Atlantis and Other Places [Hardcover]

Harry Turtledove (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 2010

A one-of-a-kind collection from the New York Times bestselling "maven of alternate history." (San Diego Union- Tribune)

A famous naturalist seeks a near-extinct species of bird found only on the rarest of lands in "Audubon in Atlantis." A young American on a European holiday finds himself storming an enchanted German castle in "The Catcher in the Rhine." The philosopher Sokrates plays a key role in the Athenian victory over the Spartans in "The Daimon." Centaurs take a sea voyage aboard "The Horse of Bronze" to a land where they encounter a strange and frightening tribe of creatures known as man. London's most famous detective, Athelstan Helms, and his assistant Dr. James Walton are in Atlantis investigating a series of murders in "The Scarlet Band."

This collection includes these and seven more amazing stories of ancient eras, historical figures, mysterious events, and out-of-this- world adventure from the incomparable Harry Turtledove.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Alternate historian extraordinaire Turtledove (Hitler's War) explores a dozen different "what if?" scenarios in this reprint collection. These stories, some dead serious and some absurdly improbable, demonstrate his ability to slip, chameleonlike, from one mode to the next. An aging John Audubon searches for rare birds in "Audubon in Atlantis," and Hitler's life takes a very different turn in the epistolary "Uncle Alf." "The Catcher in the Rhine" adeptly blends an American classic and a Wagnerian opera. Perhaps the most outrageous is "Bedfellows," featuring George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden. Turtledove also takes a few potshots at the modern media in "News from the Front." Helpful forewords explain the inspiration for, or divergence point of, each story. Whether he's going for humor or pathos, action or social commentary, Turtledove's research is always solid, his speculation thoughtful, and his execution professional. (Dec.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Turtledove has long been established at the head of the alternate-history field. This short-story collection suggests that he can also thrust his tongue farther into his cheek than most authors can dream of. The first and last stories are laid in his new creation, the mid-Atlantic subcontinent of Atlantis. In one, John James Audubon sets out to capture on canvas the fast-disappearing birdlife; in the other, an eminent London detective and his doctor partner tackle the mystery of the Scarlet Band. In “Daimon,” the Greek general Alkibiades rises to the level of Alexander the Great, with unfortunate results for Socrates. “The Horse of Bronze” is a wild romp through classical Greece, while “Occupation Duty” explores another possible conqueror for Southwest Asia. “The Catcher in the Rhine” is a send-up that a certain cult novel has long deserved, while “News from the Front” savagely juxtaposes modern mediaocracy with WWII. And let’s not forget “Uncle Alf,” wholly spent inside the mind of an alternate Adolf Hitler (the Germans won WWI), and just plain scary. High Demand Backstory: Publisher promotion, plus his recognizable name, equals buzz. --Roland Green

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Roc Hardcover; Reprint edition (December 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451463641
• ISBN-13: 978-0451463647
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,085,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harry Turtledove is the award-winning author of the alternate-history works The Man with the Iron Heart; The Guns of the South; How Few Remain (winner of the Sidewise Award for Best Novel); the Worldwar saga: In the Balance, Tilting the Balance, Upsetting the Balance, and Striking the Balance; the Colonization books: Second Contact, Down to Earth, and Aftershocks; the Great War epics: American Front, Walk in Hell, and Breakthroughs; the American Empire novels: Blood & Iron, The Center Cannot Hold, and Victorious Opposition; and the Settling Accounts series: Return Engagement, Drive to the East, The Grapple, and In at the Death. Turtledove is married to fellow novelist Laura Frankos. They have three daughters: Alison, Rachel, and Rebecca.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars super dozen alternate history tales, December 12, 2010

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Atlantis and Other Places (Hardcover)

The super dozen alternate history tales were all previously published in the past decade, but never together. The one volume speaks loudly as to how skilled Harry Turtledove truly is when it comes to the sub-genre where he is the champion grandmaster whether it is a saga, a novel, a novella, or a short story. In the first entry, "Audubon in Atlantis", the naturalist arrives on the island seeking rare birds. The second tale satires Bush and Bin Laden who make strange "Bedfellows", who need each other like yin and yang. All the "News from the Front" is the news not worth printing during WW II, as Mr. Turtledove rips the main stream media. Whether it is the American leaving the ducks swimming in Central Park to attack a German castle as in "The Catcher in the Rhine", soldier "Uncle Alf" writing from occupied Paris in 1929 to his niece about the lazy French, re Socrates role in the Peloponnesian Wars ("The Daimon"), fans will agree this anthology affirms Mr. Turtledove's abilities whether he lampoons or just changes a pivotal moment he remains the top guru of the alternative historical universe.

4.0 out of 5 stars A strong collection (a review of the audiobook), April 19, 2011

By 

DWD "DWD's Reviews" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Atlantis and Other Places: Stories of Alternate History (Audio CD)

Tantor audio
Read by Todd McLaren
14.5 hours

Called a "Master of Alternate History" by Publishers Weekly, Harry Turtledove continues on that track with a set of 12 short stories. Topics and eras range from pre-history to the Peloponnesian War to the Byzantine Empire to World War II and two stories set in modern times. All of these stories have appeared in other publications.

This collection begins and ends with two stories about Atlantis, a topic he has explored more deeply in a trilogy. "Audubon in Atlantis" is the first story that Turtledove published about Atlantis. The famed 19th century naturalist John James Audubon has traveled to Atlantis to catalog some of its unique wildlife. Turtledove introduces his alternate world, including basics of the history of Atlantis and he introduces the House of Universal Devotion, a religion that is most analogous to the Mormon Church in regular history. Turtledove's focus on laying down the ground rules for makes the first half of the story a bit tiresome. It does pick up once Audubon is in the field.

The last story, "The Scarlet Band" is chronologically Turtledove's last story about Atlantis. In the story, Athelstan Helms and Dr. James Walton, the world famous detective duo (modeled after Holmes and Watson), are summoned to Atlantis to investigate a series of murders of prominent citizens who have been openly critical of the House of Universal Devotion. It is a fine ending to the collection, even if the murder is a bit too easily solved.

As in any collection, the quality varies. "Bedfellows" is a tiresome story once the gimmick is understood in the first minute, but it goes on for another 10 minutes. "News From the Front" is an alternate history of World War II told through headlines and snippets of editorials. Roosevelt is savaged in the press for failing to foresee the attack on Pearl Harbor and America's will to fight sags so low that it ends up suing for peace, much like the Japanese Empire had hoped in their original plans for the war in our timeline. The premise is interesting, but the headline/editorial format loses its punch and it tends to drag.

On the other hand, "Catcher in the Rhine" and "Someone is Stealing the Great Throne Rooms of the Galaxy" are both quite fun. "Catcher" is a play on J.D. Salinger's famed character Holden Caulfield. Caulfield is visiting Germany and he gets caught up in a bit of magical time travel. Turtledove captures Caulfield's voice perfectly. "Throne Rooms" is a pure comic bit of science fiction (and the only story in the collection that is not alternate history - it is set in the future). A giant sentient hamster is sent by the Star Patrol to investigate a series of thefts of throne rooms (and their accompanying antechambers) providing plenty of laugh out loud moments.

"Farmers' Law" and "The Genetics Lecture" are middle of the road stories. The former is a straightforward murder mystery set in a rural village in the Byzantine Empire and the latter is a Twilight Zone-esque very short story (about 6 minutes long) that, unfortunately, telegraphed its punch line.

"Uncle Alf" is set in France in 1929. But, in this world, the German Empire has won World War I and a 40-year-old Hitler is part of the German army occupying France. He is dedicated to rooting out socialism and in seducing his 21-year-old half-niece through a series of letters. The story is told through those letters. Although the incestual seduction aspect of the story is based on strong historical supposition, that fact does nothing to ease the creepy feeling that pervades the whole story.

The three strongest stories are all quite different from one another. "The Daimon" is set in the Peloponnesian War and the only difference is that Sokrates decides to participate in the invasion of Syracuse. In history, this campaign turned into a disaster, but Sokrates is able to offer advice to Alkibiades, the mercurial fair-haired young general who led the invasion. This advice causes Athens to win the entire war and, in the process lose their democracy to a tyrannical Alkibiades. Sokrates lives long enough to regret his advice as Alkibiades consolidates the Greek city states under his power in order to launch an invasion of Persia like Alexander the Great did nearly a century later. Those who are familiar with the Peloponnesian War will especially appreciate the ironic comments and situations that arise in this story.

"The Horse of Bronze" is a simple story of centaurs discovering men, but it is so much more. If you are a fan of Aristotle or enjoy thinking about the concepts behind his "Theory of Forms" (Turtledove introduces the theory in the earlier story "Daimon") you will enjoy this story of the arrival of men in a world filled with Centaurs, Nuggies, Satyrs, Sirens and Sphinxes.

"Occupation Duty" is set in modern day Gaza. The story is about troops going on patrol in an armored personnel carrier in a hostile, conquered territory. However, this is not about Israel and the Palestinians. Instead it is the "Philistinians" and the Moabites. In this history, Goliath beat David and Israel is nothing but a distant, ancient memory. The fight scenes are first rate and the irony of the same fighting going on in the same territory for the same reasons with different nations is quite good. Throw in a solid description of a world with no monotheistic religions and a tantalizing peek at this new world's politics and I found myself wishing he had fleshed this story out into a novel.

Todd McLaren's narration of these stories was exceptional. He delivers a variety of voices and tones - everything from American southern accents to a variety of British accents to Hitler's German accent. He even catches Alkibiades' famed lisp and you can hear the treachery in his voice as he crushes his opponents. Very impressive and enjoyable work throughout.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unreal Tales, March 27, 2011

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Atlantis and Other Places (Hardcover)

Atlantis and Other Places (2010) is a collection of Alternate History stories. It contains twelve tales, with short introductions by the author.

- "Audubon in Atlantis" (Analog, 2005) takes the painter into the backwoods to capture the likeness of a rapidly disappearing species.

- "Bedfellow" (F&SF, 2005) examines the unlikely relationship between a past president and a terrorist.

- "News From the Front" (Asimov's, 2007) illustrates the adage "loose lips sink ships" by showing how World War II might have gone with the current media approach.

- "The Catcher in the Rhine" (The Chick Is in the Mail, 2000) puts the main proponent into an awkward position.

- "The Daimon" (Worlds That Weren't, 2002) examines the possibilities of Socrates traveling to Sicily in the band led by Alkibiades.

- "Farmers Law" (Crime Through Time, 2000) considers a murder case in rural Byzantine Rome.

- "Occupation Duty" (Time Twisters, 2007) describes a conflict within the Middle East in another timeline.

- "The Horse of Bronze" (The First Heroes, 2004) follows a troop of centaurs to the Tin Isles.

- "The Genetics Lecture" (Analog, 2005) explains the genetic basis for intelligence.

- "Someone Is Stealing the Great Throne Rooms of the Galaxy" (Space Cadets, 2006) involves an intelligent, but pun loving, hamster space cadet chasing a group of thieves.

- "Uncle Alf" (Analog, 2002) presents an ardent military policeman with the twin problems of an agent of sedition and languid associates. He writes several letters to his beloved niece.

- "The Scarlet Band" (Analog, 2006) brings a noted London private detective and his faithful companion to Atlantis to assist the local police.

These stories are tales of alternate realities. Some are science fiction -- the ones based on real history -- and others are fantasy. Several are pastiches of famous literary works.

Recommended for fans of Turtledove and for anyone else who enjoys tales of historical trivia, human nature, and a bit of humor.

-Arthur W. Jordin