Paperbacks The Land Leviathan by Michael Moorcock Description from Amazon.
A brand-new edition of the second novel in Moorcock's acclaimed steampunk series.
Oswald Bastable visits an alternate 1904. Here, he discovers that most of the Western world has been devastated by a short, yet horrific, war fought with futuristic devices and biological weapons. An Afro-American Black Attila is conquering the remnants of the Western nations, destroyed by the wars, in an attempt to bring civilization and social order.
When the Century Club is called in to prevent the assassination of FDR, its just another day on the job - but what they discover puts not just the president, but the entire world in jeopardy.
With psychic dinosaurs taking over Manhattan and beyond, its up to Sally Slick, Jet Black, Mack Silver, and the other Centurions to save humanity - from extinction!
Games Victoria II: A Heart of Darkness Description from Amazon.
Victoria II: Heart of Darkness, the second expansion for the grand strategy/political simulator focuses on the Scramble for Africa as you compete with other colonial powers and experience international crises which require Great Power mediation if the world is to avoid war. Become a truly great power by the dawn of the 20th century in Victoria II, an experience crafted by Paradox Development Studio, the masters of Grand Strategy.
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.
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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a blogger on Amazing Stories and a volunteer editor for Alt Hist magazine. His fiction can be found at Echelon Press, Jake's Monthly andThe 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.
Got some goodies for you on the upcoming expansion pack to Victoria II. The second expansion to the Victorian era grand strategy game, Victoria II: Heart of Darkness, will be released on April 16th on all major digital download portals for $19.99. Features that come with the expansion include:
A new colonization system with a focus on the mad scramble for Africa.
A new naval combat system with a new system of gun ranges, maneuvering into positions for battles and powerful battleships join the other classes of ships to bridge the gap to Dreadnoughts.
International Crises with calls on the Great Powers to mediate and compromise, with war always being the last resort.
A newspaper system keeping you abreast on changing situations with 60 newspapers, both historic and otherwise.
If you are still on the fence about buying it, check out the first of many video developer diaries. This one is brought to you by project lead Dan Lind who introduces the upcoming expansion’s newspaper system, as well as the new feature International Crises:
You can also check out highlights from the live stream below:
Paradox describes the new International Crises system as being "where the colliding desires of rival empires get settled by Great Power mediation and where smaller powers can manipulate their friends to support their own local ambitions." Interesting, but what is gameplay like? O good, there is a trailer for that as well:
As a bonus to those who pre-order Heart of Darkness, select retailers will be offering Victoria I Complete—a gold edition of the original title that started it all—for free. Other retailers will offer 75% off Victoria titles, including Victoria II and Victoria II: A House Divided, with any pre-order of Heart of Darkness. Visit the Victoria II website to see a complete list of retailers.
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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a blogger on Amazing Stories and a volunteer editor for Alt Hist magazine. His fiction can be found at Echelon Press, Jake's Monthly andThe 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.
Editor's Note Reading is important. I shouldn't have to tell you guys that, but I got the feeling last week that not everyone reads as carefully as they should.
First, I want to say thank you for all the great comments I received on Facebook, Twitter and on the blog for my recent article about the impact of steampunk's growing popularity on the alternate history genre. Some of the comments, however, were a little odd. I got the feeling that people were just answering the question I posed (Is steampunk's growing popularity destroying the alternate history genre?) when promoting the article instead of reading the article. This was confirmed after one commenter admitted he should have the read the article before commenting. If you have commented on one of my posts without reading the article, please go back and read it in case there has been any miscommunication between us.
Good news everyone. This May I will be announcing how you can get paid for submitting articles and stories to The Update. I am still working out the particulars, but I believe everything should be sorted out by next month. I look forward to this new evolution of The Update. In the meantime, I am still accepting submissions for articles and original fiction. This is a great way to introduce people to your writing and although you will not get paid now, you will still get free promotion for any of your sites or projects. Email me at ahwupdate at gmail dot comfor submissions or questions.
And now the news...
More on Bioshock Infinite The Internet is still talking about the steampunk/alternate history game BioShock Infiniteand the praise keeps coming in. Joe Frye of Penn Live gave it a 9 out of 10 and said "Infinite aims to do something different from the competition, and it succeeds in a big way." Even Robert Brockway of Cracked pointed out how the "intentional" flaws of the game still make for a great experience. If words are not enough for you, however, just know that numbers don't lie and it should mean something when a game tops the UK charts.
Those looking to learn more about the game can check out Ken Levine, creative director and co-founder of Irrational Games, talk about Infinite and the future of gaming during an episode of On Point with Tom Ashbrook. Also if you ever wondered how plausible a floating city could be, check out Kyle Hill's article on the subject at io9 (spoiler alert: its not plausible).
Paradox News
Paradox Interactive would like to remind us of some upcoming games. Although you can see the full release schedule on their website, below are some upcoming releases I think you would like.
First we have Victoria II: Heart of Darkness. Here is how Paradox describes the game:
The guile and greed of Victorian politics and economic conquest have found their way to uncharted Africa in a new expansion for Victoria II! Expand to a new continent and claim the wealth waiting for you – assuming the other world superpowers don’t beat you to it. Guide your empire through the treachery and double-dealing of the late 19th century in Heart of Darkness, with a new colonization system, naval battles, and international political turmoil between powers great and small.
More on that game later this week. Next up we have Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods:
In the year 867, the Old Gods were still mighty, as the Raven Banner flew over the Great Heathen Army, the state of Russia took form, and Pagans rode across Central Europe. The Old Gods adds these brutal new armies and a wealth of features to the celebrated gameplay of Crusader Kings II, granting players several of their most-desired new abilities. Forced conversions, organized rebels, pillaging and brutal expansions all wait to challenge would-be kings in this new expansion pack – which also makes Crusader Kings II Paradox’s game that spans the longest period of history!
Editor's Note: I removed the rest of this entry because it looks like it was an April Fools Joke. Damn, and I thought I managed to avoid all of them. -Matt
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 andThe 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.
Editor's Note Sorry about the odd posting schedule last week. On top of a hectic couple of days at work, I had to approve the proof for Once Upon a Clockwork Tale, the Echelon Press steampunk/fairy tale anthology where my short the story "The Enchanted Bean" will be appearing.
Exciting I know, but as you can probably guess I was very distracted and probably will be for some time as I begin working on promoting the anthology. If anyone wants to sign up for a review copy, let me know at ahwupdate at gmail dot com.
And now the news...
Saddam's Iraq and the Arab Spring
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair made a controversial counterfactual last week, speculating that if the 2003 invasion of Iraq had not happened any uprising by the Iraqi people during the Arab Spring would have been crushed severely. Here is section of the article that sums up Blair's thoughts rather well:
Mr Blair said he regretted how difficult Iraq had been and the loss of life, but he did not regret the decision to oust Saddam.
Mr Blair said Saddam Hussein had used chemical weapons on his own people "and that's why, when people say to me, 'do you regret removing him', my answer is 'no - how can you regret removing somebody who was a monster, who created enormous carnage - not just amongst his own people but amongst the people of the region'".
Mr Blair said he believed "very sincerely and deeply" that the former Iraqi leader was "a security threat" who had to be dealt with.
Mr Blair's former deputy prime minister, Lord Prescott, has said the invasion "cannot be justified"
"And if you look at what's happening in the Arab Spring today and you examine what's happening in Syria - just reflect on what Bashar al-Assad, who is a 20th as bad as Saddam, is doing to his people today and the number of lives already lost.
"Just ask yourself the question: 'What would be happening now in Iraq if he had been left in power?'"
Twitter was not happy with Blair's counterfactual on the Iraq War, with one Tweeter calling it a "shameless defen[s]e". Blair, however, has his defenders including Bobby Ghosh from Time Magazine who said:
...Saddam would have had no compunction ordering a general slaughter of revolutionaries; and unlike the Tunisian and Egyptian military brass, the Iraqi generals would swiftly have complied. They had already demonstrated this by killing tens of thousands of Shi'ites who rose against the dictator after his Kuwaiti misadventure.
While mass slaughter of Iraqis during the Arab Spring if Saddam still ruled from Baghdad seems to be a popular theory, not everyone backs it. Max Fisher at The Washington Post painted a different scenario, comparing Iraq to OTL Algeria:
Maybe the most apt comparison for how Saddam Hussein’s Iraq would fare in the Arab Spring isn’t Syria, but Algeria. Though Algeria is ruled by an authoritarian, nationalist, military-aligned government, and though popular discontent appears high, there has been no revolution. There are many theories for why this might be, but one of the most persuasive comes down to uprising exhaustion. The county endured an awful civil war from 1991 to about 1999, which the regime won. In the thinking of some Algeria analysts, the legacy of that conflict has left the would-be protesters too tired, too wary of bloodshed and too weak to rise up again.
Of course, this all assumes the Arab Spring still happens on schedule even without the 2003 Iraq War. Any POD preventing the conflict would need to happen years in advance and could range from a Gore presidency to 9/11 never happening. Would the Arab Spring still happen? Were the the triggers in place and ready for the right spark far enough in advance that it was not a matter of if but when?
What do you think?
Update: Finishing School by Gail Carriger
The cover and description for the second novel in the Finishing School series, Curtsies & Conspiracies, by Gail Carriger has been released. Here is the description from SF Signal:
Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?
Sophronia’s first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won’t Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.
Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers’ quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship’s boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot–one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.
In this sequel to bestselling author Gail Carriger’s YA debut Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail’s distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.
If you are interested in reading the first book of the series, Rebecca at The Ranting Dragon called Etiquette & Espionage "a quick, very fun read and opens a series that promises to continue the fun."
Paradox News
Some important announcements from our good friends at Paradox. First, a new patch for March of the Eagles is coming. The latest update to the wargame based on the Napoleonic wars adds the complete set of modding tools from highly popular Crusader Kings II, allowing players to mod March of the Eagles in nearly every aspect imaginable, as well as play with multiple simultaneous mods.
The patch also includes major updates to the gameplay, such as better retreat paths and not allowing low morale units to enter enemy controlled territory, as well as brand new content such as historical generals, completely new combat mechanics and battle sounds. Those interested in playing March of Eagles can download the free demo or buy the game for $19.99.
Next up, the weeks leading up to the release of Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods will be marked with developer diaries pointing out how The Old Gods expansion will transform your Crusader Kings II experience. The first entry in this series of dev diaries about the anticipated expansion, titled "A Different Europe", has already been released.
Lead designer and friend of The Update Henrik Fåhraeus said: "Most importantly, however, the North and East are completely dominated by bustling tribes of unrepentant heathens who remain less than impressed with the White Christ. Why debase yourself before a dead man on a cross when you can loot the riches of his fat clergy instead? Just as the fury of the Northmen descends on the undefended shores of Europe, other, equally pagan threats are on the rise in the steppes of Tartaria. Like the Avars before them, the feared Magyar horse lords are pushing into Europe from beyond the Carpathians. Why is all this more important than the affairs of Christians and Muslims? Because with The Old Gods, all these heathens are finally playable!”
Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods, available in Q2 2013, adds two hundred years to the start of the game, when Viking armies and freelance adventurers pillage towns and monasteries, sailing wherever the promise of gold and glory await them. The hinterlands are still ruled by unrepentant heathens who may only submit to the Glory of God at the point of the sword, and in future Russia, the Orthodox faith may slowly make inroads to lands the Apostles had never dreamed of. Check out the trailer below:
Finally, Paradox Development Studio will be holding a live stream event on March 27, 2013, giving strategy fans never-before-seen looks at two upcoming titles—Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods and Victoria II: Heart of Darkness. The online extravaganza, which will also play host to a special appearance by Europa Universalis IV, will be hosted by Studio Manager Johan Andersson and the rest of the developers in an all afternoon affair that will showcase this year’s portfolio of strategy titles.
Join PDS at 12:00 p.m. GMT (8:00 a.m. EDT) on March 27 by heading over to the official Paradox Interactive channel on TwitchTV.
To go along with the festivities, Paradox will be offering a 75% discount on a large selection of strategy titles during the live stream, including Victoria II and Crusader Kings II, all of which can be purchased from the Paradox Web Shop.
Got to remember to mark my calender, because I really want to pick up Crusader Kings II.
Calender
Here is a rundown of upcoming events:
May 1: Membership rates to join Loncon 3, the 2014 World Science Fiction Convention, will be increased.
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 andThe 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.
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