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Curious Notions  
CuriousNotions
Author Harry Turtledove
Cover artist Kazuhiko Sano
Language English
Series Crosstime Traffic
Genre(s) Science fiction, Alternate History
Publisher Tor
Publication date 2004
Preceded by Gunpowder Empire
Followed by In High Places

Curious Notions, Tor, 2004, is the second novel in the Crosstime Traffic Series. In it, Paul Gomes and his father, Lawrence, both Crosstime employees, travel to an alternate where the German Empire swiftly won what would have been World War I, and eventually conquered the world, including the United States, and still maintains strict control over conquered areas. The store that Crosstime runs, Curious Notions, specializes in technology that, while present in this alternate, is jealously guarded by the ruling German government. Thus, the store attracts unwanted attention from the occupying authorities, eventually ending in with Lawrence being arrested and causing Paul to go on the run.

The store also attracts the notice of Lucy Woo, a denizen of the alternate, whose father runs an electronics shop of his own. It also attracts the attention of the Chinese Triads, who see the store as an opportunity to overthrow the Germans.

Literary comment[]

The novel makes reference to a number of alternates where Nazi Germany won World War II, a much more common alternate history plot device. These may be the worlds of In the Presence of Mine Enemies, "The Last Article", "The Phantom Tolbukhin", and/or (retroactively) "Shtetl Days." In Presence and "Shtetl," Germany rules most of the world.

Paul refers to an alternate in which the Soviet Union won the Cold War. This alternate is the main setting of the later novel The Gladiator.

See Also[]

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