which novel should i read first?
- Thread starter theWombat
- Start date
Sachyriel
Banned
The Gladiator.
I read it and thought it was awesome. I mean, say what you want about an author but the idea of table-top gaming in a communist Italy was kinda unique combined with cross-time traffic. Well, hella unique.
I read it and thought it was awesome. I mean, say what you want about an author but the idea of table-top gaming in a communist Italy was kinda unique combined with cross-time traffic. Well, hella unique.
TelClaven
Banned
Guns of the South, Presence of Mine Enemies, any of his short stories.
Personally, I liked the Race series, but it did kind of drag.
I absolutely loved the American Empire series, also known as TL 191. If you can get through the repetative characterizations of the people, the plot is rather fun.
Personally, I liked the Race series, but it did kind of drag.
I absolutely loved the American Empire series, also known as TL 191. If you can get through the repetative characterizations of the people, the plot is rather fun.
World War and Colonization Sequel Series. Although i do admit those were the only books i've read of turtledove. But like the others said, i'd bet american empire series (confederate victory timeline) is excellent too.
Speaking of turtledove, anyone know the name of one of his books where the pod is the spanish armada whipping the english fleet? I remember it was a single book release. How was it? think it's worth buying?
Speaking of turtledove, anyone know the name of one of his books where the pod is the spanish armada whipping the english fleet? I remember it was a single book release. How was it? think it's worth buying?
stirlingdraka
Donor
That book was Ruled Britannia.
On topic I would start with any of his stand-alone novels. Then if you like those move on to his series
Okay, I hate to have to be the nitpicker here, but in order to avoid confusion, that series is not known as "American Empire". "American Empire" is only a subsection of TL-191. It's the name for the trilogy of books between the "Great War" trilogy and "Settling Accounts" tetralogy. "American Empire" takes place later in the timeline, so you do NOT want to start with those books. If you want to refer to the series as a whole, refer to it as either "TL-191" or the "Southern Victory" series.
With that out of the way...
How Few Remain, the first book in the TL-191 series is a pretty good starting point. It works quite well as a stand alone novel, but it also gives you a decent idea of what you can expect from the entire series. At the very least, it's quite amusing to see Abraham Lincoln live to be a Marxist agitator.
Or you could go with Guns of the South, which is a stand alone novel. It's an ASB scenario in which people from the future give AK-47s to the Confederacy. From that basic description, it sounds boring, but most of the book actually deals with what happens after the end of the war, which is quite interesting. (I won't say anything else because I don't want to give it away.)
I also would highly recommend Guns of the South. Not only is it a good novel, it is an interesting introduction to HT's strong points (good basic research, obvious knowledge and interest in subject matter, good understanding of time periods and historical characters) and weak points (use of many repetitive minor point of view characters and minor plot elements).
How Few Remain is also good, but not as effective as pure narrative fiction, especially for readers not clued into the premises of AH. I gave a copy to a co-worker who was a Civil War buff and he hated it.
HFR is also a prequel to the massive TL-191 series, which is overblown, poorly edited, and exhibits all of HT's faults and few of his virtues, especially in the later volumes. Nonetheless, the basic counterfactual TL is well-thought out, interesting, and plausible in the first (alt-WW1) sequence of books. The remaining (alt-WW2) books are highly predictable and unimaginative rehashes OTL-WW2 with the CSA standing in for the Nazis, although even there he does has some interesting touches which almost make the whole thing worthwhile. Almost. The whole TL from 1914 to 1946 could have been better presented in 3-4 books, rather than the 7 or 8 he used. When you can skip ahead 100 pages in a book and not miss any critical plot developments in the overall narrative something is wrong with his editor.
The World War megaseries is much, much more entertaining. Even though it has most of the same flaws as Tl-191, it doesn't take itself nearly as seriously. It's best enjoyed with a glass of Merlot and a sense of humor. Much more of a straight SF novel (Lizard aliens with sub-lightspeed spaceships, a military technology similar to ours today, and no experience in fighting wars for thousands of years invade Earth during WW2), it is both interesting and stupid at the same time. HT makes no effort to make the Aliens "alien" other than in their Lizard looks. In all other respects they are just incredibly dense people with no imagination or creativity. When they left home, we were just spear-wielding primitives. Too bad for them when they get here we have become much more technologically advanced - something they didn't expect. The Lizards get embroiled in a war with millions of Nazis, Soviets, Japanese, Brits, Yanks, and various other angry primates armed to the teeth and well-schooled in the arts of war. Even worse, they can't go home and they can't nuke us to death because they here to live. Just how many P-51s does it take to shoot down an F-22 Raptor, that is the question. You almost end up being on the Lizard's side as they are outnumbered, outthought, basically more decent than most humans.
You ought to be able to pick up story compliations including some HT stories at your local Borders/Barnes&Noble etc or a used book store.
How Few Remain is also good, but not as effective as pure narrative fiction, especially for readers not clued into the premises of AH. I gave a copy to a co-worker who was a Civil War buff and he hated it.
HFR is also a prequel to the massive TL-191 series, which is overblown, poorly edited, and exhibits all of HT's faults and few of his virtues, especially in the later volumes. Nonetheless, the basic counterfactual TL is well-thought out, interesting, and plausible in the first (alt-WW1) sequence of books. The remaining (alt-WW2) books are highly predictable and unimaginative rehashes OTL-WW2 with the CSA standing in for the Nazis, although even there he does has some interesting touches which almost make the whole thing worthwhile. Almost. The whole TL from 1914 to 1946 could have been better presented in 3-4 books, rather than the 7 or 8 he used. When you can skip ahead 100 pages in a book and not miss any critical plot developments in the overall narrative something is wrong with his editor.
The World War megaseries is much, much more entertaining. Even though it has most of the same flaws as Tl-191, it doesn't take itself nearly as seriously. It's best enjoyed with a glass of Merlot and a sense of humor. Much more of a straight SF novel (Lizard aliens with sub-lightspeed spaceships, a military technology similar to ours today, and no experience in fighting wars for thousands of years invade Earth during WW2), it is both interesting and stupid at the same time. HT makes no effort to make the Aliens "alien" other than in their Lizard looks. In all other respects they are just incredibly dense people with no imagination or creativity. When they left home, we were just spear-wielding primitives. Too bad for them when they get here we have become much more technologically advanced - something they didn't expect. The Lizards get embroiled in a war with millions of Nazis, Soviets, Japanese, Brits, Yanks, and various other angry primates armed to the teeth and well-schooled in the arts of war. Even worse, they can't go home and they can't nuke us to death because they here to live. Just how many P-51s does it take to shoot down an F-22 Raptor, that is the question. You almost end up being on the Lizard's side as they are outnumbered, outthought, basically more decent than most humans.
You ought to be able to pick up story compliations including some HT stories at your local Borders/Barnes&Noble etc or a used book store.
