You can support The Update by clicking the banner on the top right or the links below if you are purchasing through Amazon! Hardcovers 1636: Commander Cantrell in the West Indies by Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon
New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling alternate history series. Book #14 in the Ring of Fire series created by Eric Flint.
Eddie Cantrell, now married to the king of Denmark’s daughter, is sent by Admiral Simpson to the Caribbean to secure access to the most valuable commodity on that continent—not the gold and silver which the Spanish treasure, but the oil which up-time machines and industry need. The admiral has also provided Eddie’s small task force with the new steam-powered frigates that have just come out of the navy’s shipyards.
Even with the frigates, a giant obstacle stands in his way: the Gulf-girdling Spanish presence in the New World. So a diversion is needed, carried out by an up-time car mechanic and a down-time mercenary colonel who also happens to be the last earl of Ireland. Their mission: grab the oil fields on Trinidad, and so distract the attention of Spain’s New World governors.
While the Spanish galleons and troops head for Trinidad, Commander Cantrell’s smallest and fastest steam sloop will make a run to the Louisiana coast. There, her crew will wind their way up the bayous to the real New World prize: the Jennings Oil Field.
But Cantrell’s plans could be wrecked in a multitude of ways. He faces often-hostile natives, rambunctious Dutch ship captains, allied colonies on the brink of starvation, and vicious social infighting that can barely be contained by his capable and passionate new wife. When the galleons finally come out in force to engage his small flotilla, Eddie will discover that the Spanish aren’t the only enemies who will be coming against him in a fateful Caribbean show-down.
Following on Steampunk Fashion and Steampunk Jewelry comes the serious survey that steampunk art merits
Paradoxically, the astonishing flights of imagination resulting in the most memorable images of the steampunk movement have only been possible due to the advances in digital design packages of the last few years. The astonishing, mind-warping work of 30 of the best of these steampunk artists is featured, including Kevin Mowrer, Guillaume Dubois, Kazuhiko Nakamura, and Collette Ellis. Each has created a distinct series of worlds and aesthetics inspired by different aspects of the genre. An extended essay traces the source and development of steampunk imagery, while detailed biographies of each artist reveals their history and inspirations. For anyone into steampunk, professional or aficionado, this is a must-have volume, while the stunning quality of the images will also bring a new crowd of adherents to the genre.
SUCCESSIO is the third in the Roma Nova thriller series and follows INCEPTIO (the beginning) and PERFIDITAS (betrayal).
Roma Nova – the last remnant of the Roman Empire that has survived into the 21st century – is at peace. Carina Mitela, the heir of a leading family, but choosing the life of an officer in the Praetorian Guard Special Forces, is not so sure.
She senses danger crawling towards her when she encounters a strangely self-possessed member of the unit hosting their exchange exercise in Britain. When a blackmailing letter arrives from a woman claiming to be her husband Conrad’s lost daughter and Conrad tries to shut Carina out, she knows the threat is real.
Trying to resolve a young man’s indiscretion twenty-five years before turns into a nightmare that not only threatens to destroy all the Mitelae but also attacks the core of the imperial family itself. With her enemy holding a gun to the head of the heir to the imperial throne, Carina has to make the hardest decision of her life…
Paradox Development Studio is back with the fourth installment of the award-winning empire building series Europa Universalis.
Wealth of Nations is the second expansion for the critically praised strategy game Europa Universalis IV, focusing on trade and how to make the wealth of the world flow into your coffers. The expansion Wealth of Nations allows you to create trade conflicts in secret, steal from your competitors with the use of privateers, use peace treaties to gain trade power and create a new trade capital to strengthen your grasp over trade.
The age of exploration is brought to life in this epic game of trade, diplomacy, warfare and exploration by Paradox Development Studio, the Masters of Strategy. Europa Universalis IV gives you control of a nation to rule an empire that lasts through the ages.
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.
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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.
I need someone to invent a time machine. There just isn't enough time in the week to finish all the writing I have to do. I'll be honest with everyone: I bit off more than I can chew with 10 posts a week. I will do my best, but no promises.
Moving onto to our next topic, it looks like we will be reaching 400,000 page views sometime in June. Thank you for all of your continued support. Thanks for all the shares, likes, comments, retweets, favorites, quoting and by clicking through our Amazon banner. Most of all, thanks for sticking with us.
The 2013 Sidewise nominees should be announced any day now. Stay subscribed to The Update to learn who made the cut.
And now the news...
RIP Jay Lake
It was announced yesterday that author Jay Lake lost his ongoing battle with cancer. Joseph Edward Lake, Jr., born June 6, 1964, was a science fiction and fantasy writer. He was a quarterly first place winner in the 2003 Writers of the Future contest, won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction in 2004 and was nominated for the Sidewise Award in 2007 and 2010.
Lake writings have appeared in numerous publications, including Postscripts, Realms of Fantasy, Interzone, Strange Horizons, Asimov's Science Fiction, Nemonymous, and the Mammoth Book of Best New Horror. He was an editor for the "Polyphony" anthology series from Wheatland Press, and was also a contributor to the Internet Review of Science Fiction.
In the alternate history genre, Lake is best know for his steampunk stories like the Sidewise nominated Mainspring series and "The Baby Killers". He also authored "The Cleansing Fire of God", which you can read at Strange Horizons, and "Our Lady of American Sorrows" which was published in his collection of short stories titled American Sorrows.
Jay, I was a huge fan of short fiction. You knew how to use the medium to tell an evocative story in an alternate setting. You will be missed.
Video Gallery
First up, the guys at The Warp Zone did a funny mash-up of X-Men and Back to the Future:
After that we got a new video from Cody Franklin of the Alternate History Hub who is beginning a new series regarding a Cold War that never ended:
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.
Editor's Notes Wow a lot of things happened last week.
First, the topic for the inaugural episode of Voices from Alternia: The Alternate History Podcast was chosen. And no, I am not going to tell you what it is...yet. You are going to have to wait just a little longer.
Second, The Update now has a page on the Alternate History Wiki (AlternateHistory.com's version, not the one on Wikia). It brought a huge smile to my face when Petike of AlternateHistory.com messaged me that he had created it. Thanks Petike and as for the rest of you please go there and start editing.
Third, a side project of mine on Facebook, the Alternate History Online group, just surpassed 1000 members. I actually started this group almost a decade ago when I was still in undergrad. It is amazing to see how much it has grown since then.
Finally, the number of people buying books through our Amazon banner and links has increased dramatically. Thank you guys so much. Every penny of the proceeds we make off the sales is going into the podcast!
Well enough bragging, time for the news. You know I actually thought about taking this Memorial Day off, but there was so much to talk about from last week, I just had to post something. Enjoy!
And now the news...
Preview: My Real Children by Jo Walton
A new alternate history book has caught the attention of the Internet. It is titled My Real Children and is written by Jo Walton. Here is the description from Amazon:
It’s 2015, and Patricia Cowan is very old. “Confused today,” read the notes clipped to the end of her bed. She forgets things she should know—what year it is, major events in the lives of her children. But she remembers things that don't seem possible. She remembers marrying Mark and having four children. And she remembers not marrying Mark and raising three children with Bee instead. She remembers the bomb that killed President Kennedy in 1963, and she remembers Kennedy in 1964, declining to run again after the nuclear exchange that took out Miami and Kiev. Her childhood, her years at Oxford during the Second World War—those were solid things. But after that, did she marry Mark or not? Did her friends all call her Trish, or Pat? Had she been a housewife who escaped a terrible marriage after her children were grown, or a successful travel writer with homes in Britain and Italy? And the moon outside her window: does it host a benign research station, or a command post bristling with nuclear missiles? Two lives, two worlds, two versions of modern history; each with their loves and losses, their sorrows and triumphs. Jo Walton's My Real Children is the tale of both of Patricia Cowan’s lives...and of how every life means the entire world.
So the novel appears to be a character study where two different versions of the characters live in two distinct timelines, neither one exactly our own. Annalee Newitz of io9 (who we will hear from again later in this post) gave a glowing review of the novel saying it was a "complicated, nuanced mediation on the question of how the personal and political intertwine to create a single life" and also complimented Walton on her ability "at evoking the complicated relationship between international politics and domestic dysfunction." Cory Doctorow at BoingBoing also praised the novel and said of its emotional impact that he has to"[keep] the book at arm's length, lest it trigger another round of tears."
To be honest I think I might try picking up a copy of this book when I get the chance. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about My Real Children check out this excerpt on BoingBoing and this interview with Walton at Riffle.
Wolfenstein: The New Order is Out Now, but How is the Story?
Admittedly The Update is primarily a literary blog, but that doesn't mean we don't cover other mediums. Last New Releases I pointed out that the next installment in the popular Wolfenstein saga, Wolfenstein: The New Order, was released. It is set in an alternate 1960s where the Nazis won World War II and conquered the world. Well the reviews have been pouring in, but I am not going to be covering the comments on gameplay or graphics. Instead I want to know what reviewers thought of the plot. How is the alternate history of Wolfenstein: The New Order?
Colin Moriarty of IGN said the Wolfenstein really shines when it comes to plot. He complimented the game on its use real-life Nazi atrocities that made the game feel, in his words, "surprisingly human, and your situation quite desperate." Although he did point out much of the technology in the alternate 1960s is unrealistic. Lou Kesten of The Republic also commented on the use of Nazi atrocities in crafting the story saying "[o]ne minute, you're invited to reflect on man's inhumanity to man; the next, you're expected to relish splattering enemy brains all over their swastika-festooned fortresses". Meanwhile, David Hing of Den of Geek said "Wolfenstein has never needed to or pretended to be terribly smart, but I am going to make the unusual argument that it has been subtle" by not jumping to the usual tropes associated with World War II alternate histories.
And the game itself is chock full of Easter eggs. The guys at Achievement Hunter showcased the appearance of one from Wolfenstein 3D:
And Fallout:
Well it is good to hear that video games can do alternate history justice. Have you played the new Wolfenstein game? What did you think of the story?
More Reviews on Southern Cross: Annuit Coeptis
A couple months ago I reviewed Southern Cross: Annuit Coeptis by Dorvall and Philip Renne, a new comic featuring a Confederate victory at Gettysburg and an overall victory in the American Civil War. A couple recent reviews of the comic, however, have a caught my eye.
Cody K. Carlson of Deseret News (and no I did not pull this from an alternate timeline) said Southern Cross was a "fun and enjoyable alternate history tale that does offer some real food for thought", but knocked off points for too many sub-plots and an implausible post-Gettysburg outcome. Rhetta Akamatsu at Seattle PI called the graphic novel "dramatic and thought-provoking", but did feel certain elements of the book were implausible, like the enslavement of black Union soldiers.
So much like my review, both reviewers felt Southern Cross has merit, but suffers from some implausibilities. Have you read Southern Cross? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments.
Revolution Airs Finale
Revolution aired its final episode last week. It was reported a couple of weeks ago that the show was cancelled so this episode should have been the second season finale. I won't give any plot details away in case dear reader you have not watched it, but the reviews have not been good.
Annalee Newitz of io9 (told you) said "[t]he season finale — filmed before cast and crew knew it was their final episode — made us glad the show is gone forever." Most of Annalee's problems with the show stemmed from missed opportunities and the nonsensical cliffhanger. Paul Levinson mostly agreed with her on his blog saying "[t]onight's ending, I hate to say, made me glad this was the final season" but did leave a parting comment that about the show overall that let the review end on a high note by saying "everyone associated with the show can be proud for the two good seasons it gave us. Science fiction is a tough sell on television, and Revolution gave it a good shot."
Of course Revolution may still get a chance to do things right. There is always the possibility Revolution could get on another network or some streaming service like Netflix or Hulu. Its a long shot, but if fans really want it, they can convince someone with the money to make it happen...but judging from these reviews I don't think the fan power exists.
Europa Universalis IV Expansion “Wealth of Nations” Available for Pre-order, Ships May 29
You can now pre-order “Wealth of Nations,“ the second expansion to Europa Universalis IV. Adding a plethora of new trade and diplomacy features to the grand strategy game from Paradox, "Wealth of Nations" will be officially released on May 29, 2014 for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.
If you’re the type of person to research routes before heading into choppy waters, this video developer diary highlights the new challenges of "Wealth of Nations", including privateering, shipping companies, and covert economic sabotage:
For more information on the new show and on Europa Universalis IV, please visit the new Paradox website.
Video Gallery
I know I have already showcased a few videos in previous segments, but this is the dumping ground for the rest. First up, Epic Rap Battles of History is back with a rap battle between Superman and Goku:
They sure have been doing a lot of fictional mash ups lately. I would like to see return to more historical figures. Next, the Geeks With Wives podcast discusses alternate history:
I haven't listened to the whole show yet, so my apologies if the quality isn't great. We end with a video from our friend Alison Morton who has a trailer out for her new book Successio:
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.
