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Alternatives
These are but some of the Alternatives awaiting you...
What if...Camelot was real, and King Arthur lived on...?
What if...George Washington was killed - and the foundation could be laid for a true Libertarian Society?
What if...A 20th-century cop tries to bring the "benefits" of modern warfare to a neo-medieval society...?
Under the direction of Robert Adams, six of the field's most versatile authors look at the history of our world as it might have been - and as it might yet be.
Contents:
The Goodwife of Orleans by Roland J. Green
The Spirit of Exmas Sideays by L. Neil Smith
Count of the Saxon Shore by Susan Shwartz
And the Truth Shall Set You Free by Sharon Green
Islands in the Sea by Harry Turtledove
Kalvan Kingmaker by John F. Carr
What if...Camelot was real, and King Arthur lived on...?
What if...George Washington was killed - and the foundation could be laid for a true Libertarian Society?
What if...A 20th-century cop tries to bring the "benefits" of modern warfare to a neo-medieval society...?
Under the direction of Robert Adams, six of the field's most versatile authors look at the history of our world as it might have been - and as it might yet be.
Contents:
The Goodwife of Orleans by Roland J. Green
The Spirit of Exmas Sideays by L. Neil Smith
Count of the Saxon Shore by Susan Shwartz
And the Truth Shall Set You Free by Sharon Green
Islands in the Sea by Harry Turtledove
Kalvan Kingmaker by John F. Carr
312 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1989
1 person is currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Robert Adams
74 books68 followersFranklin Robert Adams (August 31, 1933 - January 4, 1990) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, formerly a career soldier. He is best known for his "Horseclans" books. He wrote as Robert Adams, an abbreviated form of his full name.
Adams was an early pioneer of the post-holocaust novel. His Horseclans novels are precursors to many of today's attempts at this type of story, many of which do not exhibit his painstakingly detailed world view or extraordinary plot follow-through (many of his Horseclans books are so interlinked that they make sense only when read in order; he did not create many "stand alone" books in the series).
Hallmarks of Adams' style include a focus on violent, non-stop action, meticulous detail in matters historical and military, strong description, and digressions expounding on various subjects from a conservative and libertarian viewpoint.
Adams was an early pioneer of the post-holocaust novel. His Horseclans novels are precursors to many of today's attempts at this type of story, many of which do not exhibit his painstakingly detailed world view or extraordinary plot follow-through (many of his Horseclans books are so interlinked that they make sense only when read in order; he did not create many "stand alone" books in the series).
Hallmarks of Adams' style include a focus on violent, non-stop action, meticulous detail in matters historical and military, strong description, and digressions expounding on various subjects from a conservative and libertarian viewpoint.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 9, 2021
To rate the stories individually:
"The Goodwife of Orleans" -- 5 stars. By far, my favorite.
"The Spirit of Exmas Sideways" -- 3 stars. It was an entertaining. A murder mystery involving parallel universes, with some touches of the cynicism of mystery noire. Lacked the depth that the first and third stories had, though.
"Count of the Saxon Shore" -- 4 stars. Great narrative style and a thoughtful alternative look at the Arthur saga.
"And the Truth Shall Set You Free." 3 stars. An interesting world to explore, but not really alternate history. Most of it was told rather than shown, though.
"Islands in the Sea." 1 star. The entire story is Christians and Muslims arguing over whose religion was better.
"Kalvan Kingmaker." Didn't even bother to finish. I had a lot of trouble deciphering what was going on in the last story. It seems to be part of a larger series, which made it more confusing.
I mainly bought the book for the first story, the second was enjoyable enough, and the third was a pleasant surprise, but the last three (well, penultimate two) fell short on exploring the world they created.
"The Goodwife of Orleans" -- 5 stars. By far, my favorite.
"The Spirit of Exmas Sideways" -- 3 stars. It was an entertaining. A murder mystery involving parallel universes, with some touches of the cynicism of mystery noire. Lacked the depth that the first and third stories had, though.
"Count of the Saxon Shore" -- 4 stars. Great narrative style and a thoughtful alternative look at the Arthur saga.
"And the Truth Shall Set You Free." 3 stars. An interesting world to explore, but not really alternate history. Most of it was told rather than shown, though.
"Islands in the Sea." 1 star. The entire story is Christians and Muslims arguing over whose religion was better.
"Kalvan Kingmaker." Didn't even bother to finish. I had a lot of trouble deciphering what was going on in the last story. It seems to be part of a larger series, which made it more confusing.
I mainly bought the book for the first story, the second was enjoyable enough, and the third was a pleasant surprise, but the last three (well, penultimate two) fell short on exploring the world they created.
September 7, 2018
This has a good variety of stories. My favorite was Turtledove's "Islands in the Sea," which describes a scene that would have changed European history to a great degree.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews