Harry Turtledove

[BolianAdmiral]

At the suggestion of Dave, I figured I'd post this here...

I happen to enjoy Harry Turtledove's writing. I have read Guns of the South, and enjoyed it. I really like the whole alternate history subgenre, mostly because it's stuff I write about a lot. To summarize without spoiling the whole story, Guns of the South is about a man who travels back in time, and arms the Confederate American military with modern-day AK-47's, so that the South may win the Civil War.

So, I'm wondering how many of you here are also Harry Turtledove fans?

 

[Dave]

As Teresa said in the other thread, I think he may be more popular in the US than in the UK. I have heard good things about the books, I do like Steampunk and the alternative history idea, but I'm not really one for military SF. For instance, I like Jerry Pournelle's 'King David's Spaceship' (A Spaceship for the King) but couldn't really get into his other Co-Dominium books. That's just me though, plenty of people buy Clive Cussler books because the bookshelves are full. The Steampunk that I've read is mostly set in the Victorian period but time-travel should open a much wider canvas to work on.

So, as a newbie to HT, which book would would you suggest to start with - 'Guns of the South' sounds very US orientated - is there anything around the Second World War such as the film 'Inglourious Basterds'?

 

[Vladd67]

Well there are the World War books which have WWII interupted by an Alien Invasion, and I did enjoy Ruled Britannia about Shakespeare in a Spanish ruled London after the Amada win, here are more details
Harry Turtledove - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Rodders]

Yeah, i've read the "Balance" books about the alien invasion during WW2. They were quite funny actually, the history was good.

 

[chrispenycate]

Yes, I've read the "Darkness" series, all his "Videssos" books, the "Balance" (and follow up "Colonisation") series, the "Spell dump" and "World of difference" stand alones.

But my favourite of his is still "Agent of Byzantium"

 

[nixie]

I've only read Guns of the South. Found it entertaining and keep meaning to pick up a few more of his.

 

[Vladd67]

But my favourite of his is still "Agent of Byzantium"

I think that was the first of his I read. Enjoyed that one

 

[alchemist]

The only HT book I've read is Settling Accounts: Reurn Engagement. It was a couple of years ago, so my brain deleted the memory for my own protection. What I remember most is hating it, and trying desperately to finish it, because I don't like giving up a book. It may have been the slow pace, the cast of thousands, the sheer mass of the book, or the repetition, but I have rarely taken such a dislike to a book. It wasn't that it was 7th in a series of nine, even. It was all about the style.
Still, each to their own, eh?

 

[Rodders]

I have a couple of the Colonisation books at home that i've yet to read.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Has anyone read Harry Turtledove's Misplaced Legion series? Am tempted to pick it up, after Amazon recommended it to me. Romans + Fantasy = potential win for me.

I did enjoy his Agent of Byzantium, though it felt more like five separate short stories pushed together than a novel, despite the lines of continuity that joined them. I very much enjoyed some of the descriptions of everyday life, which made up for lack of development elsewhere.

 

[psikeyhackr]

I did enjoy his Agent of Byzantium, though it felt more like five separate short stories pushed together than a nove

I have read the WorldWar series of 8 novels where aliens invade during World War II. It is a hoot.

psik

 

[BAYLOR]

I have read the WorldWar series of 8 novels where aliens invade during World War II. It is a hoot.

psik

Definitely an interesting alt history concept.