A review by alex_ellermann
1632, by Eric Flint
5.0
'1632' shouldn't be a good book. I mean, look at that cheesy cover art. Read the synopsis: a small West Virginia town is transported to Central Germany in the middle of the 30 Years' War, coal deposits and all, and they give Renaissance Europe a big dose of 'Murica. This book should be amateurish. I should be wondering why one of my best-read friends recommended it to me.
By God, I loved '1632.' I stayed up late last night so I could finish it. I immediately added the sequel to my reading list.
Here's why. First, the publishers sprang for George Guidall to read it. Guidall is a giant in audiobooks, having recorded over 1700 titles. When I heard him intone, "Recorded Books presents 1632, by Eric Flint," I recognized his voice and felt like I was in good hands. I still didn't know whether the book would deliver, but I knew the publishers believed in it enough to hire top-tier talent for the narration. [Guidall doesn't disappoint, btw. He's excellent at his job.] Second, the author follows his leap into the fantastic (a cosmic event that transports the town and its inhabitants to another place and time) with the mundane. Given the premise, what would happen next? How would the major and minor political and military players in the 30 Years' War react to a technologically advanced, ideologically alien town planted in their midst? What would happen when the West Virginians run out of gas, or bullets, or spare parts? Would the Americans be able to hang on to their American ideals of self-government, or would they be co-opted by a great power? Again, if the reader can swallow the premise, it's fun to think through these dilemmas with the author. Third, I enjoyed spending time with the novel's characters. The heroes are heroic. The villains are villainous - I mean, c'mon, who doesn't love rooting against Cardinal Richelieu and/or The Inquisition? While the Americans are generally painted as the best versions of themselves, real salt-of-the-earth types, they have enough foibles and conflicts to keep them interesting.
Actually, this book puts me in mind of David Weber's 'Safehold' series. In both, technologically and ideologically advanced people triumph over the small-minded forces of cruelty, thoughtless authority, and evil. I guess this kind of thing is my cup of tea. So, yeah. If you're the kind of person who is open to wild leaps of imagination in your fiction; if you like stories about good people doing good things; if you like reading about murderous post-medieval marauders getting mown down with machine-gun fire, well, this is the book for you. Bring on 'Rim of Fire,' the next volume in the series.
By God, I loved '1632.' I stayed up late last night so I could finish it. I immediately added the sequel to my reading list.
Here's why. First, the publishers sprang for George Guidall to read it. Guidall is a giant in audiobooks, having recorded over 1700 titles. When I heard him intone, "Recorded Books presents 1632, by Eric Flint," I recognized his voice and felt like I was in good hands. I still didn't know whether the book would deliver, but I knew the publishers believed in it enough to hire top-tier talent for the narration. [Guidall doesn't disappoint, btw. He's excellent at his job.] Second, the author follows his leap into the fantastic (a cosmic event that transports the town and its inhabitants to another place and time) with the mundane. Given the premise, what would happen next? How would the major and minor political and military players in the 30 Years' War react to a technologically advanced, ideologically alien town planted in their midst? What would happen when the West Virginians run out of gas, or bullets, or spare parts? Would the Americans be able to hang on to their American ideals of self-government, or would they be co-opted by a great power? Again, if the reader can swallow the premise, it's fun to think through these dilemmas with the author. Third, I enjoyed spending time with the novel's characters. The heroes are heroic. The villains are villainous - I mean, c'mon, who doesn't love rooting against Cardinal Richelieu and/or The Inquisition? While the Americans are generally painted as the best versions of themselves, real salt-of-the-earth types, they have enough foibles and conflicts to keep them interesting.
Actually, this book puts me in mind of David Weber's 'Safehold' series. In both, technologically and ideologically advanced people triumph over the small-minded forces of cruelty, thoughtless authority, and evil. I guess this kind of thing is my cup of tea. So, yeah. If you're the kind of person who is open to wild leaps of imagination in your fiction; if you like stories about good people doing good things; if you like reading about murderous post-medieval marauders getting mown down with machine-gun fire, well, this is the book for you. Bring on 'Rim of Fire,' the next volume in the series.