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The First Heroes: New Tales of the Bronze Age
The Bronze Age. The era of Troy, of Gilgamesh, of the dawning of human mastery over the earth. For decades, fantasists have set tales of heroism and adventure in imagined worlds based on the real Bronze Age, from the "Hyborean Age" of the Conan stories to the Third Age of Middle-earth.
Now bestselling science fiction and fantasy author Harry Turtledove, a noted expert on the ancient world, teams up with author and Egyptologist Noreen Doyle to present fourteen new tales of the real Bronze Age from some of the best writers in science fiction.
In The First Heroes: here is Gene Wolfe's mock-journal of a man from the future who travels with figures out of history and mythology; Judith Tarr's tale of a a town that sends its resident goddess to try to learn the secrets of the morose God of Chariots; Harry Turtledove's story about mythological beings witnessing the devastating effect of the first humans on the Earth's natural order; and a poignant new story from the late Poul Anderson, in which a modern scholar is sent to the late Bronze Age to witness the end of an era, emerging with memories from the past as vibrant and intact as those from his accustomed life.
Now bestselling science fiction and fantasy author Harry Turtledove, a noted expert on the ancient world, teams up with author and Egyptologist Noreen Doyle to present fourteen new tales of the real Bronze Age from some of the best writers in science fiction.
In The First Heroes: here is Gene Wolfe's mock-journal of a man from the future who travels with figures out of history and mythology; Judith Tarr's tale of a a town that sends its resident goddess to try to learn the secrets of the morose God of Chariots; Harry Turtledove's story about mythological beings witnessing the devastating effect of the first humans on the Earth's natural order; and a poignant new story from the late Poul Anderson, in which a modern scholar is sent to the late Bronze Age to witness the end of an era, emerging with memories from the past as vibrant and intact as those from his accustomed life.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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146 people want to read
About the author
Harry Turtledove
566 books1,976 followersDr Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced a sizeable number of works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.
Harry Turtledove attended UCLA, where he received a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977.
Turtledove has been dubbed "The Master of Alternate History". Within this genre he is known both for creating original scenarios: such as survival of the Byzantine Empire; an alien invasion in the middle of the World War II; and for giving a fresh and original treatment to themes previously dealt with by other authors, such as the victory of the South in the American Civil War; and of Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
His novels have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream. His style of alternate history has a strong military theme.
Harry Turtledove attended UCLA, where he received a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977.
Turtledove has been dubbed "The Master of Alternate History". Within this genre he is known both for creating original scenarios: such as survival of the Byzantine Empire; an alien invasion in the middle of the World War II; and for giving a fresh and original treatment to themes previously dealt with by other authors, such as the victory of the South in the American Civil War; and of Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
His novels have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream. His style of alternate history has a strong military theme.
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February 4, 2014The first observation I want to make about this anthology is that the reader need not be familiar with Bronze Age history any more than grammar school encounters with the Matter of Troy, or Jason and the Argonauts, or chariots or leaf-shaped swords, in order to enjoy this book.
I am no Bronze Age scholar, and I found every story entertaining—for different reasons. My overall impression is that there is something here for every type of reader, from young adults who might be sampling the mixing of history and science fiction or fantasy for the first time, to the ancient history scholar who likes to take the occasional dip into fictive explorations of their favorite period. There is also good reading here for the most sophisticated postmodern reader of literature, specifically the novella “Giliad,” by Gregory Feeley, which, along with Noreen Doyle’s “Ankhtifi the Brave is dying,” were my favorites among several outstanding stories.
The reader probably should be warned that the anthology begins with what might be considered the least accessible story of all, Gene Wolfe’s “The Lost Pilgrim.” Narrated in Wolfe’s characteristic fine prose, this story might be best approached as an alien encounter story—not just because the protagonist is a being from the future who travels to the past for a purpose that is forgotten for some mysterious reason upon arrival. This is also true for any of us when approaching the history of our own species at such a far remove. No matter how much we might study the fragments surviving from those times, were we to be summarily smitten into the past we would be strangers in a strange land.
So in that sense the Wolfe is the perfect story to open this anthology. That awareness of alienness ought to accompany the reader all the way to the end of the book. Exciting, funny, sly, and then strange and quite poignant, the Wolfe is good reading; I will not spoil any surprises, just warn the reader who doesn’t know the period to say the names out loud and discover the ‘easter eggs’ in the phonetic spellings.
The next five stories following are far more accessible. Brenda Clough’s vivid and engagingly written “How the Bells Came from Yang to Hubei” concerns itself with the period after the Zhou Dynasty ended in 221 B.C. Clough’s artisans are caught between the demands of art and the demands of war, bringing the point home that all too often in our civilization our technological advances do not always come from the best motives.
Judith Tarr’s “The God of Chariots” concerns the meetings of cultures and the ancient view of the divine. This story ought to appeal to the reader who loves historical romance, drawing as it does on familiar character motifs from that sub-genre. Harry Turtledove’s “The Horse of Bronze” is told from the point of view of centaurs during a time when other-worldly beings are fading from the Earth. I didn’t quite buy the centaurs’ conclusion about humans, but that in no way prevented me from enjoying the story itself, especially Cheiron’s voice. Turtledove’s thorough familiarity with this period brings it delightfully to life.
Josepha Sherman’s entertaining “A Hero for the Gods” proves that divine attention isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be—but humans do have their unexpected advantages. Though the previous three stories would probably appeal to most younger readers, I think “Blood Wolfe,” by S.M. Stirling, could draw in the reluctant teen reader. Blood Wolf is a tough Gallic Chieftain’s son, visiting England. This is a very strange England; it turns out people from our time have been transported to the past, and one of their actions was the establishment of this colony. In a ripsnortingly paced story our young hero is exposed to the technological and cultural changes that might occur after such an event.
One of the best-written stories is Noreen Doyle’s “Ankhtifi the Brave is dying.” The narrative follows Ankhtifi, who is old and sick, visiting his tomb where his remaining son is overseeing the construction. He reviews his life, watched over by a spirit from the land of the gods who has been appearing throughout his life. He comes back repeatedly to a central question. I don’t think anyone who was not thoroughly immersed in Egyptian history could have written this story, with its stunning detail and easy handling of ancient Egyptian words, names, concepts, but it takes an exceptional talent to convey such knowledge with grace and clarity, resisting the impulse to deaden the story with far too much scholarship—or struggle so hard to be absolutely scrupulous in detail that the characters become stiff and unconvincing.
Following such a strong story would be tough. The editors placed “The God Voice” there, a good choice. This collaboration between two excellent writers, Katharine Kerr and Debra Doyle, concerns Lawinia, married to Aeneas, who is accused by his son Askanios of murdering her husband. Askanios pursued Lawinia to the isolated cottage of Watis, oracle to the god Dian. Lawinia swears she did not murder him, so both agree that the case will be submitted to the god, and they will abide by his decision. It’s told in a terse, vividly written present tense, the characters deftly drawn, the ending full of unpredictable twists.
Karen Jordan Allen’s “Orqo Afloat on the Willkamayu” concerns conflict between half brothers, each of whom wants to be Inka on the death of their father—one favored by the father, and one perhaps by the gods. It seems aimed at the younger reader, except the structure will probably tax them, as there are bits of story wherein a point is made, followed by much longer flashbacks illustrating the point we’ve already been told. On the upside are interesting details about Inca life on the verge of their great empire, and the ending snaps with energy.
Laura Frankos’ “The Sea Mother’s Gift,” set on the Orkney Islands around 1160 B.C. when the sheep there found an interesting way to survive the series of bad years following the eruption of the volcano Hekla in Iceland. Appealing characters in a clearly-drawn setting make this story accessible to young readers.
Larry Hammer’s offering is cast in narrative verse, evoking Byron and Browning. It is a real shame that social occasions in our decadent day seldom include readings, as this metered sex farce would be wonderful to hear read aloud. It is dramatic, grim and excruciatingly funny in parts, and I will never again regard the word “myrmidons” in quite the same way.
Surprisingly there is only one story that deals with Troy, and that is the cool-toned, taut Lois Tilton story “The Matter of the Ahhiyans.” Tilton writes consistently well, turning in some of the best Alternate History I have ever seen; her observations dispassionate and wry, shot through with wit. In the hands of a good writer dispassionate does not mean neutral, or flat. The tension mounts inexorably and the ending resonates with passion. That one is my third favorite.
I also liked the last story in the anthology, “The Bog Sword” by the late Poul Anderson. The premise here is that a professor claims to have invented a way to send an individual back in non-physical form to “live” in the body of an ancestor. You’re there only for a few hours, but you do acquire the host’s memories. The protagonist wishes to risk the sometimes disconcerting—sometimes shattering—effects claimed by previous travelers to the past, in visiting late Bronze Age Denmark, which left few records. The story is characteristic Anderson—well told, funny, human, harrowing, and finally poignant, all the more when one finishes and realizes it was his last.
The longest story is the previously mentioned novella, “Giliad,” by Gregory Feeley. The plot-line concerns a man named Trent who is asked to beta-test a Bronze Age computer game, his wife Leslie who tends to scorn the lack of scholarship in most of these games but gets drawn into helping on the research end, and their single child, a small girl who delights in Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings movies and plays happily with neighbors—until she is required to struggle, as so many children did, with the images we could not escape on television during and immediately after 9/11. But this is no linear tale, unlike all the others. We also see the ancient world through the eyes of Nanshe, a little girl in Sumer; a scribe fifty years ago typing a science fiction story about nuclear war; we catch glimpses of the present day’s problems in Iraq, particularly chilling when one considers this story was written and turned in a couple of years ago.. The different viewpoints might appear to be disparate, but watch the skill of the transitions as the narrative shifts smoothly from one voice to the next, glides from present to past tense and then back again. The story is a brilliantly told Götterdämerung, its layers constructed so tightly that when the reader does finally perceive the whole there’s a sense of the floor dropping away, revealing new possibilities of meaning.
“What is wrong cannot soon be put right—at least not what lies in the mind, which occupies not two or even three dimensions, but the infolds of a space no one has mapped.”
Twilight of the gods indeed.
I am no Bronze Age scholar, and I found every story entertaining—for different reasons. My overall impression is that there is something here for every type of reader, from young adults who might be sampling the mixing of history and science fiction or fantasy for the first time, to the ancient history scholar who likes to take the occasional dip into fictive explorations of their favorite period. There is also good reading here for the most sophisticated postmodern reader of literature, specifically the novella “Giliad,” by Gregory Feeley, which, along with Noreen Doyle’s “Ankhtifi the Brave is dying,” were my favorites among several outstanding stories.
The reader probably should be warned that the anthology begins with what might be considered the least accessible story of all, Gene Wolfe’s “The Lost Pilgrim.” Narrated in Wolfe’s characteristic fine prose, this story might be best approached as an alien encounter story—not just because the protagonist is a being from the future who travels to the past for a purpose that is forgotten for some mysterious reason upon arrival. This is also true for any of us when approaching the history of our own species at such a far remove. No matter how much we might study the fragments surviving from those times, were we to be summarily smitten into the past we would be strangers in a strange land.
So in that sense the Wolfe is the perfect story to open this anthology. That awareness of alienness ought to accompany the reader all the way to the end of the book. Exciting, funny, sly, and then strange and quite poignant, the Wolfe is good reading; I will not spoil any surprises, just warn the reader who doesn’t know the period to say the names out loud and discover the ‘easter eggs’ in the phonetic spellings.
The next five stories following are far more accessible. Brenda Clough’s vivid and engagingly written “How the Bells Came from Yang to Hubei” concerns itself with the period after the Zhou Dynasty ended in 221 B.C. Clough’s artisans are caught between the demands of art and the demands of war, bringing the point home that all too often in our civilization our technological advances do not always come from the best motives.
Judith Tarr’s “The God of Chariots” concerns the meetings of cultures and the ancient view of the divine. This story ought to appeal to the reader who loves historical romance, drawing as it does on familiar character motifs from that sub-genre. Harry Turtledove’s “The Horse of Bronze” is told from the point of view of centaurs during a time when other-worldly beings are fading from the Earth. I didn’t quite buy the centaurs’ conclusion about humans, but that in no way prevented me from enjoying the story itself, especially Cheiron’s voice. Turtledove’s thorough familiarity with this period brings it delightfully to life.
Josepha Sherman’s entertaining “A Hero for the Gods” proves that divine attention isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be—but humans do have their unexpected advantages. Though the previous three stories would probably appeal to most younger readers, I think “Blood Wolfe,” by S.M. Stirling, could draw in the reluctant teen reader. Blood Wolf is a tough Gallic Chieftain’s son, visiting England. This is a very strange England; it turns out people from our time have been transported to the past, and one of their actions was the establishment of this colony. In a ripsnortingly paced story our young hero is exposed to the technological and cultural changes that might occur after such an event.
One of the best-written stories is Noreen Doyle’s “Ankhtifi the Brave is dying.” The narrative follows Ankhtifi, who is old and sick, visiting his tomb where his remaining son is overseeing the construction. He reviews his life, watched over by a spirit from the land of the gods who has been appearing throughout his life. He comes back repeatedly to a central question. I don’t think anyone who was not thoroughly immersed in Egyptian history could have written this story, with its stunning detail and easy handling of ancient Egyptian words, names, concepts, but it takes an exceptional talent to convey such knowledge with grace and clarity, resisting the impulse to deaden the story with far too much scholarship—or struggle so hard to be absolutely scrupulous in detail that the characters become stiff and unconvincing.
Following such a strong story would be tough. The editors placed “The God Voice” there, a good choice. This collaboration between two excellent writers, Katharine Kerr and Debra Doyle, concerns Lawinia, married to Aeneas, who is accused by his son Askanios of murdering her husband. Askanios pursued Lawinia to the isolated cottage of Watis, oracle to the god Dian. Lawinia swears she did not murder him, so both agree that the case will be submitted to the god, and they will abide by his decision. It’s told in a terse, vividly written present tense, the characters deftly drawn, the ending full of unpredictable twists.
Karen Jordan Allen’s “Orqo Afloat on the Willkamayu” concerns conflict between half brothers, each of whom wants to be Inka on the death of their father—one favored by the father, and one perhaps by the gods. It seems aimed at the younger reader, except the structure will probably tax them, as there are bits of story wherein a point is made, followed by much longer flashbacks illustrating the point we’ve already been told. On the upside are interesting details about Inca life on the verge of their great empire, and the ending snaps with energy.
Laura Frankos’ “The Sea Mother’s Gift,” set on the Orkney Islands around 1160 B.C. when the sheep there found an interesting way to survive the series of bad years following the eruption of the volcano Hekla in Iceland. Appealing characters in a clearly-drawn setting make this story accessible to young readers.
Larry Hammer’s offering is cast in narrative verse, evoking Byron and Browning. It is a real shame that social occasions in our decadent day seldom include readings, as this metered sex farce would be wonderful to hear read aloud. It is dramatic, grim and excruciatingly funny in parts, and I will never again regard the word “myrmidons” in quite the same way.
Surprisingly there is only one story that deals with Troy, and that is the cool-toned, taut Lois Tilton story “The Matter of the Ahhiyans.” Tilton writes consistently well, turning in some of the best Alternate History I have ever seen; her observations dispassionate and wry, shot through with wit. In the hands of a good writer dispassionate does not mean neutral, or flat. The tension mounts inexorably and the ending resonates with passion. That one is my third favorite.
I also liked the last story in the anthology, “The Bog Sword” by the late Poul Anderson. The premise here is that a professor claims to have invented a way to send an individual back in non-physical form to “live” in the body of an ancestor. You’re there only for a few hours, but you do acquire the host’s memories. The protagonist wishes to risk the sometimes disconcerting—sometimes shattering—effects claimed by previous travelers to the past, in visiting late Bronze Age Denmark, which left few records. The story is characteristic Anderson—well told, funny, human, harrowing, and finally poignant, all the more when one finishes and realizes it was his last.
The longest story is the previously mentioned novella, “Giliad,” by Gregory Feeley. The plot-line concerns a man named Trent who is asked to beta-test a Bronze Age computer game, his wife Leslie who tends to scorn the lack of scholarship in most of these games but gets drawn into helping on the research end, and their single child, a small girl who delights in Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings movies and plays happily with neighbors—until she is required to struggle, as so many children did, with the images we could not escape on television during and immediately after 9/11. But this is no linear tale, unlike all the others. We also see the ancient world through the eyes of Nanshe, a little girl in Sumer; a scribe fifty years ago typing a science fiction story about nuclear war; we catch glimpses of the present day’s problems in Iraq, particularly chilling when one considers this story was written and turned in a couple of years ago.. The different viewpoints might appear to be disparate, but watch the skill of the transitions as the narrative shifts smoothly from one voice to the next, glides from present to past tense and then back again. The story is a brilliantly told Götterdämerung, its layers constructed so tightly that when the reader does finally perceive the whole there’s a sense of the floor dropping away, revealing new possibilities of meaning.
“What is wrong cannot soon be put right—at least not what lies in the mind, which occupies not two or even three dimensions, but the infolds of a space no one has mapped.”
Twilight of the gods indeed.
July 24, 2018
The title says it all: A collection of 14 short stories about heroes who lived in the Bronze Age.
Anthology tend to have their very best stories in the first, second, and final positions, so if the first two stories in an anthology don't work for me, I stop reading. The first two stories in this book were boring as heck, and the low rating on Amazon means I'm not alone in that opinion, so I gave up on it. DNF
August 16, 2019
Fantastic read.
January 2, 2022
A few of these stories were a bit of a slog, but many were quite good. Well written, about a fascinating period. It’s more historic fiction than fantasy, but to me that was actually a nice bonus.
May 2, 2023
Interesting idea but like most anthologies the stories are a bit mixed.
October 3, 2016
This is a mixed bag of stories -- some excellent in that I wanted to read more about the characters and others not so interesting or good.
May 25, 2016
I read The Lost Pilgrim by Gene Wolfe.
I found this a bit of a dry read. And yes, I had to finish it once I began. In some ways it was interesting. Clearly the main character and narrator, Pilgrim, was meant to be on the Mayflower, but ended up on a completely different boat heading in what appeared to be very much the opposite direction.
There are warriors (male and female), giants, lions and games in this story. The elements of myths and legends, with all the prowess to match. And some type of ancient Games - perhaps an early version of the Olympics.
The ending was totally ironic. And perhaps, in a way, somewhat predictable, for sure. But even then, it did catch me somewhat unawares. There is a fight, and a king dies. As a result, people must be buried alive with the king, and Pilgrim ends up drawing the black stone (I guess they didn't know what straws were back then). He uses his dagger won by losing a race to kill all the others who are buried alive along with him - at their request, mind - and then jumps forward in time as far as he can (to his present, I think) to see if anyone discovers the tomb and rescues him. No-one does, and he ends up having to kill himself so that he doesn't suffer and die... or something like that. Given that the story is in diary form, we never do see him killing himself.
Overall, somewhat interesting, but I really had to concentrate on this one.
I found this a bit of a dry read. And yes, I had to finish it once I began. In some ways it was interesting. Clearly the main character and narrator, Pilgrim, was meant to be on the Mayflower, but ended up on a completely different boat heading in what appeared to be very much the opposite direction.
There are warriors (male and female), giants, lions and games in this story. The elements of myths and legends, with all the prowess to match. And some type of ancient Games - perhaps an early version of the Olympics.
The ending was totally ironic. And perhaps, in a way, somewhat predictable, for sure. But even then, it did catch me somewhat unawares. There is a fight, and a king dies. As a result, people must be buried alive with the king, and Pilgrim ends up drawing the black stone (I guess they didn't know what straws were back then). He uses his dagger won by losing a race to kill all the others who are buried alive along with him - at their request, mind - and then jumps forward in time as far as he can (to his present, I think) to see if anyone discovers the tomb and rescues him. No-one does, and he ends up having to kill himself so that he doesn't suffer and die... or something like that. Given that the story is in diary form, we never do see him killing himself.
Overall, somewhat interesting, but I really had to concentrate on this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2012
This short story collection has some really good stories and some...less good. I very much enjoyed just about everything in the first half of the book, especially the very first story, Gene Wolfe's "The Lost Pilgrim". (Which is odd since I haven't much liked anything else by Wolfe that I've tried, but this story is great.) I thought Noreen Doyle's "Ankhtifi the Brave is dying" was especially good as well. But the last half of the collection goes downhill - I didn't like any of the final five stories much. Anyhow, the collection is still worth reading for the first half, and perhaps others will like the later stories more than I did.
June 19, 2017
Some good stories in here ranging from fantasy, to realistic narratives of actual life and human drama in the times, to science fiction stories dealing with alternate history, time-travel or other ways for us modern folk to connect with the distant past. There's a few bad apples in here that had to be skipped but the majority of the stories were either entertaining, thoughtful, original sometimes all at the same time.
July 26, 2009
I am not usually a fanof short story compilations but thought this one might be betterthan the average given the subject matter. It was not. Like most, it had a couple of good stories tha I wished were longer and the rest I could have done without reading at all.
October 14, 2015
the stars say it all
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