Should I Read These and What Should I Read?

I've been wanting to get into Alternate History books for a while now and I've finally decided to do a little book shopping. I've already come up with a list of books that I want to read although I'd like to hear what people's opinions are on them before I pick them up. Here is the list of books that I plan on reading:

How Few Remain by Harry Turtledove
For Want of a Nail by Robert Sobel
West of Eden by Harry Harrison
Winter in Eden by Harry Harrison
Return to Eden by Harry Harrison
The Sky People by S.M. Stirling
In the Courts of the Crimson Kings by S.M. Stirling
Warlords of Utopia by Lance Parkin
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett
The Long War by Terry Pratchett
The Long Mars by Terry Pratchett
A Macabre Myth of A Moth-Man by Brad Fear
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

I'd also like to hear any other Alternate History novels anyone wants to recommend although keep in mind that I'm trying to (for the most part) keep away from novels where the PoD is "The Nazis Win" (The above mentioned The Man in the High Castle gets a pass because of it's status and the Worldwar seriesI'm still on the fence about because of the premise).
 
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You can always buy one of my books. They're evolving works so if you buy it you might want to redownload it six months from now; I've bound to edit something here and there.
 
I've been wanting to get into Alternate History books for a while now and I've finally decided to do a little book shopping. I've already come up with a list of books that I want to read although I'd like to hear what people's opinions are on them before I pick them up. Here is the list of books that I plan on reading:

How Few Remain by Harry Turtledove
For Want of a Nail by Robert Sobel
The Sky People byS.M. Stirling
In the Courts of the Crimson Kings byS.M. Stirling
Warlords of Utopia by Lance Parkin
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

I'd also like to hear any other Alternate History novels anyone wants to recommend although keep in mind that I'm trying to (for the most part) keep away from novels where the PoD is "The Nazis Win" (The above mentioned The Man in the High Castle gets a pass because of it's status and the Worldwar seriesI'm still on the fence about because of the premise).

Read the ones I've quoted they are awesome.:):D
 
I wouldn't recommend any mainstream AH bar perhaps Fatherland, The Man in the High Castle, 11/22/63 and Enigma.

I read as many Turtledoves as I could get my hands on when I was younger and having gone back and tried to read them they are pulpy crap.
 
I wouldn't recommend any mainstream AH bar perhaps Fatherland, The Man in the High Castle, 11/22/63 and Enigma.

I read as many Turtledoves as I could get my hands on when I was younger and having gone back and tried to read them they are pulpy crap.

What exactly do you mean by "pulpy crap"?
 
"I've been wanting to get into Alternate History books for a while now and I've finally decided to do a little book shopping. I've already come up with a list of books that I want to read although I'd like to hear what people's opinions are on them before I pick them up. Here is the list of books that I plan on reading:"

How Few Remain by Harry Turtledove A good Turtledove but not his best. Start with Guns of the South or A different Flesh.

For Want of a Nail by Robert Sobel If you like to read AH that acts like straight history this is an absolute must. TUrtledove and Dreyfus's "Two Georges" is also surprisningly good if you want another "no USA" AH

West of Eden by Harry Harrison
Winter in Eden by Harry Harrison
Return to Eden by Harry Harrison
These three books are a massive disappointment. Bad biology, bad geography, bad writing ruin an interesting concept

The Sky People by S.M. Stirling
In the Courts of the Crimson Kings by S.M. Stirling
I recommend both and they should be read in order. Nice mix of retro SF and AH

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett
The Long War by Terry Pratchett

INteresting and well written but not really AH in the normal sense. Haven't read The Long Mars yet.

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick The classic AH novel in my opinion, even though many will argue with the PoD plausibility and the benign Japanese occupation of western America. Fatherland is also a good Nazis win WW2 AH and lacks Dick's I Ching wierdness.

Haven't read the others on your list. One you didn't mention that you should definitely read is Turtledove's Ruled Britannia. Probably his best AH with WM Shakespeare as a revolutionary hero against the Spanish. Sounds corny but actually works very well.
 
West of Eden by Harry Harrison
Winter in Eden by Harry Harrison
Return to Eden by Harry Harrison
These three books are a massive disappointment. Bad biology, bad geography, bad writing ruin an interesting concept

Well I can understand the bad biology and geography (a quick glance at Wikipedia reveals that 90% of Mososaur sites are in America) but how is it bad in the writing aspect?
 
I wouldn't recommend any mainstream AH bar perhaps Fatherland, The Man in the High Castle, 11/22/63 and Enigma.

I read as many Turtledoves as I could get my hands on when I was younger and having gone back and tried to read them they are pulpy crap.

I recommend SS-GB over Fatherland. I've heard that 11/22/63 is mostly historical/time-travel rather than AH.
 
Man in the high castle is a must. -

How few Remain is a nice novel - as stand alone and as introduction to TL-191 (still my favourite HT series)

I would also recommend "Bring the Jubilee" by "Ward Moore"
 
Dominion is a good alternate history novel but it suffers from a pretty underwhelming climax IMO.

teg
 
I recommend SS-GB over Fatherland. I've heard that 11/22/63 is mostly historical/time-travel rather than AH.

As a story, Fatherland is a bit out there. It's mostly worth reading for how it presents a post war Nazi Germany. At least, from how I understand.
 
How few remain

My first glance at the rest of TL191 doesn't impress me too much. Is it worth reading how few remain and stopping there? Should I continue on?
 

JSmith

Banned
How Few Remain by Harry Turtledove


The Sky People by S.M. Stirling
In the Courts of the Crimson Kings by S.M. Stirling

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
Read them and recommend them.



For Want of a Nail by Robert Sobel
West of Eden by Harry Harrison
Winter in Eden by Harry Harrison
Return to Eden by Harry Harrison

I own them and will read them eventually -really :p



Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett
The Long War by Terry Pratchett
The Long Mars by Terry Pratchett
I want to own and read them since I have heard good things about them.




Warlords of Utopia by Lance Parkin

A Macabre Myth of A Moth-Man by Brad Fear
Haven't heard of them-until now :)


I'd also like to hear any other Alternate History novels anyone wants to recommend although keep in mind that I'm trying to (for the most part) keep away from novels where the PoD is "The Nazis Win" (The above mentioned The Man in the High Castle gets a pass because of it's status and the Worldwar series I'm still on the fence about because of the premise).

When it comes to Harry Turtledove IMO it seems its usually if you love one you love them all or if you hate one you hate them all. There are always exceptions-like those who love Guns of the South-which I would recommend as it was the fist AH I read- and hate everything else. I would recommend all things Harry Turtledove,Resurrection Day (hot Cuban Missile Crisis), Peshawar Lancers , The Domination series-just so you can figure out ways to make it better , alos take a look at this site - http://www.uchronia.net/intro.html
 
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What exactly do you mean by "pulpy crap"?

The World War series is one of the best examples. I lapped it up and read all of them so many times as a teen that the books were practically breaking apart. Then I went back to read them...the gratuitous sex scenes...the total lack of information outside of Japan, the USSR, Germany, France, Southern England and the USA, :eek: nothing about Australia, South America, Africa, China, India.

Anyway I really didn't like the World War series nor particularly any of the other Turtledove books having gone back and tried to read them. I do recognise though that if this is just might be just a individual opinion. If you feel like overriding me go for it.
 
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