

A New York Times bestseller in hardcover.  A new addition to the multiple New York Times best-selling Ring of Fire series,. After carving a place for itself in war-torn 17th century Europe, the modern town of Grantville, West Virginia continues its quest for survival. A Grantville resident helps Russia modernize, but he in turn must deal with 1600s Russian culture, politics, and women–or wind up dead.

#14 in the multiply bestselling Ring of Fire Series.

1636. Grantville has bounced back and established its new mission and identity, but it seems some have been left behind—people like Bernie Zeppi, courageous in the battle, but unable to figure out what to do with himself in a world that’s utterly changed. Then Russian emissary Vladimir Gorchacov arrives in Grantville and hires Bernie to journey to Moscow and bring the future to a Russia mired in slavish serfdom and byzantine imperial plots. Bernie jumps at the chance. He figures it to be an easy gig, complete with high pay and hot-and-cold running women.

But one thing Bernie hasn’t counted on is the chance to find his purpose in Mother Russia, from fighting the needless death of children from typhoid to building the first dirigible in Russian history. And then there’s love. Just as Bernie realizes his feeling for a certain Russian noblewoman may have gone way beyond respect, he finds them both enmeshed in the deadly politics of Kremlin power struggles.

War with Poland is afoot and Russia itself is about to get a revolution from within–three centuries early. Bernie Zeppi, former Grantville auto mechanic, is going to have the chance to prove he’s not the loser he believed himself to be. For now Bernie’s task is to save the woman he loves and the country he has come to call his own from collapse into a new Dark Age.

The Age Atomic by Adam Christopher

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.

The Good the Bad and the Infernal by Guy Adams

Description from Amazon.

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.

The Scourge by Roberto Calas

Description from Amazon.

God has forsaken this land.

A mysterious plague descends upon 14th century England, ravaging the country and trapping the souls of the afflicted in eternal madness. The feudal hierarchy--and even the church itself-- slowly crumbles as the dead rise to feed and the living seek whatever shelter they can. The bishops of England call for calm and obedience, but one man isn’t listening.

Sir Edward of Bodiam has been separated from the woman he loves and nothing on heaven or earth can stop him from seeking her out.

Edward and two of his knights travel through the swiftly changing landscape of England, a countryside now overrun by the minions of hell. The knights encounter madness, violence, and sorrow, but Edward fights his way ever deeper into the thickening darkness of unholy terror.

Roberto Calas brings you along on a dark, historical tale full of love, death, and black humor. Follow Edward as he journeys to save his wife, his kingdom, and his very soul.

Video Games

BioShock Infinite

Description from Steam.

Indebted to the wrong people, with his life on the line, veteran of the U.S. Cavalry and now hired gun, Booker DeWitt has only one opportunity to wipe his slate clean. He must rescue Elizabeth, a mysterious girl imprisoned since childhood and locked up in the flying city of Columbia.

To fans, authors and publishers...

Do you want to see your work given a shout out on our New Releases segment? Contact Mitro 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.