The Assiti Shard Multiverse
- Thread starter Mike Stearns
- Start date
Read them all, fairly good. I prefer Flint over Stirling at least.
I cant wait for Flints book on an Isot of the forces at Yorktown and the Prussian Army back to 3rd century Europe. Two differerent approaches to maintaining the Roman empire me thinks.
I cant wait for Flints book on an Isot of the forces at Yorktown and the Prussian Army back to 3rd century Europe. Two differerent approaches to maintaining the Roman empire me thinks.
Thande
Donor
I read them, although none of the 1634 books have come out in the UK yet.
When it comes to a study of the period, and also a fascinating insight into how uptime people would adapt to surviving in the 17th century, as well as creating lots of fun controversy and soapy character stories, I take them very seriously.
OTOH when it comes to how the authors vindicate everything American, have all Europeans immediately want to be American, and make monarchies = evil, I read them more in a 'so-bad-it's-good' sort of way.
When it comes to a study of the period, and also a fascinating insight into how uptime people would adapt to surviving in the 17th century, as well as creating lots of fun controversy and soapy character stories, I take them very seriously.
OTOH when it comes to how the authors vindicate everything American, have all Europeans immediately want to be American, and make monarchies = evil, I read them more in a 'so-bad-it's-good' sort of way.
Justin Green said:
Yeah, that's going to be interesting, Revolutionary Americans in the twilight of the Roman Empire.
Given the town moved back in time was American, the fact that American ideals are stressed is not unusal. I am sure that if a British author had written a similiar series the ideals of the UK would be foremost.
Part of the problem of good vs. evil - the standards were different. People acted differently. The value of a single life was different. This was a feudalist time where you were either a ruler or the ruled, not much of a middle class. So into this arena American ideals whether stressed by the author or not would impact the situation.
Part of the problem of good vs. evil - the standards were different. People acted differently. The value of a single life was different. This was a feudalist time where you were either a ruler or the ruled, not much of a middle class. So into this arena American ideals whether stressed by the author or not would impact the situation.
Thande
Donor
To be fair to Flint, he does choose a time and place (30 Years' War Germany) in which people were so fed up with being raped, pillaged and murdered by the status quo, they'd have been willing to accept anything new - particularly one which emphasised religious tolerance, as religion had been the excuse for much of the abuses.
Well, there's that, but there's also the fact that the people who are trying to help them come from a future society that ACTUALLY practices a form of democracy so its not surprising that they would institute in their new timeframe.
In 1630 the churches handled welfare by means of tithing, or giving ten percent of your income to the church for old people, orphans, disabled, or whatever. The protestant reformation was not just about corrupt priests, it was about not tithing to the priests in the first place. No tithing equals no welfare and no social security and no insane asylums, equals civil war between the richer 'protestant' and poorer 'catholic' factions.
The treaty of Westphalia put charity in the hands of the state, and ended the tithing controversy by defunding the churches. You could believe anything you wanted, but you still had to tithe to the state church or the government if there wasn't a state church.
Flint doesn't have that. Science fiction without economics.
The treaty of Westphalia put charity in the hands of the state, and ended the tithing controversy by defunding the churches. You could believe anything you wanted, but you still had to tithe to the state church or the government if there wasn't a state church.
Flint doesn't have that. Science fiction without economics.
Flint tends to be something of an idealist. The white hats are white has, and the black hats are black hats. If you see someone who is flawed with the good guys, he will either turn out to really have a heart of gold and simply have been mistaken and misunderstood. If you see someone who seems competent or honorable on the bad guys side, he will change sides (or remove ‘his’ group from the bad guys) in the next book.
If there’s a fight, knight vs peasant, bet on the peasant, or at least that the knight will be killed in the next few pages by a main character.
He’s also very groupist. If you have a person from group x, they will be honest, skilled, hard working…, at least by the end of the story.
But they are a fun read. They are also well researched and thought out (esp for mass market). It’s just that everything is through the lens of what the author want’s to true.
If there’s a fight, knight vs peasant, bet on the peasant, or at least that the knight will be killed in the next few pages by a main character.
He’s also very groupist. If you have a person from group x, they will be honest, skilled, hard working…, at least by the end of the story.
But they are a fun read. They are also well researched and thought out (esp for mass market). It’s just that everything is through the lens of what the author want’s to true.
Do you mean the series by Flint where a small town in West Virginia is sent back in time to 1632, at the worst moments of the 30 Years War?
Sorry, never heard of it.
Want a link to read a lot of it for free?
Sorry, never heard of it.
Want a link to read a lot of it for free?
First of all, yes that's what they are about. Secondly, how can you know where to read them for free if you've never hear of them before.
<cackles softly to himself>
Here ya go! Access to MANY books FOR FREE! Woo-hoo!
http://www.baen.com/library/defaultTitles.htm
And for previews of so many more!
http://www.webscription.net/
Hit 'Current Titles' for advance warning as to how bad a new book may suck.
Here ya go! Access to MANY books FOR FREE! Woo-hoo!
http://www.baen.com/library/defaultTitles.htm
And for previews of so many more!
http://www.webscription.net/
Hit 'Current Titles' for advance warning as to how bad a new book may suck.
Thande
Donor
I've been speculating on some variations to the 1632 idea:
Grantville ends up being ISOTed to the same geographical position in 1631, so they end up building an American empire in the Americas.
A European town rather than Grantville is ISOTed to 1631 Thuringia - it would be interesting to see if they even survive, as Europeans generally don't have West Virginian hardbitten backwoodsyness and hundreds of guns each.
Grantville ends up being ISOTed to the same geographical position in 1631, so they end up building an American empire in the Americas.
A European town rather than Grantville is ISOTed to 1631 Thuringia - it would be interesting to see if they even survive, as Europeans generally don't have West Virginian hardbitten backwoodsyness and hundreds of guns each.
Not to mention the fact that the Swedes didn't make a snap decision that American uptimers were the spawn of Satan and wipe them out.
Thande
Donor
I thought that part was quite realistic and refreshingly non-Clarkean (cf. Turtledove's Death in Vesunna): only a few ignorant people actually think Grantville is the work of witchcraft or Satan, although more intelligent ones such as Richelieu, while not sharing that belief, exploit and encourage it to try and keep Grantville from getting to the populations under their control.
I liked the part where the Finnish Soldiers who worked for Gustav Adolph gave the marksman cheerleader a wide beth because they thought she was the Luovotar, the Goddess of Hurt, Mistress of Pain.
Count Deerborn said:
Kind of liked the Americans employing pyschological warfare techniques against the Spanish. That was really funny.