Something Fishy

State of Jefferson Stories

by Harry Turtledove

A brand-new story from the legendary Harry Turtledove about Governor Bill Williamson, a sasquatch with a plan.

32 pages, ebook

First published January 8, 2020

About the author

Dr 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.

Reviews

[Badseedgirl]

This is my second Governor Bill Williamson short story by Harry Turtledove. The first was "Typecasting" another free tor.com story found here.
I just like these stories about an alt Earth where Sasquatch, among other cryptozoologist's dreams, are members of society. Bill is a completely likable character, and the stories always make me smile.

You can read Something Fishy here.

[Virginia]

Tor short story
https://www.tor.com/2020/01/08/someth...

[Katherine]

These Jefferson State stories are alright, but I would rather have a whole book so I can get more of an actual story rather than these vignettes.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans)]

🐡 Free short story from Tor 🐡

How can a story about fishy stuff be so bloody shrimping meh and bleh and blah? I mean, it is a truth universally acknowledged that all things fishy (be they dodgily dubious or merely subaquatic) are Sightly Very Delicious (SVD™) by nature. Yeah, well, this story is apparently the proverbial exception that proves the bloody fishing rule.

What makes this even more very quite a lot disappointing is that there is so much shrimping potential here. I mean, the story is about the sasquatch governor of I-Don't-Know-What-State. YES! Sasquatch! I kid you not! Isn't that gloriously glorious indeed? And what with his dealings with puny humans third-graders, the local Native tribe, boring salmons, mustachioed mermaids and metaphorical clams, you'd think the author was on the path to greatness here. Only that he isn't.



The end and stuff.