R- "Worldwar" (v,x,b; see note)
PG16- The Two Georges (v,b)
Not Yet Rated- The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump (see note)
Harry Turtledove has a doctorate in Byzantine history, has taught college courses in ancient and medieval history, and published several scholarly articles. He is now a full-time science fiction and fantasy author whose specialty is alternate history. Turtledove's settings are painstakingly researched and convincingly constructed, and he can tell a gripping story to boot. If you don't already have a taste for alternate history stories, Turtledove probably won't convert you, but if you like "what if?" stuff, take a look at him.
The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump: The setting of this book is a modern L.A. where magic has taken the place that science fills in our world. David Fisher, a bureaucrat at the Environmental Perfection Agency, investigates a local toxic spell dump. Tracking down possible contamination problems at the dump soon leads him into danger from lawyers, distorted magic, and weirder sources. Turtledove gleefully indulges in bad puns throughout the book, but he doesn't depend on that silliness for a good story. [Note: I read this book too long ago to give an accurate rating.]
The Two Georges (with Richard Dreyfuss): The setting is America in 1996--however, in this timeline, England's colonies never fought for independence, American slaves were freed with all other British slaves in 1834, Anglo-American culture and technology are still largely what we think of as "Victorian," and no "world wars" have occurred. The unity between England and its colonies is symbolized in The Two Georges, a Gainsborough painting showing George Washington being presented to King George III.
This painting is now touring the North American Union for the first time, and Colonel Thomas Bushnell of the Royal American Mounted Police has been placed in charge of its security in New Liverpool (formerly Los Angeles). Separatists known as the "Sons of Liberty" manage to steal the painting. Bushnell must recover this icon and foil the terrorists' plans.
While this novel has a decent mystery plot, there are a few dubious points in the premise. In my opinion, the ability of the various empires to maintain control of their colonies for an extra century or two stretches credibility a little thin. Cultural and technological progress continue, but have perhaps slowed to a less than a believable rate. If you can forgive these questionable points, it's a good tale.
This tetrology, starting with Worldwar: In the Balance, is an alternate history of World War II. The year is 1942; the USA entered the war the year before, and the balance of power is very close. Enter an alien space fleet intent on conquering the planet for colonization. The nations of Earth must hang together, or surely hang separately.
Don't let my brief summary of the premise mislead you into thinking this book is silly or trite. The personalities and culture of Turtledove's aliens are very well developed. While they are alien (and stay alien even when they become familiar), they are not evil. They simply have better technology (roughly equivalent to the US in the 1990s), a different culture and psychology, and their own agenda. This provides fertile ground for moral dilemmas for both sides, which, of course, Turtledove exploits to the fullest.
The war is seen from the points of view of a few dozen recurring characters, both human and alien. These focal characters are, for the most part, ordinary representatives of their branch of the military or their segment of the greater society. With a few exceptions, "VIPs" are seen by others rather than being POV characters themselves. This allows Turtledove to focus on how the war (and war in general) affects "normal" people.
Curiosity about the fates of these intriguing characters gave me plenty of incentive to keep reading. The story continues in Worldwar: Tilting the Balance and Worldwar: Upsetting the Balance, and concludes in Worldwar: Striking the Balance. Turtledove summarizes important points in later books, but the four books are really a single narrative. You should start from the beginning, so that you get the groundwork for the others. Then, if you liked In the Balance, you'll want to discover the rest for yourself.
I've given this series a slightly more "adult" rating than the other Turtledove books I've reviewed here. It's a war story, after all, so the violence is in proportion to the subject matter. There's a fair amount of graphic sex, too, and the philosophical underpinnings of this series are pretty complex--these are not kids' books!
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Last Updated: October 16, 1999
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