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1637: The Pacific Initiative
NEW RING OF FIRE SERIES ENTRY FROM IVER P. COOPE
A cosmic catastrophe, the Ring of Fire, strands the West Virginia town of Grantville back in time in the middle of the Thirty Years War. One of its ripple effects is that Japan has pulled back from a policy of isolation and staked out its own claims on the west coast of North America. But it is not the only power interested in that part of the New World, and the native Americans have also responded, in different ways, to the unexpected colonists. And there are conflicts among the colonists themselves.
In settling the fate of this part of the New World, a few remarkable individuals have an outsize role to Oyamada Isamu, a samurai on his first independent command; Yells-at-Bears, a young native woman of Vancouver Island; Father Blanco, a Jesuit priest and former missionary; and Iroha Data-hime, the daughter of the Grand Governor of New Nippon.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Praise for Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire
“. . . expand[s] the Ring of Fire universe into new or previously limited geography and culture. ‘Stretching Out’ includes seven excellent entries mostly in South America and the Caribbean built on real events but with a nice Grantville twist. ‘Rising Sun’ contains five terrific tales. . . . also built on real events enhanced by historical speculation but with a nice Grantville twist.” —Alternate Worlds
Iver P. Cooper has been an active contributor to Eric Flint's Ring of Fire universe, with short stories and articles published in the online Grantville Gazette and in the hardcover anthology Ring of Fire II. He is the author of 1636: Seas of Fortune. Cooper is an intellectual property law attorney with Browdy & Neimark, Washington DC. He has received legal writing awards from the American Patent Law Association, the U.S. Trademark Association, and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and is the sole author of Biotechnology and the Law, now in its twenty-somethingth edition. In his spare time, he teaches swing and folk dancing, and participates in local photo club competitions. Cooper is married with a son and daughter.
A cosmic catastrophe, the Ring of Fire, strands the West Virginia town of Grantville back in time in the middle of the Thirty Years War. One of its ripple effects is that Japan has pulled back from a policy of isolation and staked out its own claims on the west coast of North America. But it is not the only power interested in that part of the New World, and the native Americans have also responded, in different ways, to the unexpected colonists. And there are conflicts among the colonists themselves.
In settling the fate of this part of the New World, a few remarkable individuals have an outsize role to Oyamada Isamu, a samurai on his first independent command; Yells-at-Bears, a young native woman of Vancouver Island; Father Blanco, a Jesuit priest and former missionary; and Iroha Data-hime, the daughter of the Grand Governor of New Nippon.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Praise for Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire
“. . . expand[s] the Ring of Fire universe into new or previously limited geography and culture. ‘Stretching Out’ includes seven excellent entries mostly in South America and the Caribbean built on real events but with a nice Grantville twist. ‘Rising Sun’ contains five terrific tales. . . . also built on real events enhanced by historical speculation but with a nice Grantville twist.” —Alternate Worlds
Iver P. Cooper has been an active contributor to Eric Flint's Ring of Fire universe, with short stories and articles published in the online Grantville Gazette and in the hardcover anthology Ring of Fire II. He is the author of 1636: Seas of Fortune. Cooper is an intellectual property law attorney with Browdy & Neimark, Washington DC. He has received legal writing awards from the American Patent Law Association, the U.S. Trademark Association, and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and is the sole author of Biotechnology and the Law, now in its twenty-somethingth edition. In his spare time, he teaches swing and folk dancing, and participates in local photo club competitions. Cooper is married with a son and daughter.
368 pages, Paperback
Published March 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 28, 2025
Kick the Spanish!
New Nippon moves forward with the Christian bent. I grew up in California from North to south, I had fun dreaming about the wild country along the coast.
New Nippon moves forward with the Christian bent. I grew up in California from North to south, I had fun dreaming about the wild country along the coast.
March 28, 2025
The big mistake that Sterns made when Grantville dropped into the war torn Germany of 1632, he let future data available to all. So now Spain is reluctant to accept how things might happen and concentrates on the Caribbean theatre as Dutch-English-USE explorers wrest pieces from them. Threats to the gold and silver galleons keeps the local governors busy.
So Japan tries to remove the christian coverts in several ways. They flee to the Philippines but the Dutch and Japanese Shogun pursue them there. But to North America they send colony ships with two plans. Establish Japanese settlements and isolate the christians. If these people die, then more true settlers can take their place. But should they survive, then all of the outlawed religion could be sent to isolate the faithful from these heretics.
So Japan tries to remove the christian coverts in several ways. They flee to the Philippines but the Dutch and Japanese Shogun pursue them there. But to North America they send colony ships with two plans. Establish Japanese settlements and isolate the christians. If these people die, then more true settlers can take their place. But should they survive, then all of the outlawed religion could be sent to isolate the faithful from these heretics.
August 25, 2025
A worthy entry in the 1632 series.
The novel follows the development of New Nippon on the West Coast of North America, stretching from where San Francisco would be up to past Vancouver. I enjoyed the interplay between the Japanese and the indigenous communities. I felt the Spanish arc (following the Jesuit Priest) to be a smidge clunky and ultimately unnecessary, but the story was good.
I know that Eric Flint passed last year, but I hope stories continue to flow into the 1632 universe. With the East Coast occupied by the Europeans, and the West Coast by the Japanese (and Dutch!) it should be interesting to see Spain's stakes taking a hit longer term.
If you enjoy the 1632 universe, check this one out.
The novel follows the development of New Nippon on the West Coast of North America, stretching from where San Francisco would be up to past Vancouver. I enjoyed the interplay between the Japanese and the indigenous communities. I felt the Spanish arc (following the Jesuit Priest) to be a smidge clunky and ultimately unnecessary, but the story was good.
I know that Eric Flint passed last year, but I hope stories continue to flow into the 1632 universe. With the East Coast occupied by the Europeans, and the West Coast by the Japanese (and Dutch!) it should be interesting to see Spain's stakes taking a hit longer term.
If you enjoy the 1632 universe, check this one out.
May 22, 2025
Good story
For those who don't know this is set in Eric Flints 1632 universe of stories and is the direct sequel to the second half of the book Seas of Fortune.
Here we focus mainly on Samurai leadership of the Texada Island colony which is only mentioned in passing in the earlier book.
As I finished I found myself wishing for more. Hopefully 1638 will be along fairly soon.
For those who don't know this is set in Eric Flints 1632 universe of stories and is the direct sequel to the second half of the book Seas of Fortune.
Here we focus mainly on Samurai leadership of the Texada Island colony which is only mentioned in passing in the earlier book.
As I finished I found myself wishing for more. Hopefully 1638 will be along fairly soon.
September 23, 2025
A very interesting continuation of the story for Japan
This continues the effects of the Ring of Fire on Japanese history. The decision to found colonies in western north America has many interesting effects.
This continues the effects of the Ring of Fire on Japanese history. The decision to found colonies in western north America has many interesting effects.
April 14, 2025
As always, good work from Cooper. How the west coast of North America has changed after the Ring of Fire. How will Russia's (Alaska?) and Britain's (Vancouver?) 18th century (OTL) presence resolve?
September 16, 2025
the ring of fire series continues. the west coast of the americas this time
March 29, 2025
I am very glad to see what the latest is going on the Pacific North American coast. This book has well written characters, growth of character relationships, realistic events and stresses of life. It shows yet again the Ring of Fires worldwide change effect. These alternate history readings are just plain fun to read. Do the people of Grantsville realize the effect they have had in the Vancouver area? My answer is that I very much doubt it and they will get a wakeup call on that when a certain character (of another author and story line) makes it to Grantville. Well researched and thought-out Alternate History - Neat stuff!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews