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== Literary Notes == |
== Literary Notes == |
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| ⚫ | In "[[Alternate History: The How-to of What Might Have Been]]," Turtledove says that he wanted to write a story using the Roman-[[Germanic tribes|German]] conflict of [[Augustus]]' day as a [[break-point]] much earlier, but "It took me more than twenty years to come up with a story to follow on changing things there."<ref>''[[We Install and Other Stories]]'', p. 20.</ref> |
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The book's plot has much in common with ''[[Household Gods]]'', written by Turtledove in collaboration with [[Judith Tarr]] - though that book concerns time travel back to the actual [[Roman Empire]]. Both books depict the daily life of a provincial Roman city from the point of view of modern [[American]](s) marooned there, and both deal prominently such issues as facing a society where [[slavery]] is taken for granted, and surviving a foreign invasion of the Imperial territory. |
The book's plot has much in common with ''[[Household Gods]]'', written by Turtledove in collaboration with [[Judith Tarr]] - though that book concerns time travel back to the actual [[Roman Empire]]. Both books depict the daily life of a provincial Roman city from the point of view of modern [[American]](s) marooned there, and both deal prominently such issues as facing a society where [[slavery]] is taken for granted, and surviving a foreign invasion of the Imperial territory. |
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Jeremy Solters refers to an alternate in which [[Germany (Curious Notions)|Germany]] won [[World War I (Curious Notions)|World War I]], foreshadowing the main setting of the following novel ''[[Curious Notions (novel)|Curious Notions]]''. |
Jeremy Solters refers to an alternate in which [[Germany (Curious Notions)|Germany]] won [[World War I (Curious Notions)|World War I]], foreshadowing the main setting of the following novel ''[[Curious Notions (novel)|Curious Notions]]''. |
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| + | Further alternates are discussed when Jeremy is in school, but never revisited in the series. One where [[North America (Crosstime Traffic)|North America]] was colonized by [[Vikings (Crosstime Traffic)|Vikings]], may be the world of [[L. Sprague de Camp|"The Wheels of If"]]/"[[The Pugnacious Peacemaker]]". One where North America remains a contented part of the [[British Empire (Crosstime Traffic)|British Empire]] in the 2090s, may be the world of [[The Two Georges (novel)|''The Two Georges'']]. In another, [[Spain (Crosstime Traffic)|Spain]] rules an [[Spanish Empire (Crosstime Traffic)|empire]] that borders [[Russia (Crosstime Traffic)|Russia]] in 2095, but there is reason to believe that this is ''not'' the world of ''[[Ruled Britannia]]'', which uses a similar POD. Likewise, there is reference to an alternate where the [[Confederate States (Crosstime Traffic)|Confederate States]] won the [[American Civil War (Crosstime Traffic)|American Civil War]] and remained a nation in the 21st century. While ''[[The Guns of the South]]'' and [[Southern Victory]] use similar PODs, there is reason to believe that this is neither of those. |
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| − | In school, Jeremy watches footage of an alternate where [[North America (Crosstime Traffic)|North America]] was colonized by [[Vikings (Crosstime Traffic)|Vikings]], possibly a reference to [[L. Sprague de Camp|"The Wheels of If"]]/"[[The Pugnacious Peacemaker]]". |
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| ⚫ | In "[[Alternate History: The How-to of What Might Have Been]]," Turtledove says that he wanted to write a story using the Roman-[[Germanic tribes|German]] conflict of [[Augustus]]' day as a [[break-point]] much earlier, but "It took me more than twenty years to come up with a story to follow on changing things there."<ref>''[[We Install and Other Stories]]'', p. 20.</ref> |
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This is the only Crosstime Traffic novel where both POV characters are from the [[home timeline]]. |
This is the only Crosstime Traffic novel where both POV characters are from the [[home timeline]]. |
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Revision as of 20:47, 2 June 2020
| Gunpowder Empire | |
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| Author | Harry Turtledove |
| Cover artist | Kazuhiko Sano |
| Language | English |
| Series | Crosstime Traffic |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction, Alternate History |
| Publisher | Tor |
| Publication date | 2003 |
| Followed by | Curious Notions |
Gunpowder Empire, Tor, 2003, is the first novel in the Crosstime Traffic Series. It follows the adventures of the Solters family, who spend every summer in the alternate universe called Agrippan Rome, more precisely in the city of Polisso, in the Dacia region, which is Romania in their reality. Agrippan Rome is a world where the Roman Empire never fell, thanks to Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa's survival against disease, which let him lead the Roman armies against barbarians, bring Germania into the Empire (unlike in the home timeline) and annexing Dacia a century early.
The Solters setup shop in Polisso, selling pocket watches ("hour-reckoners"), sharp razors, mirrors, and Swiss knives, all trinkets slightly above the technological know-how of the people. Things start going awry when Mrs. Solters falls ill. She and Mr. Solters leave for the home timeline, leaving their children Jeremy and Amanda behind. All would be well, except that soon after Jeremy and Amanda lose the communication link to their home timeline, and the neighboring kingdom of Lietuva (Lithuania and several neighboring nations in the Solters' home reality) has once again declared war against Rome, and the siege of Polisso begins.
Literary Notes
In "Alternate History: The How-to of What Might Have Been," Turtledove says that he wanted to write a story using the Roman-German conflict of Augustus' day as a break-point much earlier, but "It took me more than twenty years to come up with a story to follow on changing things there."[1]
The book's plot has much in common with Household Gods, written by Turtledove in collaboration with Judith Tarr - though that book concerns time travel back to the actual Roman Empire. Both books depict the daily life of a provincial Roman city from the point of view of modern American(s) marooned there, and both deal prominently such issues as facing a society where slavery is taken for granted, and surviving a foreign invasion of the Imperial territory.
"Death in Vesunna" also deals with 21st-century English-speaking people living undercover in the Roman Empire.
At one point, Jeremy Solters plays a game on his PowerBook which involves aliens invading Earth during World War II. This is a reference to the Worldwar series.
Jeremy Solters refers to an alternate in which Germany won World War I, foreshadowing the main setting of the following novel Curious Notions.
Further alternates are discussed when Jeremy is in school, but never revisited in the series. One where North America was colonized by Vikings, may be the world of "The Wheels of If"/"The Pugnacious Peacemaker". One where North America remains a contented part of the British Empire in the 2090s, may be the world of The Two Georges. In another, Spain rules an empire that borders Russia in 2095, but there is reason to believe that this is not the world of Ruled Britannia, which uses a similar POD. Likewise, there is reference to an alternate where the Confederate States won the American Civil War and remained a nation in the 21st century. While The Guns of the South and Southern Victory use similar PODs, there is reason to believe that this is neither of those.
This is the only Crosstime Traffic novel where both POV characters are from the home timeline.
References
- ↑ We Install and Other Stories, p. 20.
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