Lost Vikings [Review: Dragonfly]

Greeta is a Northlander, a Viking living amongst Native Americans. The Shining Star Nation has welcomed Greeta and her people into their midst but acceptance is not universal, and suspicions and superstitions remain. Without warning, Greeta is rejected by her tribe and discovers that her own family has concealed an important truth about her identity.

Dragonfly by Resa Nelson is part alternate history and part magical fantasy, drawing on the folklore of both populations. Within the unusual setting, Greeta's story is about self-discovery and growing up in many senses - becoming an adult woman, discovering her past and identity, and making choices about who to trust and who to love.

This novel gripped me from about the third chapter onwards right through to the end and I would highly recommend it. Dragonfly is the start of a second trilogy in this setting (the three Dragonslayer novels come first) however I had not read these novels so I didn't see the twists coming and I particularly enjoyed this aspect - the secrets and reveals are handled extremely well throughout. I also thought the descriptions of the various tribes were credible and there was a real sense of tension between the two cultures.

You can find out more about Dragonfly and Resa Nelson's other books on her website here.

Divided States Of America Part II [Review: The Man In The High Castle]

The Man In The High Castle, by Philip K. Dick, also describes a divided America – this time between the German and Japanese forces that have won World War II. Most of the action is set on the Japanese side of the line, while the novel hints at Nazi atrocities committed elsewhere.

While The Years Of Rice And Salt is often about the movers and shakers of the world, this novel is about the under-dogs and middle-men, the Americans under occupation, scraping by and trying to make an honest or dishonest buck. Fakes and fake fakes abound: the Americans are forging historical Americana for the Japanese collectors. The I Ching features heavily again – and yes, I, the author and the cast of the novel are all aware this is not a Japanese philosophy! It’s been introduced to America by the Japanese and is there for a reason. Meanwhile a sudden German leadership contest forces the Japanese colonists and diplomats to choose between supporting different flavours of inhumanity.

The central mystery within the novel is another alternative history novel, banned on the German side of the line, which seems to depict a world in which the Germans and Japanese have lost the war. In the final chapter, a meeting with the author of the novel leads to a subtle, existential twist in the tail, foreshadowed by an earlier scene where a minor character briefly finds himself in our reality. It’s the perfectly executed prestige at the end of a great conjuror’s illusion.

Divided States Of America Part I [Review: The Years Of Rice And Salt]

Kim Stanley Robinson’s novel is an alternative history with a broad canvas: medieval Europe is entirely wiped out by an outbreak of plague, and the last thousand years of history are re-imagined as the interplay between Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. America is discovered and colonized by an east-sailing Chinese fleet and later becomes divided into a Chinese west coast, an Arabic east coast and a central reserve held by the native Americans who have united in the face of the invaders. Unopposed by Christian crusaders the Islamic world expands West and Newton’s discoveries in optics, mathematics and gravitation are made by scholars of the Qu’ran, while an Indian league inspired by the native Americans is the source of the Industrial Revolution.

The novel is structured around the concept of reincarnation: the same characters reoccur in each era with no knowledge of their previous lives; they must somehow recognize each other and work together to improve the world. After their deaths they meet in the bardo and discuss their experiences before being reincarnated into another time. They may be rich or poor, powerful or meek, but they are always the witnesses or enactors of key moments in history.

This is an enjoyable and very original novel. As with the best alternative histories, you will also learn more from this epic than from any textbook, particularly about the ideologies of the world.

Taking Liberties with history [Review: 1812 The Rivers of War]

I first came across Eric Flint as author of From the Highlands, a novella in David Weber's Honor Harrington series, from the anthology Changer of Worlds. Flint shares Weber's obsession with military fiction - 1812 is an alternative history set during the American War of Independence.

In real life this formative period in Cousin Jonathan's history was a catastrophic period for the southern Native American tribes who were drawn into the fighting on both sides but essentially squeezed out of the new nation as they lost land to the frontiersmen. Two decades later they were forcibly dispossessed and relocated (the "Trail of Tears" ).

In the novel, a small group of Cherokees are given a prominent role at the heart of the action as they accompany Sam Houston and other historical figures. The novel centres on a key battle where American soldiers rally to defend and hold Capitol Hill against considerable odds. This chapter is full of highly charged symbols - the Capitol with both the Houses are still under construction; the statue of Liberty is used as part of the defences. What's taking place is wish fulfilment: no less than an alternative formation of the USA, and one in which the Native Americans won't be ignored or excluded to the same degree.

Battles in this period often consisted of two lines of men more or less taking turns to shoot at each other. However Eric Flint's descriptions of battle are accessible and interesting - he introduces issues of morale and psychology into these deceptively simple engagements to explain why one line breaks before the other. More complex engagements involving different factions and maneuvers are also explained clearly, with just enough detail to follow the action.

This is a "pure" alternative history in that the deviation from our timeline begins with a single, seemingly trivial change. I loved trying to guess how much of this novel was imaginary. When I investigated I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by just how much was real, including all but one member of the cast. Where major larger-than-life historical figures play a part they are well researched and particularly enjoyable to read about - a lot of fun is had with the all-cussin' Andrew Jackson for example. Other non-military period details are also present and correct and there's some very historically apt doctor-bashing.

This book is a compelling read: but reading it is worthwhile for two further reasons. Firstly you may well learn more about this period in history by reading 1812 than from a regular textbook or history class! and secondly the point about exclusion of native Americans is well made.

Review: Confederate States of America

An oddball film I came across and enjoyed, sadly lacking a mainstream release - this is an alternative history with a Jonbar point in the American War of Independence. The title hints at the alternative outcome. The main theme is slavery and racial inequality which does not end with the War; the film is eye-opening because so many elements of it are not actually fictional - the psychiatric diagnosis of "drapetomania" to describe runaway slaves and justify medical treatment of same; the portrayal of slaves and negroes in brand advertising, several of which exist in our reality too e.g. Uncle Ben...

The more imaginative elements of the plot, such as an alternative Clinton scandal, are also great fun, and the format of a British documentary about the history of the US, complete with fictional advert breaks, works well. The history of the slave trade is a British shame too and despite the US focus there's much to think about from a UK perspective.