Review: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Episode 1, "The Friends of English Magic"

I've been talking non-stop for months now about BBC's adaptation of Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and now the first episode is here. Not on TV, of course. Who uses such an antiquated device? If you don't have BBC America here in the States you can watch it instead on BBC America's YouTube channel.

The episode begins with John Segundus asking why magic isn't practiced anymore in England. After being laughed out of his club of "theoretical" magicians, he tracks down the person who has been buying up all of the books of magic in York. He meets Mr. Norrell who admits to being a practical magician, but the other "magicians" of York don't believe him. Demanding he prove himself, Mr. Norrell makes all of the statues in the York Minster come to life. After proving he can do magic, Mr. Norrell travels to London to offer his services toward the war effort against Napoleon, but he is blown off by the ministers until one of their number's wife dies and Mr. Norrell decides he may have found the right bit of magic to perform to change their minds...

Meanwhile, Jonathan Strange is madly in love Arabella, but she is not interested in marrying him until he finds a job (women, am I right?). Jonathan has no idea what he wants to do with his life and his father is a of little help since he is a mean, old man who thinks Jonathan is a complete screw up. Lucky for Jonathan, his father dies the next day. Jonathan, wasting no time grieving (and who would with a father like that), travels to see Arabella in hopes that now that he has inherited his father's estate, she would agree to marry him. On the way, however, he happens upon a street magician named Vinculus who claims Jonathan is one of two magicians prophesied to bring magic back to England...

Enough recapping, what did I think of Episode 1? Well I am happy it cut out a lot of the details of early 19th century English society and cut straight to the magic while still managing to hit all of the important plot points. It had a very Gothic atmosphere and I thought the casting of Enzo Cilenti as Childermass was near perfect, but I admit casting Vincent Franklin as Christopher Drawlight was less so. Vincent just seemed to be playing the character way too over the top for me.

The CGI wasn't great, but it made up for it with a couple jump scares early on. In fact I found the "the gentleman with thistle-down hair" to be quite creepy and came off more like a demon than a fairy...but then again, in some stories its hard to tell one from the other. Despite its dark tones, the show could be funny at times, although the humor was rather childish.

So all in all, not a bad first episode, but there is room for improvement. I have some time to wait before episode 2, but if you haven't watched it already I would go check out episode 1 as soon as you have the free time. Its entertaining and (more importantly) its free.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

Weekly Update #190

Editor's Note

Ugh...Twitter. Can someone who better understands that platform explain to me how I went from over 700 followers to losing more than a dozen in a matter of a few days? Seriously, it boggles my mind. Is it something I am doing (or not doing) or is it something completely out of my control. Any insight would be appreciated.

And now the news...

What do the critics think of Michael J. Martinez's The Venusian Gambit?

Friend of The Update, Michael J. Martinez, recently celebrated the publication of his new book, The Venusian Gambit. The third and (so far) final book in the Daedalus series, check out the plot summary from Amazon below:

In the year 2135, dangerous alien life forms freed in the destruction of Saturn's moon Enceladus are making their way towards Earth. A task force spearheaded by Lt. Cmdr. Shaila Jain is scrambling to beat them there while simultaneously trying to save crewmember Stephane Durand, who was infected during the mission to Saturn and is now controlled by a form of life intent on reopening a transdimensional rift and destroying the human race. But Jain doesn’t realize that the possessed Stephane has bigger plans, beaming critical data to other conspirators suspiciously heading not for Earth, but for Venus…

In 1809—a Napoleonic era far different from our own—the French have occupied England with their Corps Eternélle, undead soldiers risen through the darkest Alchemy. Only the actions of Lord Admiral Thomas Weatherby and the Royal Navy have kept the French contained to Earth. But the machinations of old enemies point to a bold and daring gambit: an ancient weapon, presumed lost in the jungles of Venus.

Now, Weatherby must choose whether to stay and fight to retake his homeland or pursue the French to the green planet. And Shaila must decide if it’s possible to save the man she loves, or if he must be sacrificed for the good of two dimensions. In the dark, alien jungles of Venus, humanity's fate in both dimensions hangs in the balance—forcing past and present to once again join forces against an ancient terror.

While you can check out my thoughts on The Venusian Gambit over at Amazing Stories (spoiler: I do recommend you read it), what do the other critics think about Michael's book? Trinitytwo from The Qwillery called it a pleasure to read, remarked on its diverse cast of characters and finished by saying it was a satisfying conclusion to the series. Paul Weimer from SF Signal gave the book 4 1/2 stars out of 5 and said it had " [e]xciting action and strong diverse characters; good use of asynchronous time streams in character development.

So all good reviews for The Venusian Gambit and in case you want to know what the author thinks of our favorite genre, check out his list of five alternate history books you should check out over at Tor.

Alison Morton Celebrates the publication of Aurelia

Another friend of The Update who released a new book was Alison Morton. She published the fourth book in her Roma Nova series, Aurelia. Here is the description from Amazon:

Late 1960s Roma Nova, the last Roman colony that has survived into the 20th century. Aurelia Mitela is alone – her partner gone, her child sickly and her mother dead – and forced to give up her beloved career as a Praetorian officer. 

But her country needs her unique skills. Somebody is smuggling silver – Roma Nova’s lifeblood – on an industrial scale. Sent to Berlin to investigate, she encounters the mysterious and attractive Miklós, a known smuggler who knows too much and Caius Tellus, a Roma Novan she has despised and feared since childhood. 

Barely escaping a trap set by a gang boss intent on terminating her, she discovers that her old enemy is at the heart of all her troubles and pursues him back home to Roma Nova... 

As any good author in the 21st century has done, Alison has been busy promoting her novel across the Internet. You can read an excerpt from Aurelia over at Unusual Historicals and even read a scene that didn't make the final cut over at Alison's site. You can also read a guest post Alison wrote over at Sandy's Chatterblog.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Premiere Date Announced

We leave the world of books to share the news that BBC's adaptation of Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell will premier on BBC One in the UK on May 17 and will premiere on BBC America on June 13 according to Deadline. Here is the plot summary from the same site:

In 1806, the reclusive and skillful Mr Norrell (Marsan) is thought to be the last remaining practical magician. His displays thrill the nation — in London, he raises the beautiful Lady Pole (Englert) from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. But he is sooon challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange (Carvel). While trying to secure his beloved Arabella’s (Riley) hand in marriage, he meets a vagabond, the magician of Threadneedle Street, who tells him he is destined to be a great magician. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrell. A dangerous battle ensues between the two great men.

...and thats all I got to say other than I can't wait!

Videos for Alternate Historians

We begin last week in videos with another episode from the Alternate History Hub that features two PODs on Iranian history. Check them out below:

And we end with Ray Narvaez Jr, my favorite Twitch streamer, playing a round of Wolfenstein: The Old Blood:

Links to the Multiverse

Books & Short Fiction

Announcing the 2015 Locus Award Finalists! at Tor.
Guest Post: John A. Connell, author of Ruins of War at My Bookish Ways.
More Dinosaur Lords Art from Richard Anderson at Tor.
Review: 11/22/63 by Stephen King at Journal-Advocate.
Review: Bombs Away by Harry Turtledove at Article 94.
Review: The Chronicles of Light and Shadow by Liesel Schwarz at Geek Dad
Review: Clash of Eagles by Alan Smale at Fanboy Comics.
Review: Hitler’s Time Machine by Robert F. Dorr at Notes from the Bunker.
Review: Old Venus edited by George RR Martin and Gardner Dozois at Falcata Times.
These Imaginative Parallel Universes Will Forever Change How You Think About Africa at Good.

Counterfactuals, History & News

The Austrian castle where Nazis lost to German-US force at BBC.
How Texas could have been French-speaking at The Independent.
Letter From Lovecraft to Houdini About Edgar Allen Poe's Desk at The Lovecraft eZine.
'Texas Ranger' Chuck Norris warns of government plot to take over state at The Guardian.

Film & Television

Alternate History: What If George Miller’s JUSTICE LEAGUE Wasn’t Cancelled? at Collider.
Avengers: Age Of Ultron: alternate endings that never were at Den of Geek.
Five Things About Penny Dreadful Are Better Than Ever (And One’s Not) at io9.
Outlander 1.13 Mother's Day at Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress.

Games

Review: Wolfenstien: The Old Blood at IGN.

Graphic Novels & Comics

Review: The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua at Journal Sentinel.

Interviews

Rod Duncan at SFFWorld.
Brooke Johnson at The Mary Sue.

Podcasts

Podcast Spotlight: Beneath Ceaseless Skies Podcast at SF Signal.
Ratchet RetroCast Episode 50 – RETROCASTERS NEVER SAY DIE! at The ESO Network.

* * *

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 #189

Editor's Note

So I think I have had a long enough break since my Britain trip that its time to get back to some serious writing. Starting this week I am going to begin the long process of cutting my Sideways in Time paper to a more appropriate length. Hopefully that doesn't mean I will have to cut back on my writing elsewhere. In fact the schedule for this week is pretty much locked in, so that is good. If I can keep up the pace of 6 articles a week (counting my work at Amazing Stories) I think I can keep delivering alternate history content to you guys and work on my other projects.

Also no Map Monday this week. Sorry, but nothing inspired me enough to write about it.

And now the news...

What do the critics think of Hi Hitler! by Gavriel Rosenfeld?

Gavriel Rosenfeld, proprietor of The Counterfactual History Review, has a new book out called Hi Hitler! which discusses the normalization of Nazism in modern culture. Here is the description from Amazon:

The Third Reich's legacy is in flux. For much of the post-war period, the Nazi era has been viewed moralistically as an exceptional period of history intrinsically different from all others. Since the turn of the millennium, however, this view has been challenged by a powerful wave of normalization. Gavriel D. Rosenfeld charts this important international trend by examining the shifting representation of the Nazi past in contemporary western intellectual and cultural life. Focusing on works of historical scholarship, popular novels, counterfactual histories, feature films, and Internet websites, he identifies notable changes in the depiction of the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the figure of Adolf Hitler himself. By exploring the origins of these works and assessing the controversies they have sparked in the United States and Europe, Hi Hitler! offers a fascinating and timely analysis of the shifting status of the Nazi past in western memory.

The book got a lot of attention last week when Richard Evans (Altered Pasts) critiqued the book on The Guardian. He summed up Hi Hitler! by saying "Rosenfeld’s book is engrossing and thought-provoking, but in the end it does not convince." Well not the best review, but I guess there is no such thing as bad publicity. Speaking of publicity, Gavriel discussed stories where Hitler survives his death over at The Conversation. Go check it out and let us know what you think.

What do the critics think of Mary Robinette Kowal's Of Noble Family?

The always delightful Mary Robinette Kowal has published the conclusion to her Glamourist Histories series. Its called Of Nobel Family and here is the description from Amazon:

Jane and Vincent have finally gotten some much-needed rest after their adventures in Italy when Vincent receives word that his estranged father has passed away on one of his properties in the West Indies. His brother, who manages the estate, is overwhelmed, and no one else in his family can go. Grudgingly, out of filial duty the couple decide to go.

The sea voyage is long and Jane spends enough time unable to perform glamour that towards the end of the trip she discovers that she is with child. They are overjoyed, but when they finally arrive at the estate to complete what they expect to be routine legal tasks, they realize that nearly everything they came expecting to find had been a lie. Also, the entire estate is in disarray, with horrifying conditions and tensions with the local slave population so high that they are close to revolt.

Jane and Vincent's sense of peril is screaming out for them to flee, but Vincent cannot stand to leave an estate connected with his family in such a condition. They have survived many grand and terrifying adventures in their time, but this one will test their skills and wits more than any they have ever encountered before, this time with a new life hanging in the balance. Mary Robinette Kowal's Of Noble Family is the final book of the acclaimed Glamourist Histories.

Paul Weimer at SF Signal called it a "[s]trong endgame for the series and an excellent use of events from previous novels. Vincent and Jane continue to grow and glow as characters." Well it looks like Paul enjoyed the book, but if you want to know Mary's favorite bit of Of Noble Family, check out her post on her site. She also will be on book tour starting tomorrow.

Videos for Alternate Historians

Remember when I posted that teaser trailer on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, yeah turns out they released a longer version not much later:

Looks pretty good. Can't wait. Now lets figure out how to start our own country:

Fascinating and the rules to creating your own country should apply to future off-world colonies. Now lets dive back to the past and find out how to live forever:

You got to love the effort they put into creating these Vsauce videos. Anywho, Sean Korsgaard filmed the alternate history panel at Ravencon 2015, featuring another familiar face here at The Update, Chris Nuttall:

I haven't listened to the whole panel, so watch at your own risk.

Links to the Multiverse

Books & Short Fiction

2015 Readers Choice Awards at Steampunk Chronicles.
AURELIA - excerpt by Alison Morton.
Gideon Smith cover gallery by David Barnett at Postcards From The Hinterland.
Message Fiction: Politics in Sci-Fi and Fantasy Literature by The G at Tor.
Representing Marginalized Voices in Historical Fiction and Fantasy at Strange Horizons.
Review: Joe Steele by Harry Turtledove at That's What I'm Talking About.
Roma Novan family trees by Alison Morton.
The Strange Horizons Book Club: Hild by Nicola Griffith at Strange Horizons.
These incredible paintings of sci-fi suburbia are finally turning into a book at The Verge.
To Explore Strange Old Worlds, to Seek Out Old Civilizations at Strange Horizons.

Counterfactuals, History & News

7 Lesser-Known Victorian Inventors Who Were Just As Fascinating As Tesla at io9.
Abbott Orders Texas Guard to 'Monitor' Planned Military Exercises at NPR.
Deep, deep south: Brazilians proudly celebrate their Confederate ancestry at The Guardian.
Great Moments in Peaceful Protest History at The Nib.
The most racist places in America, according to Google at The Washington Post.

Film & Television

It's Still Alive! Modern Adaptations of Frankenstein by Sarah Clare at Hodderscape.
Outlander 1.12: Black Jack's Progeny at Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress.

Games

7 Games We Saw in Action That Never Came Out by Keza MacDonald at Kotaku.
Can a game show us what would happen under far-right rule? at Boing Boing.

Graphic Novels & Comics

The Complete History Of The Joker's Many, Many Incarnations by James Whitbrook at io9.

Interviews

Brooke Johnson at My Bookish Ways.
Michael J Martinez at SF Signal.
Gareth L. Powell at The Gutterbound Stargazer.

Podcasts

Dissecting Worlds Series 9 – Episode 6: Special Circumstances at Geel Syndicate.

* * *

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.

Teaser Trailer for BBC's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Magic returns this summer according to BBC. The trailer for their adaptation of Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was released a few days ago. Check it out below:

Although it is a very short video, it looks pretty damn good. I am actually excited about this show. If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend you pick up a copy and I hope you join me in catching the first episode this summer (unless UKIP shuts it down).

* * *

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.

Book Review: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

With BBC's upcoming adaptation of Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, I decided to prepare for the mini-series by actually reading the book it was based on. Even without the adaptation, I probably still would have gotten around to Clarke's debut novel. It is a critically acclaimed work of historical fantasy that has delighted fans from almost every corner of speculative fiction and I can now count myself as one of the many who praise this book.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrrell tells the story of magic's return to England. In this world it is a accepted fact that magic is real, but people have been unable to practice it for centuries. That all changes when the reclusive gentleman, Mr Norrell, brings all the statues in the cathedral of York to life. After this feat of magic he travels to London to aide the government in their war against Napoleon and he gains the trust of the ministers when he brings one of their number's wife back from the dead. As interest in magic increases, a young gentleman named Jonathan Strange decides to pursue a career in magic and shows such a natural talent for it that even the friendless Mr Norrell agrees to take him on as a pupil. The two magicians, however, quarrel and Strange sets off on his own independent research into dangerous fields of magic that could bring about the doom of many.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was an intriguing fantasy story that also had a realistic portrayal of magic. The characters were complex and even the most wretched of them had certain aspects that you could admire. There are plenty of historical cameos that alternate historians can enjoy and reading about Strange's service in Wellington's army during the Peninsular War and at the Battle of Waterloo made me want to pick up some military fantasy to see how Clarke's depiction of war magic compares to more recent examples. The book has an old fashioned writing style, but fans of Dickens or Austen will appreciate Clarke's obvious interest in English literature.

The book, however, can be dull at times. The paperback copy I read clocked in at 1006 pages, which is an unusual length for a speculative fiction book. Much of the story actually focuses on the mundane aspects of early 19th century life, with plenty of criticism directed against the English class system. Casual readers who were looking for an action-packed fantasy epic are going to be severely disappointed. Even I thought the last third of the book could do with some culling, but that is really the only major issue I had with the book. The final conclusion was worth all the build up, even if in retrospect we could have done without some of it.

I am hesitant, however, to classify Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell as an alternate history. In spite of the existence of magic, history mostly parallels our timeline. The real difference to history is presented mostly through the footnotes of the book. During the Middle Ages a magician known as the "Raven King" conquered Northern England and ruled it for 300 years before disappearing. There is an amusing comment by one character who says many countries have myths about a king who will return, but England is the only country where it is part of the constitution (should the Raven King ever return Northern England will revert back to his control). Nevertheless, I can see why it is not listed in Uchronia and "historical fantasy" is probably a better label than alternate history.

Despite its length and lack of alternate history content, I can still recommend Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. It is an engaging story with surprising depth, just don't let its size scare you. It is certainly worth your time.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

Weekly Update #175

Editor's Note

I'm hoping to make a couple of important announcements this week, so stay tuned. I am not sure what format I will be making the announcement. One might be posted on the blog and blasted out through social media, while the other might only get the social media blitz. Either way, they are both pieces of good news and I hope you are all excited as I am.

And now the news...

Alternate History Television in 2015

2015 appears to be the year alternate history will make its presence known on television.

Amazon announced it will debut its pilot season this Thursday, January 15th, on Amazon Instant Video. Among their many new shows, will also be their adaptation of Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle. This is a show I have talked about extensively over the last few months and I am eager to see what they have come up with. Sadly that is all I have to report. We will all know more later this week.

Meanwhile, at the Televisions Critics Association (TCA) Winter 2015 Press Tour, the creators of the adaptation of Susanna Clark’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell announced, among other things, a Spring 2015 release. The creators also promised to get through about 200 pages per episode. Laurence Caromba of the Mail & Guardian, called the book "dense and meandering", but thought the show could still work as a "alternative-universe version of Downton Abbey." I'm about half way finished with the book myself, so hopefully I will be done before it airs later this year and even a review up.

Coming Soon: The Just City by Jo Walton

Coming out tomorrow is Jo Walton's The Just City. Jo is the author of numerous alternate history works including the Small Change series and My Real Children (which you can read a recent review of at Sibilant Fricative). But what is her new book about? Let's first check out the blurb:

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

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

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

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

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

And now what do the critics say? Liz Bourke of Tor listed as one of the books to look forward to in the first half of 2015, but Niall Alexander (also of Tor) was a little more restrained saying "[s]ome will have a harder time than others putting aside...first act’s failings, but those who do push through can count on a considered account of character and morality that mixes fantasy with philosophy and history with the stuff of science fiction."

If you get a chance to read The Just City, let us know what you thought in the comments.

Coming Soon: Pacific Fire by Greg van Eekhout

Greg van Eekhout's Pacific Fire, sequel to California Bones, will be published on January 27th, but there has already been some buzz on this follow up. First, here is the blurb from Amazon:

I’m Sam. I’m just this guy. 

Okay, yeah, I’m a golem created from the substance of his own magic by the late Hierarch of Southern California. With a lot of work, I might be able to wield magic myself. I kind of doubt it, though. Not like Daniel Blackland can. 

Daniel’s the reason the Hierarch’s gone and I’m still alive. He’s also the reason I’ve lived my entire life on the run. Ten years of never, ever going back to Los Angeles. Daniel’s determined to protect me. To teach me. 

But it gets old. I’ve got nobody but Daniel. I’ll never do anything normal. Like attend school. Or date a girl.

Now it’s worse. Because things are happening back in LA. Very bad people are building a Pacific firedrake, a kind of ultimate weapon of mass magical destruction.  Daniel seemed to think only he could stop them. Now Daniel’s been hurt. I managed to get us to the place run by the Emmas. (Many of them. All named Emma. It’s a long story.) They seem to be healing him, but he isn’t going anyplace soon.

Do I even have a reason for existing, if it isn’t to prevent this firedrake from happening? I’m good at escaping from things. Now I’ve escaped from Daniel and the Emmas, and I’m on my way to LA. 

This may be the worst idea I ever had.

Curious, but what do the critics think? Paul Weimer reviewed Pacific Fire for SF Signal and gave the book 4 out of 5 stars. In his review he said "inclusion of new characters, new facets to the universe, and further details on the world building enrich the universe that the author is building, and the characters he is creating." Sounds like a solid recommendation. Those interested in learning more can read an excerpt over at Tor.

Links to the Multiverse

Books and Short Fiction

2014 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees Announced at File 770.
Alt Hist Issue 7 – Blurb and Editorial Teaser by Mark Lord at Alt Hist.
Chapter 3 of The Desert and The Blade by SM Stirling.
Chivalry - The First Jake Savage Adventure - eBook Now Free by Mark Lord.
Cover Reveal for Adam Christopher’s Made to Kill at Tor.
Cover story by Stuart Bache at The Bookseller.
Exclusive Cover Reveal: THE VENUSIAN GAMBIT by Michael J. Martinez at SF Signal.
The Greatest Science Fiction Novels of All Time Part 13 at Amazing Stories.
James Young pens 'alternative history' of WWII at The Topeka Capital-Journal.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Has Written a Mycroft Holmes Mystery! at Tor.
Review: Jacaranda by Cherie Priest at Tor.
Review: Secret Cargo by Charles Christian at Amazing Stories.
What If? Alternative History in Fiction by Jeff Burns at The Histocrats' Bookshelf.

Counterfactuals, History and News

The 10 Most Insignificant Wars in History by Esther Inglis-Arkell at io9.
Counterfactual Nazi Cows! by Gavriel D. Rosenfeld at The Counterfactual History Review.
Futuro Houses: Otherworldly Homes For Earth-Bound Humans by Ella Morton at Slate.
Jesus Might Not Have Been Judas' Only Victim by Esther Inglis-Arkell at io9.
NASA produces vintage travel posters for newly discovered planets at The Guardian.
Nuking Nazi Germany? by Gavriel D. Rosenfeld at The Counterfactual History Review.
Putin’s Eurasian Dream Is Over Before It Began by Reid Standish at Foreign Policy.
So, What Was In That Boston Time Capsule? by Rebecca Onion at Slate.

Film and Television

All Tim Burton Movies Occur in the Same Universe at Tor.
Friday YouTube Bonus! Key & Peele in Steampunk Gangstas at SF Signal.
Oakwell Hall celebrates its film track record at Telegraph & Argus.
Predestination Could Be The Greatest Time Travel Mindf-ck Ever Filmed at io9.
Review: Agent Carter Pilot & Ep.2 Time and Tide at Geek Syndicate.
Rod Taylor (1930-2015) at File 770.

Games

The Supreme Court Came Alarmingly Close to Allowing Video Game Censorship at Slate.

Graphic Novels and Comics

A Truly, Honestly, Actually Never-Before-Seen Comic Comes To Kickstarter at Bleeding Cool.

Interviews

Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris at Myth Behaving.
Stephanie Burgis at Gail Carriger.
Marjorie Liu at Newsarama.

* * *

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.

First Clip of BBC's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

The teaser trailer for BBC's seven part adaptation of Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell has been released. Let's check it out:


So what do you guys think? Katharine Trendacosta from io9 said "Bertie Carvel seem pretty perfect", but Patrick from Pat's Fantasy Hotlist said it looks "as sleep-inducing and atrociously boring as the novel." Some pretty divisive views, although Louisa Mellor of Den of Geek praised the source material, so perhaps that is just Pat's opinion.

I really need to get a move on reading this book.

* * *

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.

First Look at the Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell BBC Miniseries

I was so quick to talk about BBC's adaptation of SS-GB that I completely missed the news yesterday regarding another BBC alternate history project. Above is our first look at the titular characters of the the BBC adaptation of Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Set in England during the Napoleonic Wars, the novel tells the story of two rivals magicians in an alternate history where magic is widely acknowledged, but rarely practiced. Eddie Marsan will play Mr. Norrell (right) and Bertie Carvel will play Jonathan Strange (left).

The Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell will be a seven-part series that will premier sometime next year. More importantly, this news has got me asking the question: are we living at the start of the golden age of alternate history? Has mainstream media finally realized that there is value to these stories and it is ready to share them with a wider audience? Or conversely, has the splintering of media meant that producers are scrambling for content and throwing anything against the wall to see what sticks?

Either way, alternate history may actually be poised to make a major break in the mainstream in 2015, what with this, SS-GB, Amazon's The Man in the High Castle and Hulu's 11/22/63 coming out soon. I am very excited by these developments, but what do you guys think? Let us know in the comments.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

BBC America to Co-produce TV Adaptation of Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Are we finally we going to get a decent alternate history television show?

Yesterday, I learned from SF Signal that BBC America is co-producing for a new drama series, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. It is based on the bestselling alternate history novel by Susanna Clarke and will be adapted by Peter Harness (Wallander, Is Anybody There?). BBC America describes the story as being set during the Napoleonic Wars in an England where magic once existed and is about to return. Here is the description of the book from Amazon to give you a better idea of what to expect:

At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England's history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England--until the reclusive Mr Norrell reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight. 

Soon, another practicing magician comes forth: the young, handsome, and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's student, and they join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic, straining his partnership with Norrell, and putting at risk everything else he holds dear.

The series will premiere in 2014 as part of BBC America's Supernatural Saturday programming block and is being produced by Cuba Pictures (Boy A, Broken) for the BBC and co-produced by BBC America, in association with Feel Film, Bell Media’s Space, Far Moor and Screen Yorkshire. It is distributed by Endemol Worldwide Distribution.

Toby Haynes (Doctor Who, Sherlock, Wallander) directs, Nick Hirschkorn (Feel Films, Five Children and It) will produce with Greg Dummett, on behalf of Quebec’s Cite Amerique. Executive producers are: Nick Marston, Tally Garner and Dixie Linder for Cuba Pictures, Endemol Worldwide Distribution and Thomson-Glover and Patrick Irwin for Far Moor. Matthew Read is the executive producer for the BBC.

Nick Marston CEO of Cuba Pictures says: “The production has now developed into a seven part series and we are delighted that Peter Harness is well on the way to completing all seven hours. He has just delivered episode five and, with Toby Haynes on board to direct, we are in an excellent position to begin pre-production later this month with production due to start filming in late summer.”

Richard De Croce, SVP Programming, BBC America says: “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is one of our next big series for our Supernatural Saturday block, as Susanna Clarke’s stories transcend borders and are perfect for our US audience. It’s another high-end drama for BBC America and we’re proud to be working with Cuba Pictures and BBC One.”

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is going into early pre-production this month and filming will take place in the UK including Yorkshire as one of several key filming locations and Canada beginning late summer 2013.

I have been getting into BBC America recently after finally catching up with Doctor Who on Netflix (I now understand all the references in Chris' review of The Story of Martha). I am also a big fan of the Nerdist podcast and I am very happy they finally got there own TV show on that channel. Now I haven't read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell yet, but I have heard good things and I have to assume that BBC will do a better job with the product then let's say Spike or Fox.

Sure its ASB, but some of the best alternate history out there involve implausible PODs. We can only hope for the best, but in the meantime I will keep you posted.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a blogger on Amazing Stories and a volunteer editor for Alt Hist magazine. His fiction can be found at Echelon Press, Jake's Monthly and The Were-Traveler. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.