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Leviathan
An Alternate History World War II Dystopian Novella . . .
The Axis forces won World War II, and a monstrous tower rising from the ruins of Philadelphia is the heart of the Nazi-occupied United States. Norm Cromwell does what he can to survive under the restrictive regime of The New Republik of America, but he is starving, and resources are dwindling, and his paranoia is building, and agents are always watching. When a riot breaks out in line at the food distribution truck, Norm and two of his coworkers must go on the run to find Free America. Hunted by scout zeppelins, massive walking tanks, and agents of the Republik, Norm must decide what is most important to him—survival or self-sacrifice for a greater good.
This Post-Apocalyptic Dieselpunk novella was inspired by 1984, The Man in the High Castle, and Metro 2033.
The Axis forces won World War II, and a monstrous tower rising from the ruins of Philadelphia is the heart of the Nazi-occupied United States. Norm Cromwell does what he can to survive under the restrictive regime of The New Republik of America, but he is starving, and resources are dwindling, and his paranoia is building, and agents are always watching. When a riot breaks out in line at the food distribution truck, Norm and two of his coworkers must go on the run to find Free America. Hunted by scout zeppelins, massive walking tanks, and agents of the Republik, Norm must decide what is most important to him—survival or self-sacrifice for a greater good.
This Post-Apocalyptic Dieselpunk novella was inspired by 1984, The Man in the High Castle, and Metro 2033.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 24, 2016
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Regan
23 books19 followersAs of 2018, he has had published 23 short stories, and 3 novellas in the genres of science fiction, noir, horror, fantasy, and mystery.
For a complete list of published stories and longer works in progress, please visit his website.
For a complete list of published stories and longer works in progress, please visit his website.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 28, 2016
A terrific, old-fashioned alt-hist story. The plot? tl;dnr: the Nazi's won WWII, lo-jinks ensue, stuff happens, connections are made, free people, etc. You get the idea. (I don't do play-by-play in my reviews. Look to others for that.)
You know what DOES happens? Fun reading. Lots of it. As the author explained in his forward: "Many speculative fictions have been written by more historically-savvy authors than myself, and their stories may be more solidly founded on accurate details, but I honestly just wanted to write about diesel-powered walking tanks."
For THAT kind of fun, I'm in every time. (Time permitting.)
The tied-up-in-a-bow ending I expected was not the bow the author gave me. He gave me a different, maybe better bow. I respect the hell out of that.
There are those who might dismiss this is a "manly-man does manly things" story. Maybe they're right. I won't say, because I don't do play-by-play in my reviews (see above). But I will say that it was a blast start to finish.
The author has left room for several fill-in stories. I would read those stories, and I hope he isn't done writing about diesel-powered walking tanks.
You know what DOES happens? Fun reading. Lots of it. As the author explained in his forward: "Many speculative fictions have been written by more historically-savvy authors than myself, and their stories may be more solidly founded on accurate details, but I honestly just wanted to write about diesel-powered walking tanks."
For THAT kind of fun, I'm in every time. (Time permitting.)
The tied-up-in-a-bow ending I expected was not the bow the author gave me. He gave me a different, maybe better bow. I respect the hell out of that.
There are those who might dismiss this is a "manly-man does manly things" story. Maybe they're right. I won't say, because I don't do play-by-play in my reviews (see above). But I will say that it was a blast start to finish.
The author has left room for several fill-in stories. I would read those stories, and I hope he isn't done writing about diesel-powered walking tanks.
December 15, 2016
In an alternative world where Germany won the war and used a V-2 rocket or missile to destroy New York City with a nuclear weapon, Leviathan tells the tale of a few individuals in occupied America. In April of 1945, Norm Cromwell was in the sixth grade and on a field trip a little ways outside NYC when it was destroyed. He did not realize that he was seeing the rocket trail as the weapon came over the horizon and hit the city. His parents were back home in Pittsburg so they were not on the bus with him or the others in his group.
By October of 1962, Norm is an adult working and living in Philadelphia. One of the many adults crammed into a row house they live and work in an environment totally under German control. They are classified as “citizen workers” and have every second of their lives monitored. The Bundespolizei (BP) are the Gestapo of the Occupied America Branch of the Third Reich and they use informants and technology to control everyone and everything. Drone minizeps, shaped like small pigs and carrying cameras and other surveillance gear, monitor from the air while ground troops everywhere monitor things. Then there are the informants who may be friends and might be capable of lying just to get socks, extra rations, and other benefits.
There are resistance groups far beyond Philadelphia, according to rumor, but Norm has no plans to be a part of that. He tries to not think about his parents back home in Pittsburgh and has no idea if they are alive or dead. In a world where a smile can get you gunned down by the BP, Norm keeps his head down and does what he is told.
That is until at the end of the workday on this one particular day when all heck breaks loose. In the resulting melee Norm, Alan, and Floyd do something that is unforgivable. Forced to flee, they have no choice, but to go on the run to survive.
Author Chuck Ragan has created a very atmospheric and intense alternative history tale with Leviathan. As Mr. Regan makes clear in the introduction, the tale is designed off of several key changes to events during what we know as WW2. It isn’t meant to be a scholarly treatise on might have been. Instead, Leviathan is simply a pulp read of dystopian fiction set in an alternative history timeline. It is also very good.
Leviathan
Chuck Regan
http://www.cdregan.com/
Beat To A Pulp
http://www.beattoapulp.com
August 2016
ASIN: B01KYS01JM
eBook (Paperback available)
208 Pages
$2.99
Material supplied by the publisher in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
By October of 1962, Norm is an adult working and living in Philadelphia. One of the many adults crammed into a row house they live and work in an environment totally under German control. They are classified as “citizen workers” and have every second of their lives monitored. The Bundespolizei (BP) are the Gestapo of the Occupied America Branch of the Third Reich and they use informants and technology to control everyone and everything. Drone minizeps, shaped like small pigs and carrying cameras and other surveillance gear, monitor from the air while ground troops everywhere monitor things. Then there are the informants who may be friends and might be capable of lying just to get socks, extra rations, and other benefits.
There are resistance groups far beyond Philadelphia, according to rumor, but Norm has no plans to be a part of that. He tries to not think about his parents back home in Pittsburgh and has no idea if they are alive or dead. In a world where a smile can get you gunned down by the BP, Norm keeps his head down and does what he is told.
That is until at the end of the workday on this one particular day when all heck breaks loose. In the resulting melee Norm, Alan, and Floyd do something that is unforgivable. Forced to flee, they have no choice, but to go on the run to survive.
Author Chuck Ragan has created a very atmospheric and intense alternative history tale with Leviathan. As Mr. Regan makes clear in the introduction, the tale is designed off of several key changes to events during what we know as WW2. It isn’t meant to be a scholarly treatise on might have been. Instead, Leviathan is simply a pulp read of dystopian fiction set in an alternative history timeline. It is also very good.
Leviathan
Chuck Regan
http://www.cdregan.com/
Beat To A Pulp
http://www.beattoapulp.com
August 2016
ASIN: B01KYS01JM
eBook (Paperback available)
208 Pages
$2.99
Material supplied by the publisher in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
May 15, 2017
It's The End of the World But There's Still A Tiny Bit of Hope.
Chuck Regan's Leviathan is a top-notch alternate history novel featuring a what-could-the-world-be-like if the Nazis had defeated us in World War 2. In truth, the mean overlords could have been any totalitarian elite with a poor, ragtag group of rebels striving for some measure of freedom. The novel is extremely well-written and shows what life became for the poor proletariat workers who survived in what was left of America, hoping that they would not be informed on, hoping that the mini-zeppelins flying around wouldn't catch them daydreaming. It is similar in scope to 1984 or to the world of the Hunger Games, but bleaker, more desperate. A highly-recommended quick read.
Chuck Regan's Leviathan is a top-notch alternate history novel featuring a what-could-the-world-be-like if the Nazis had defeated us in World War 2. In truth, the mean overlords could have been any totalitarian elite with a poor, ragtag group of rebels striving for some measure of freedom. The novel is extremely well-written and shows what life became for the poor proletariat workers who survived in what was left of America, hoping that they would not be informed on, hoping that the mini-zeppelins flying around wouldn't catch them daydreaming. It is similar in scope to 1984 or to the world of the Hunger Games, but bleaker, more desperate. A highly-recommended quick read.
July 4, 2019
A superb blend of Red Dawn, Man in the High Castle and 1984. Highly recommend,
March 11, 2017
Surprising. Visually stimulating. Emotional. A great novel. And a quick read.
One part 1984, one part Man in the High Tower, three parts Chuck Regan goodness.
If you like alternative histories, you'll love this one. World War 2 hasn't ended still in 1962 and the people of the USA's east coast are under occupation and divided against each other.
Great story, well told.
One part 1984, one part Man in the High Tower, three parts Chuck Regan goodness.
If you like alternative histories, you'll love this one. World War 2 hasn't ended still in 1962 and the people of the USA's east coast are under occupation and divided against each other.
Great story, well told.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews