New Releases 12/30/14

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

Paperbacks

For a Few Souls More by Guy Adams

The thrilling conclusion to the Heaven's Gate Trilogy!

The uprising in Heaven is at an end and Paradise has fallen, becoming the forty-third state of America. Now angels and demons must learn to get along with humans.

The rest of the world is in uproar. How can America claim the afterlife as it’s own? It’s certainly going to try as the President sets out for the town of Wormwood for talks with its governor, the man they call Lucifer.

Hell has problems of its own. There’s a new evangelist walking its roads, trying to bring the penitent to paradise, and a new power is rising. Can anyone stand up to the Godkiller?

Hunter of Sherwood: The Red Hand by Toby Venables

Guy of Gisburne, knight and agent to Prince John, is all that stands between England and anarchy, fighting a shadow battle to protect the kingdom from those who would destroy it.

Returning to England after foiling a plot to destroy Jerusalem, Guy of Gisburne is arrested and hauled to the Tower of London; John, England's regent in the absence of its monstrous King, needs his knight once more. A killer has broken into the Prince’s most secure castle in the north and left a message, drawn on the skin of one of his victims: 'the circle is closing,' signed with a handprint in blood. Is the threat genuine? Who or what is the Red Hand? Someone is killing John's men, and the obvious culprit – the most dangerous man in the Kingdom, Hood himself – has an alibi even Guy can't deny.

Macaque Attack! by Gareth L. Powell

The Spitfire pilot monkey Ack-Ack Macaque faces a world on the brink in this adventure, the conclusion to his astonishing, award-winning trilogy.

In the thrilling conclusion of the Macaque Trilogy, the dangerous but charismatic Ack-Ack Macaque finds himself leading a dimension-hopping army of angry monkeys, facing an invading horde of implacable killer androids, and confronting the one challenge for which he was never prepared: impending fatherhood! Meanwhile, former journalist Victoria Valois fights to save the electronic ghost of her dead husband and reclaim his stolen soul from the sands of Mars.

E-books

The Corridors of Time by Poul Anderson

A young man from the twentieth century is recruited to fight in a war that rages throughout time in a classic science fiction adventure from a multiple Hugo and Nebula Award–winning master

College student, ex-marine, and martial artist Malcolm Lockridge is in prison awaiting his trial for murder when he receives an unexpected visit from an extraordinarily beautiful woman named Storm. Claiming to be a representative of the Wardens, a political faction from two thousand years in the future, Storm offers the astonished young man a proposition: freedom in return for his assistance in recovering an unspecified lost treasure. But it is not long before Malcolm realizes that, in truth, he’s been recruited as a soldier in the Wardens’ ongoing war against their rivals, the Rangers. And this war is different from any that has ever been fought, because the battlefield is not a place but time itself.

Traveling backward and forward through corridors connecting historical epochs separated by thousands of years, Malcolm is soon embroiled in a furious conflict between the forces of good and minions of evil. But the deeper he is pulled into this devastating time war, the clearer Malcolm’s ultimate role in humankind’s destiny becomes, causing the troubled young soldier from the twentieth century to question whether he’s been chosen to fight on the side of good or evil . . . and if such a distinction even exists.

A Midsummer Tempest by Poul Anderson

A fantastic tale of intrigue, love, war, magic, and swashbuckling adventure set in an alternate universe where fairies mingle freely with Englishmen and all of Shakespeare’s fictional characters are real

Welcome to an alternate civil-war-torn seventeenth-century England—a world where Hamlet once brooded and Othello jealously raged. Here faeries and sprites gambol in English woods, railroads race across the landscape while manned balloons float above the countryside, and the most respected historian of all is one William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon.

The year is 1644, and the war between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers rages. When Rupert, nephew of King Charles I, is taken captive by Cromwell’s troops and imprisoned in a Puritan home, he is immediately smitten with the beautiful Jennifer Alayne, his captor’s niece. Escaping with the help of his newfound beloved and the loyal trooper Will Fairweather, Rupert leads Jennifer deep into the forest, where the faerie folk who dwell there have a vested interest in the outcome of the great and bloody conflict. Though the lovers must soon part—with the prince undertaking a dangerous mission for his magical benefactors that could turn the tide of war—Rupert and his lady love will be forever joined by the rings presented to them by King Oberon and Queen Titania. And despite the strange, twisting pathways and turbulent seas they are destined to encounter, they will always be able to find each other again . . . as long as their love remains true.

Nominated for the World Fantasy Award and winner of the Mythopoeic Award, Poul Anderson’s A Midsummer Tempest is a titanic achievement—a delightful alternate-history fantasy that brings the fictional worlds of Shakespeare’s plays to breathtaking life with style, wit, and unparalleled imagination.

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 #129

Editor's Note

What the hell happened to Mitro?

Well I'll tell you. On top of a pregnant wife and house hunting, there has been some shake ups in my department leaving a lot of room for promotion. My career has taken precedence over my writing, but with the Thanksgiving break coming up, I am going to give myself a day of writing to get ahead of the next couple of weeks before I take a long break in December.

In the meantime, look forward to an article on what if JFK had lived by me. Yeah a little late I know, but when have I ever had a sense for timing? Sadly no New Releases this week, but perhaps I will have a nice preview for you.

And now the news...

Guy Adams returns to Heaven’s Gate with Once Upon a Time in Hell

Book Two of the Heaven’s Gate Trilogy, Once Upon A Time in Hell, by Guy Adams will be published on Dec 31, 2012. Here is the description from the press release:

Guy Adams returns to his incredible Steampunk Wild West world with the sequel to The Good The Bad And The Infernal! 

One day every hundred years, a town appears, its location and character different every time. The town’s name is Wormwood and it is a gateway to heaven itself. Wormwood has appeared, and with it a doorway to the afterlife. But what use is a door if you can’t step through it? 

Hundreds have battled unimaginable odds to reach this place, including the blind shooter Henry Jones; the drunk and liar Roderick Quartershaft; that most holy, yet enigmatic of orders, the Brotherhood of Ruth; the inventor Lord Forset and his daughter Elisabeth; the fragile messiah Soldier Joe and his nurse Hope Lane. Of them all, Elwyn Wallace, a young man who only wanted to travel west for a job, would have happily forgone the experience. But he finds himself abroad in Hell, a nameless, aged gunslinger by his side. He had thought nothing could match the terror of his journey thus far, but time will prove him wrong. 

On the road to Hell, good intentions don’t mean a damn…

The first book in the trilogy, The Good, The Bad and The Infernal, was released by Solaris last April. Will you be reading up on this Weird Western?

Airship 27 Productions finally publishes its nameksake title

Lovers of those graceful flying whales will enjoy this news. Airship 27 Productions has released their namesake title, Zeppelin Tales.

“I doubt there could be a more inevitable title for us than this one,” joked Airship 27 Managing Editor Ron Fortier. “Even since we started publishing new pulp novels and anthologies, many of our readers would point to our logo and ask when we were going to get around to doing a book about airships.”

As the press release explains: In the early 20th Century, German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin pioneered the creation of rigid, lighter-than-air crafts capable of long distance flights. During World War One, they were adapted for military use as long range bombers wreaking havoc upon Great Britain from their lofty positions high above the clouds where fixed-winged fighters could not reach them. After the war, the Zeppelins became pleasure ships utilized in luxury Trans-Atlantic Flights and highly popular. These machines inspired the pulp writers of the 1930s and they remain fundamental to many alternate history and steampunk works of today.

Fortier states that as much as he was always keen on the idea, other projects kept taking precedence. Then a few years ago one of their regular contributors pushed the matter to the foreground.

“Writer Frank Schildiner wrote one day pretty much asking if we were ever going to get to this particular theme as it begged to be done. I no longer had any legitimate excuse not to tackle the project. We put out the word and within a few days two of our finest pulp writers answered the call.”

This debut volume include Jim Beard’s new hero, Tracer Talbot, as he encounters a mysterious pirate airship and her crew. Meanwhile writer I.A. Watson sets off on an aerial adventure aboard an experimental Zeppelin built to explore the skies of an alien dimension. Each story is illustrated by Pedro Cruz, and the book features a stunning cover by artist Mike Fyles with Art Director Rob Davis providing the book’s overall design.

If you pick this volume up, let The Update know what you think.

Video Gallery

Feast your eyes on some new videos for alternate historians. First up is the features trailer for Crusader Kings II: Sons of Abraham:

Next up, Epic Rap Battles of History returns with Bob Ross vs. Pablo Picasso:

Finally, lets learn about the Civil Rights movement and 1950s America in another Crash Course video:

Calendar

Nov 30: Steampunk symposium at The Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard, London.

Dec 16: Deadline to submit your paper to the Sights and Frights: Victorian Visual Culture, Horror and the Supernatural conference at the University of Sussex.

Links to the Multiverse

Articles

Time travel's impossible destinations by Damien Walter at The Guardian.
What is Steampunk? by Richard Ellis Preston, Jr. at SF Signal.

Books

Excerpt: ROMULUS BUCKLE & THE ENGINES OF WAR by Richard Ellis Preston, Jr. at SF Signal.
Harry Turtledove’s Three Alternative World War Twos at History Lives.
Library Journal names The Daedalus Incident one of the best SF/F books of 2013 by Michael J. Martinez.
Reflections & V is also for... by Guy Saville.
Solaris commission second Eric Brown steampunk novel at SF Scope.
Women in Science Fiction by Ian Sales at The Little Red Reviewer.
YELLOW WOOD by Lavie Tidhar at History Lives.

Comics

The 10 most insane alternate reality versions of popular superheroes by Esther Inglis-Arkell at io9.
CLOCKWORK ANGELS: The *Graphic* Novel by Kevin J. Anderson.

Counterfactual/Traditional History

Amazing Leonardo Da Vinci Instrument Brought to Life by J. Bryan Lowder at Slate.
Ari Shavit Counterfactually Reassesses George Bush's Spelling Skills and Iran Policy by Gavriel D. Rosenfeld at The Counterfactual History Review.
This Conservative History Book Will Make You Stupider by David Weigel at Slate.
Shifting sands: Rewriting history after the revolution by SJ at The Economist.

Reviews

After Earth at Just Love Movies.
Curtsies and Conspiracies at Stellar Four.
Elementary 2.9 at Thinking about books.
The Peshawar Lancers at Bubblews.
Red Sky Blue Moon at Alt Hist.
Revolution 2.9 at Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress.
The Violent Century at Falcata Times.

Television

The 14 Strangest Moments in Doctor Who Alt-History by Bluehinter at Observation Deck.

* * *

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 

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.

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.

Weekly Update #70.1

Editor's Note

So last week I took Monday off to celebrate Labor Day, but this Monday I am back with a double-helping of Weekly Update. This post will focus primarily on alternate history, but steampunk fans should stay tuned for part 2 which will focus on the steampunk news of the last two weeks.

Thanks to everyone who voted in our last poll. Based on your answers I will no longer be promoting Weekly Update on Reddit. Sorry to everyone who followed on Reddit, but there was not enough of you following from that site. In the meantime, please check out our new poll on the right. Your votes will help decide what recurring segments continue or are resurrected.

Some good news now, we broke our monthly page view record for the 4th time in a row. Our new record stands at a whopping 11,712 page views in the month of August. This is on top of celebrating our 80,000th page view ever.

Congrats to winners of the Battle of the Book Review Blogs. Although AH Weekly Update did not place, I believe we did end up in 5th place out of dozen or more blogs. That is pretty impressive for such a young site in as niche of market as alternate history. This is a testament to our great fans and I thank you for your continued support from the bottom of my heart.

And now the news...

Update: Eric Flint

I actually got a chance to sit in on a panel headed by Eric Flint at Chicon about electronic publishing. Interesting topic and boy can the man talk, but I will share more details later this week when I publish my recap of Chicon.

That man can write as well. WCG at That's interest... reviewed his recent novel 1636: The Kremlin Games. Although WCG gave a good review of the novel, he did have this to say: "If you're a fan of the series, and haven't gotten tired of the whole thing, I'm sure you'll want to read this book. It's lots of fun. It's just that, for better and for worse, it's series fiction that's been going on for a long time now."

And the series will be going on. Eric has been posting snippets to the next installment of the 1632 series, 1635: The Papal Stakes. You can check out snippets 35, 36 and 37 there if you want.

Alternate Historians remember Neil Armstrong by envisioning his early death

Astronaut and first man on the moon Neil Armstrong died late last month. The 82-year old man was part of an elite club, having traveled farther from home than any other human. Mourning in a way that is unique to alternate historians, we remembered the famous pioneer by speculating about what if he had died earlier. Just check out the article What if Neil Armstrong Had Died on the Moon? by Mark Whittington at Examiner.com where he shares an AH story about such a tragedy along with a link to Nixon's back-up speech in case Neil and Buzz remained stuck on the moon. There is an even a February 2012 dramatization of such an event called Moon Graffiti that made the rounds following the announcement of Armstrong's death.

Things to do

Sept 27: At the London Megastore you can attend the Titan Books Signing Bonanza, featuring such authors as Guy Adams (The Army of Dr. Moreau) and Kim Newman (Anno Dracula series).

October: What if Mary Todd Lincoln had a chance to defend her sanity under modern legal principles? The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, IL will host a courtroom performance between Abraham Lincoln's widow and her son Robert over whether or not she was really insane and needed to be committed to an asylum.

Submissions Wanted

Two more opportunities to get published:

• Spellbound, a quarterly fantasy magazine for children 8-12, is looking for submissions up to 2500 words. Find more details here
• The final anthology to be published by Jake's Monthly has been announced. There is no theme for this one, so dust off that old chestnut and help Jake celebrate his goal of publishing an anthology once a month for a year.

As always, good luck.

Links to the Multiverse

Articles

Alternate History by Boak and Bailey's Beer Blog.

Alternate Histories: 7 Ways the World Could Be Completely Different by Mark Juddery at mental_floss. And check out this rebuttal.

A Counterfactual History: Rick Perry Speaks At the Republican National Convention by Zac Crain at D Magazine.

Guest Post: An Alternate History of Israeli-Turkish Reconciliation by Dov Friedman at Ottomans and Zionists.

Politics & Alternative Reality Fiction by Mike LaBossiere at Talking Philosophy.

Books

Alternative History, Mystery: Dust to Blood by @tmycann at The Masquerade Crew.

Michaele Jordan Reviews Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations at Black Gate.

Review: COUP D’ETAT by Harry Turtledove done by K. Burtt at Geek Speak Magazine.

Review by Seamus Sweeney of Resistance by Owen Sheers at Alt Hist.

Review of Bitter Seeds (Milkweed #1) by Ian Tregillis done by My Bookish Ways.

Review of Northlands 3: Iron Winter by Stephen Baxter done by Falcata Times.

Films

What if The Dark Knight Rises took place in 1930s Shanghai? by Cyriaque Lamar at io9.

Maps

The separatist map of Africa: interactive by Luc Torres, Clar Ni Chonghaile, Finbarr Sheehy and Paddy Allen at The Guardian.

Music

Billy Joel Meets Stephen King Meets The Simpsons by Matt Selam at Time Entertainment.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a volunteer editor for Alt Hist and a contributor to Just Below the Law. His fiction can be found at Echelon Press, Jake's Monthly and his own writing blog. When not writing he works as an attorney and enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana.

Weekly Update #69

Editor's Note

Hehe...69...hehe.

Cough. Sorry about that. Had to get the immaturity out of my system. I apologize to my new readers from Bangladesh and Lebanon for having to see that. Please don't stop reading Weekly Update.

So it looks like we are on track again to beat the monthly record. Thank you to all my fans and don't forget to continue to show your support by voting for us at the Battle of the Book Review Blogs. Also please vote in the poll to your right so I can get a better idea on how you follow Weekly Update. If the vote continues as it is I will have to stop advertising on Reddit.

Chicon 7 is this weekend. I know a few readers are going there so hopefully we will have a chance to meet face to face this weekend. I will be the one dressed as a young attorney who went straight from work to a science fiction convention. Very original.

This week we have New Releases, updates from Chicon 7 and lots of steampunk.

And now the news...

Clockwork Angels by Kevin J. Anderson

In June I talked about how SF author Kevin J. Anderson and the rock band Rush were teaming up to produce a steampunk book and album. Since then I haven't talked about the project much, but last week Anderson was busy promoting the novel by doing an interview with Phil Simon at The Huffington Post and Sue Carter Flinn at Quill & Quire where he discusses collaborating with Rush, steampunk and other topics. Those wondering if the book is any good should check out Larry Ketchersid's review over at SF Signal. He gave it 4 out of 5 stars and said "[n]ot just for Rush and KJA fans, but enjoyable for those who like different worlds and allegorical fables."

The Army of Dr. Moreau by Guy Adams

Two weeks ago I discussed The Army of Dr. Moreau by Guy Adams. Well a couple more reviews of the book were published last week. Marleen at More Than a Reading Journal said that the novel is "very well written and smooth to read. The pages almost turn themselves as the story shifts between investigation, deduction and action. It is easy for the reader to get drawn into this story, get immersed in Victorian London and the sewers underneath it. And, as always, the readers will find themselves, like Watson, trailing behind the great detective when it comes to solving the mystery." Falcata Times posted a review as well saying "Its witty, it’s clever and of course brings the full flavour of the time period which when added to solid action, great pace and no nonsense combat all in makes for a very satisfactory read."

Thieftaker by D. B. Jackson

One last book to talk about before I move on to other topics and that is the historical fantasy called Thieftaker by D.B. Jackson. Bookworm Blues posted a review of the novel giving it 4 out of 5 stars and said that "[i]t’s a tricky thing to blend history and fantasy so seamlessly, especially when it’s a piece of history that many people are very passionate and (somewhat) well informed about. It’s hard for an author to take this event and add fantasy without making readers pause, and D.B. Jackson does it wonderfully. Fantasy and reality blend naturally under his well-practiced hand."  Those wanting to learn more can listen to episode 175 of AISFP where Jackson is a guest and discusses "real life thieftakers from times long past, complicated magic systems, the accessibility of dialogue in epic fantasy, urban fantasy VS epic fantasy, how a Ph.D. has helped him create political and economic systems, and his work as David B. Coe."

Arcane Empires

People who enjoy playing games on their smart phones should check out the fantasy/steampunk strategy game Arcane Empires by Kabam. The game involves you leading a civilization through a war-ravaged world. You can build steampunk-themed weapons to defeat your enemies such as flying submarines, mechanical attack elephants and mechagriffs. And it is free as well, so I might have to check it out since I stopped playing Words with Friends.

Here is the trailer if you want to learn more:

Where in the world is S.M. Stirling?

With his new novel Lord of Mountains coming out on September 4th, S. M. Stirling is out and about the US of A marketing the crap out of it. If you are going to Dragon*Con, here is where you can find him from Aug 31st to Sept 2nd:

Title: The Abundant World of Alternate History: An Overview
Description: Not just "Steampunk 101" this panel will survey it all: Speculative Fiction, Steampunk, Dieselpunk, Post-Apocalypse, and much more!
Time: Fri 01:00 pm Location: International BC - Westin (Length: 1 Hour) 

Title: Autograph Session
Time: Fri 05:30 pm Location: M301 - M304 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour) 

Title: 101 Fascinating Ways to Kill a Character
Description: From blood and guts to more subtle ways to knock of characters...Writers tell all.
Time: Fri 10:00 pm Location: Embassy D-F - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour) 

Title: Meet the Authors of Alternate History
Description: A wide array of Steampunk authors as they discuss their various Steampunk worlds and what to consider when writing your own.
Time: Sat 02:30 pm Location: Augusta 1-2 - Westin (Length: 1 Hour) 

Title: Reading: S. M. Stirling
Time: Sat 05:30 pm Location: Marietta - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour) 

Title: Alternate Apocalypse: How Many Ways Can The World End?
Description: Will impending doom come from zombies, asteroids, or Elder Gods? Come discuss these and more fantastical ways it could all end.
Time: Sat 08:30 pm Location: International BC - Westin (Length: 1 Hour) 

Title: Emberverse and Other Worlds With S.M. Sterling
Description: Spend an hour with S.M. Stirling. Bring your questions about his take on Alt. History, morality and collaborative writing.
Time: Sun 04:00 pm Location: International A - Westin (Length: 1 Hour)

Not going to be in Atlanta this weekend? Neither am I, but other parts of the country will be hosting appearances by Stirling. On Sept 5th Stirling will be at Powell's Books in Beaverton, OR and on Sept 6th he will be at Books & Co. in Beavercreek, OH. At this rate, other towns named after the prolific dam builders should also be on the lookout for a wild Stirling coming to their town!

Submissions Wanted

Aspiring authors have another chance to get published. The Masquerade Crew is looking for 5k to 10k short stories involving time travel to the future. Deadline is the end of September and while you can send them a character driven story, they are more interested in the actual setting. More details can be found here.

As always, good luck!

Links to the Multiverse

Books

Changing gears and a shiny new cover by Cindy Spencer Pape at Steamed!

The Economic Record of the McCain Presidency by Justin Fox by Harvard Business Review.

Forthcoming Steampunk (and a bit free to read) by Rachael Acks at 4.5 Billion Years of Wonder.

A Northern (or Maybe Bronx?) Cheer for the South’s Independence by Janet Maslin at The New York Times.

Review of The Harry Houdini Mysteries: The Houdini Specter by Daniel Stashower at David Marshall at Thinking about books.

Review of The Rift Walker by Clay and Susan Griffith done by Suzanne Lazear at Steamed!

Comics

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: 1996 would include Dana Scully and Zack Morris by Cyriaque Lamar at io9.

Films

Alternate History Films by Steve at Deadly Computer.

Games

New Dishonored Screenshots Show Creepy Baby Hat-Mask by Greg Tito at The Escapist.

Interviews

Geoffrey Wilson done by Mihir Wanchoo at Fantasy Book Critic.

Podcasts

Flatwater Forever: Protect and Survive Middle America Podcast #1 by Chipperback.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a volunteer editor for Alt Hist and a contributor to Just Below the Law. His fiction can be found at Echelon Press, Jake's Monthly and his own writing blog. When not writing he works as an attorney and enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana.