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Alternate Australias

Alternate AustraliasAlternate Australias Published by SeaLion Press on 9 Dec 2020
Genres: Type II - Hard/Soft
Pages: 158
Format: Anthology, eBook
Source: Purchased
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five-stars

Jared Kavanagh edits a collection of short stories set in different Australias.

What if what we call Australia had become largely Dutch? Could Australia have led intervention in unexpected African conflicts? What adventures might Napoleon Bonaparte have had as he sought to colonise it before the British? Could a space programme launched Woomera have reached the Moon? How might the Emu War have gone differently?

It's time to turn Down Under upside-down.

THE REVIEW
(I’ve asked Chat GPT to do the review, as it includes one of my own stories)

“Alternate Australias,” edited by Jared Kavanagh and published by Sea Lion Press, is a compelling anthology that reimagines Australia’s past and future through a series of thought-provoking alternate history narratives. The collection explores scenarios such as a predominantly Dutch-influenced Australia, Napoleon Bonaparte’s attempts to colonize the continent before the British, and the possibility of an Australian-led space program reaching the Moon. Sealion Press

Matthew Kresal’s. “Moonshot” won the 2020 International Sidewise award for best Short Form, while Andrew J. Harvey’s “1827: Napoleon in Australia” was also shortlisted.

One standout story, “The Savannah War Dispute,” delves into an alternate conflict in East Africa with Australian intervention, showcasing the nation’s potential role on the global stage. Fuldapocalypse Fiction

Critics have praised the anthology for its imaginative scenarios and engaging storytelling. Warped Factor recommends readers “give this little book a look post-haste,” Warped Factor

“Alternate Australias” is available for purchase through Sea Lion Press and other retailers. Sealion Press

For enthusiasts of alternate history and speculative fiction, “Alternate Australias” offers a captivating exploration of the myriad ways Australia’s history could have unfolded.

The Book includes stories by:

  • Simon Berading
  • Liam Connell
  • Wm. Garret Cothran
  • David Flin
  • Andrew J. Harvey
  • Jared Kavanagh
  • Matthew Kresal
  • Peter Rhodan
  • Natasja Rose
  • Colin Salt
  • Steven H Silver

https://www.sealionpress.co.uk/product-page/alternate-australias

https://andrewjharvey.com/shop/product/alternate-australias/

five-stars

Pass of Fire

Pass of FirePass of Fire by Taylor Anderson
Series: Destroyermen #14
Published by ROC on 2019
Genres: Type II - Hard/Soft
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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four-half-stars

After being transported to a strange alternate Earth, Matt Reddy and the crew of the USS Walker have learned desperate times call for desperate measures, in the return to the New York Times bestselling Destroyermen series.

Time is running out for the Grand Human and Lemurian Alliance. The longer they take to prepare for their confrontations with the reptilian Grik, the Holy Dominion, and the League of Tripoli, the stronger their enemies become. Ready or not, they have to move--or the price in blood will break them.

Matt Reddy and his battered old destroyer USS Walker lead the greatest army the humans and their Lemurian allies have ever assembled up the Zambezi toward the ancient Grik capital city. Standing against them is the largest, most dangerous force of Grik yet gathered.

On the far side of the world, General Shinya and his Army of the Sisters are finally prepared for their long-expected assault on the mysterious El Paso del Fuego. Not only is the dreaded Dominion ready and waiting for them; they've formed closer, more sinister ties with the fascist League of Tripoli.

Everything is on the line in both complex, grueling campaigns, and the Grand Alliance is stretched to its breaking point. Victory is the only option, whatever the cost, because there can be no second chances.

Series Review

While sometimes patchy the quality of each individual book never falls below 4 stars. Unfortunately I have become less inclined to pursue the series as Taylor progressively layers villain onto villain in a never ending series, and I gave up on the series after  Deadly Shores (#9). I have returned to finishing the series in Pass of Fire (#14) and Winds of Wrath (#15) after reading Michael Cnuddle’s review a couple of weeks ago (see http://www.somersethousepress.com/2020/10/)

Taylor writes particularly strong battle scenes, and he is not adverse to killing off significant characters to maintain interest/realism to what has developed over the series into a truly world war.

Specific Comments About This Specific Book

While this book is the penultimate in the series, and as a result serves as a curtain raiser for the final book (Winds of Wrath) I found that it quite successfully held my interest while setting up for the final battle(s) in the World War that has engulfed this alternate Earth. 

A warning, for those of you concerned at the destruction of the our Earth’s environment and wildlife you may need to leave your concerns at the door to fully enjoy this one.

four-half-stars

Storm Front (Twilight of the Gods Book 1)

Storm Front (Twilight of the Gods Book 1)Storm Front Published by Author Self Published on 11 December 2015
Genres: Type II - Hard/Soft
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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four-half-stars

Premise - Point of Divergence (POD)

In 1941, Adolf Hitler didn't declare war on the United States.

The Story

Now, in 1985, the Third Reich stretching from the coast of France to the icy wastes of Eastern Russia, appears supremely powerful. With a powerful force of nuclear warheads and the finest military machine on Earth, there is no hope for freedom for the billions who groan under its rule. Adolf Hitler’s mad dreams have come to pass.

And yet, all is not well in the Reich. The cold war with the United States and the North Atlantic Alliance is destroying the Reich’s economy, while a savage insurgency in South Africa - a war the Reich cannot win and dares not lose - is sapping its military strength. And, while the Reich Council struggles to find a way to save the Reich from its own weaknesses, a young German girl makes a discovery that will shake the Reich to its core.

But the Reich Council will not go quietly into the night ...

The Review

I read this at a time (not that long ago) when I was seeking reassurance that evil would not triumph, and that in general the vast mass of humanity was intrinsically good, or at least not necessarily evil. Christopher makes a succinct, and in my opinion, successful argument that evil cannot continue indefinitely (although for those who had to live through the 52 years of Nuttall’s Third Reich it may very well have felt like it).

Photo of model of Hitler's Germania

Model of Germania

Nuttall’s alternate history posits that the Third Reich was successful in beating the Soviets, and winning the war. As a result Hitler’s dream of Germania, a new capital to challenge that of Ancient Egypt, Babylon, and Rome is built, and the Nazi Empire has spread itself across most of the former Russian lands.  Despite that the Reich has never admitted to the evils it committed during the war.

It is now 1985 and the Reich is locked in a cold war with the USA and the rest of the free world (including the UK). The war is expensive, and in conjunction with the Reich’s enormous unfunded state based welfare system is threatening the collapse of its economy. A collapse which is speeding up as a result of the Reich’s involvement in actively supporting the apartheid regime in South Africa.

It is in this world that a university student, Gudrun, the daughter of a policeman, and betrothed to a soldier fighting in South Africa discovers that the government is lying about the state of the war in South Africa. Full of righteous indignation Gudrun persuades some of her fellow students to protest. Despite their naivety the protests quickly snowball (think the 2019 example in Hong Kong). One of the aspects I particularly liked about the story was how Gudrun’s father eventually came round to supporting his daughter.

four-half-stars

Into the Storm

Into the StormInto the Storm by Taylor Anderson
Series: Destroyermen #1
Published by ROC on 3 June 2008
Genres: Type II - Hard/Soft
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four-half-stars

Premise – Point of Divergence (POD)

The dinosaurs aren't wiped out and the Earth continues to develop in new, and particularly vicious ways. The evolution of 'Mountain Fish' which prohibit travel in the deep oceans, and the 'Flasher Fish' that seem to resemble particularly nasty piranhas which occupy many of the shallow seas have resulted in significantly differing evolutionary developments on land. As the series develops it becomes clear that this world is a focus for other alternate realities, and not simply our own.

The Story

Pressed into service when World War II breaks out in the Pacific, the US Walker—a Great War-era destroyer—finds itself retreating from pursuing Japanese battleships. Its captain, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Patrick Reddy, desperately leads the Walker into a squall, hoping it will give them cover—only to emerge into an alternate world. A world where two species have evolved: the cat-like Lemurians and the reptilian Griks, and they are at war.

Series Review

While sometimes patchy the quality of each individual book never falls below 4 stars. Unfortunately I have become less inclined to pursue the series as Taylor progressively layers villain onto villain in a never ending series, and in Deadly Shores in fact stopped reading for a number of months.

Taylor writes particularly strong battle scenes, and he is not adverse to killing off significant characters to maintain interest/realism to what has developed over the series into a truly world war.

Specific Comments About This Specific Book

A strong beginning which certainly grabs your attention and won’t let it go.

four-half-stars

Conquistador

ConquistadorConquistador: A Novel of Alternate History by S. M. Stirling
Published by ROC on 2003
Genres: Type II - Hard/Soft
Pages: 596
Format: Paperback
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five-stars

Premise – Point of Divergence (POD)

Firstside: 1946, John Rolfe accidental creates a portal to the line that is subsequently named New Virginia.

New Virginia: This universe is one in which Alexander the Great lived a full lifespan, creating an empire that stretched from Spain to India. In this world, the MAcedonian Empire proved so strong and durable that it redirected the barbarian migrations of the Goths, Vandals, and others eastward towards China and the rest of the Far East. As a result, what remains of China is a hodgepodge of Indo-European dominated states, the Americas remain undiscovered by the Old Worlds, and technology has barely progressed to a medieval level.

The Story

Oakland 1946. Ex-soldier John Rolfe, newly back from the Pacific, has made a fabulous discovery: a portal to an alternate America where Europeans have never set foot - and the only other humans in sight are a band of very curious Indians. Able to return at will to the modern world, Rolf summons the only people with whom he is willing to share his discovery; his war buddies. And he tells them to bring their families ...

Los Angeles, twenty-first century. Fish and Game warden Tom Christiansen is involved in the bust of a smuggling operation. What he turns up is something he never anticipated: a photo of authentic Aztec priests decked out in Grateful Dead T-shirts, and a live condor from a gene pool that doesn't correspond to any known in captivity or the wild. These finds soon lead him to a woman names Adrienne Rolf - and a secret that's been hidden for sixty years ...

The Review

One of my favourite books ever, and one I have read multiple times. I mean, what could be better than two swashbuckling Rangers (ex-rangers but now serving wildlife rangers) and a beautiful heroine dressed in black and leather boots who shanghais them to the other side of the gate.

There’s even a nod at multiple other alternate realities in the library of one of the main characters, and in the slogans of some of the ruling families, I mean ‘Down Styphon!’. What’s there not to like.

five-stars