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Title: Ring of Fire by Eric Flint ISBN: 0-7434-7175-X Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: 01 January, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $23.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.07 (14 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A megavitamin supplement to the series
Comment: Briefly, this anthology is a must-read for those reading the "1632," "1633" series. The next full novel (presumably 1634) will be out soon and "Ring of Fire" provides character development, plot details, and timeline descriptions that will be valuable. Stories in this new collection date from the "Ring of Fire" incident right up to "1633" an involve many of the same characters.
Despite the wide variety of authors, the tales hold together well, with a real sense of place and time. Not all the stories will appeal to everyone. Some are more militaristic, others are social or romantic in nature. "A Lineman for the Country" gave real depth and progression to the timeline while similar odd-couple romance "Power to the People" left me saying "yeah, and?"
Overall, this is a must-read, and could be read right after "1632" w/o first facing the more fractured, slow-paced, and overly military/technical aspects of "1633." In fact, these downsides to "1633" will be lessened quite a bit by the character development and background details in "Ring of Fire," so why are you waiting? Add it to your shopping cart now!
Rating: 4
Summary: A Fine Filler
Comment: Eric Flint burst on my consciousness as a writer to watch with the publication of "1632". A late 20th Century West Virginia coal mining town is engulfed by some sort of cosmic "accident"(?) and blasted back through time and space to 16th century Germany, right in the middle of the 30 Years War. As a piece of "alternative history" it followed in the footsteps, sort of, of S.M. Stirling and his "Island In The Sea Of Time" series (also highly recommended), but where Nantucket was simply (?) moved in time, Grantville, Kentucky is moved in space as well.
Ring of Fire is a "shared universe" collection of short stories by various authors both well known and unknown (Mercedes Lackey, for example) as well as a novelette by Eric Flint. Timewise, these stories generally fit in between 1632 and its sequel 1633. And oddly, for a shared world anthology, characters introduced in these stories have important parts to play in 1633 as well as the forthcoming "1634:The Galileo Affair".
Generally speaking, I would NOT recommend this book as an introduction to Grantville, please read "1632" for that, but as illuminations upon the world of 1632, I can't recommend it highly enough. To get a taste of this book, you can actually read the first four chapters from "Ring Of Fire" on the Baen website.
As an example of "alternate history", American ingenuity, "strangers in a strange land", etc., this is a truly wonderful series. But the transplanted Americans needs must beware, for the people who've only been characters in history books, have READ those history books now, and know what the future used to be...
Rating: 4
Summary: A mixed bag
Comment: Like all anthologies this one is a mixed bag containing gems and duds. Most are very good when they deal with integrating the new citizens into Grantville, Germany. The attitudes of Germans from the in17th century and West Virginians from the 20th century differ but grow together. The resulting learning process for both sides makes a gripping read and is often quite funny.
Some stories are overdoing it (Here Comes Santa Claus), but by and large all tell a tale of a world trying to adapt to the change inflicted upon it by the miraculous appearance of a town from the future.
All those who want to stick to their old ways, Germans and Americans alike, do not stand a chance. Nothing will ever be the same. Not even baseball ....
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Title: Crown Of Slaves by David Weber, Eric Flint ISBN: 0743471482 Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: 01 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: The Course of Empire by Eric Flint, K. D. Wentworth ISBN: 0743471547 Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: September, 2003 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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Title: There Will Be Dragons by John Ringo ISBN: 0743471644 Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: The Road to Damascus by John Ringo, Linda Evans ISBN: 0743471873 Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: The Far Side of the Stars by David Drake ISBN: 074347158X Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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