Climb the Wind: A Journey Into Another Past

by Pamela Sargent

Pamela Sargent doesn’t write showily and doesn’t rely on action set-pieces to make her fiction. She creates original and intriguing premises and she uses fascinating and convincing detail along with well-executed and believable characterization to tell stories that deliver sneakily powerful visions of imaginary reality. This alternate-historical take on the frontier expansion of post-Civil War America takes us to a place we hadn’t expected but can still see as a possibly better world than the one we know. Sargent is an SF writer but she works magic with her imagination and we’re the richer for it.

Genres: Alternate History, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Fiction, Native Americans, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

508 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

Pamela Sargent has won the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and has been a finalist for the Hugo Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the Sidewise Award for alternate history. In 2012, she was honored with the Pilgrim Award by the Science Fiction Research Association for lifetime achievement in science fiction scholarship. She is the author of the novels Cloned Lives, The Sudden Star, Watchstar, The Golden Space, The Alien Upstairs, Eye of the Comet, Homesmind, Alien Child, The Shore of Women, Venus of Dreams, Venus of Shadows, Child of Venus, Climb the Wind, and Ruler of the Sky. Her most recent short story collection is Thumbprints, published by Golden Gryphon Press, with an introduction by James Morrow. The Washington Post Book World has called her “one of the genre's best writers.”

In the 1970s, she edited the Women of Wonder series, the first collections of science fiction by women; her other anthologies include Bio-Futures and, with British writer Ian Watson as co-editor, Afterlives. Two anthologies, Women of Wonder, The Classic Years: Science Fiction by Women from the 1940s to the 1970s and Women of Wonder, The Contemporary Years: Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s, were published by Harcourt Brace in 1995; Publishers Weekly called these two books “essential reading for any serious sf fan.” Her most recent anthology is Conqueror Fantastic, out from DAW Books in 2004. Tor Books reissued her 1983 young adult novel Earthseed, selected as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association, and a sequel, Farseed, in early 2007. A third volume, Seed Seeker, was published in November of 2010 by Tor. Earthseed has been optioned by Paramount Pictures, with Melissa Rosenberg, scriptwriter for all of the Twilight films, writing the script and producing through her Tall Girls Productions.

A collection, Puss in D.C. and Other Stories, is out; her novel Season of the Cats is out in hardcover and will be available in paperback from Wildside Press. The Shore of Women has been optioned for development as a TV series by Super Deluxe Films, part of Turner Broadcasting.

Pamela Sargent lives in Albany, New York.

Reviews

[David R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like too many alternate histories, a fine concept is lost to execution. Sargent begins to weave a counterfactual that assumes that Native Americans of the major Plains tribes unite sufficiently to repel military incursions in the 1870s, and that a Russian-Alaskan agitator beguiles the tribal leadership with stories of the Khans. But the rest of the book just falls apart with silliness and a ridiculously contrived ending. If you can pretend that a cash-strapped Thomas Edison would set up shop in the rural Bismarck, North Dakota of 1873, and make gadgets for the Lakota, you'll buy the rest with no qualms.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An alternate history with its premise as what if the south revolted again after the civil war and the american indians formed as a solid group. A good but not great book.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm .... I was looking forward to reading this book, and I think that the plot idea was terrific and worthy of development. However, I felt that there were too many characters crowded onto center stage. I would have liked to have seen only one character be the star of the show, and perhaps another 4 or 5 as primary support characters. However, there were so many characters involved, all vying for a starring role in this story, that it made things rather confusing for the reader. Also, there were frequent gaps in the story to add to the confusion. It was rather like portions of this book were written by a committee, and they seldom talked with each other. It's a great story idea .... it just needs to be pulled together, and finished.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem with alternative histories is that you really need to know the real history to understand the differences but this one had a nice explanation in the afterword. Points out that even though the details might be significantly different the ultimate end result might not be so different. Interesting but not compelling.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with David R’s review. Interesting idea not we’ll executed.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting book to read and think about. I do think the ending is very open-ended, but that’s not a spoiler.

[James Chapman · Rating 2 out of 5]

My great passion is finding and reading alternate history novels. I was intrigued that someone could construct a What-if about Indian victory in the settlement of the west. Unfortunately this book is not a very good attempt at it. While the native Americans make some allies the idea of a native victory really requires deep substantive changes that this book refuses to make. In population alone the native tribes are doomed in any direct conflict. The idea is intriguing, the book isn't.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant, though admittedly far-fetched to the suburbs of Alien Space Bat territory, alternate history where the Plains Indians (lead by a Lakota chief, Touch-the-Clouds) essentially win the Indian Wars.

[Ronn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually around 3 & half stars. It's a pretty interesting read and the characters are compelling enough. There are some gaps in logic, but none that cant just be set aside for the sake of enjoying the book. Pamela Sargent is no Harry Turtledove, but then, only Harry Turtledove is.

[Clint Flatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if?

[Brad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well researched but not very thrilling alternate history story.

[cindyvhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alternative future genre by Pamela Sargent. Excellent writing which made me think about what would "today" be like if the American Indians had won some major battles.

[Janika Puolitaival · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this every couple of years - still one of the best in alternative history