Harry Turtledove's World War novels

Cassius Belli · September 12, 2002, 22:12

Has anyone out there read any of Turtledove's WorldWar series and is it possible to bring the Race(lizard-like aliens with advanced,sort of like current and future technologies against WW2 tech for us humans) into a Civ scenario?

Case · September 12, 2002, 23:27

Yes and Yes.

IMO the World War books would make a fantastic scenario.

Gatekeeper · September 13, 2002, 00:19

Hmm ... there is a scenario included with Civ II MPG/Gold where aliens attack Earth and you have to defeat them (or play as the aliens) with what's left of humanity. That's probably as close as one will ever get to having a Turtledove book converted into a Civ II scenario. (I only wish they had built the alien scenario on a standard-sized world map, instead of a "medium-size Earth map.")

Gatekeeper

H Tower · September 18, 2002, 01:33

not true! scotf did a scenario on the great war novels!

Case · September 18, 2002, 08:15

World War Novels* = Aliens invade Earth in WW2

Great War Novels = The South wins the US Civil war

*Note: I'm being very generous describing these books as novels

Cassius Belli · September 18, 2002, 21:35

Yes,i've read the Great War trilogy and the How Few Remain prequel and i'm now moving on to the American Empire trilogy.Why do you say you are being generous calling them novels?

DarkCloud · September 19, 2002, 11:12

What is so bad about the World War series?

I understand your complaints about the great war... Turtledove does sometimes overplay things and ham it up- acting like some 60's war movie person... "He frowned at his son... his son did not know true war. For if he did- he would hate it." Seems to be a reaccuring theme in ALL his works

It gets tiring after a while

H Tower · September 20, 2002, 01:26

actually i think case was only saying that the world war novels are sub standard. note the ommision of the asterik next to the great war book

Cassius Belli · September 20, 2002, 21:33

Yes,I must admit by the time you get around to the 2nd of the Colonization books,so therefore it's really the 6th in WW series,you sort of can see where things are going.I think it has more to do with being comfortable with the characters than sub-standard writing,but maybe that's just my bias,I got REALLY sucked into the series and i'm fairly easy pleased.I prefer reading history and current affairs than fiction so....

Case · September 22, 2002, 01:38

Quote:

Originally posted by H Tower
actually i think case was only saying that the world war novels are sub standard. note the ommision of the asterik next to the great war book

Yep. I read the 4 original 'World War' books when they came out, and found them to be fun but dumb.

I gave them all away to charity last month.

Straybow · September 22, 2002, 22:15

I started reading Great War series but found suspension of disbelief too difficult.

Gatekeeper · September 23, 2002, 13:53

Blasphemy! The World War novels by Turtledove ROCK in a fun, escapist sort of way! I can't wait for the Colonization book where we invade the Lizards' home world and colonize it!

Gatekeeper

atomant · September 24, 2002, 03:49

In a general sort of comment, I have always enjoyed the alternate history scenarios. There have been a few novels I have read that would make great scen. Nazi's defeat the d-day landings... Japanese invade Australia.... the american civil war fought with circa ww1/ww2 technology... Some of these have already been made available by designers, but some more would be great....

Mr. President · September 24, 2002, 04:32

Yes, poison gas in the Civil War would have been interesting. And not just because there would have been more carnage among civilians. World War I technology and "industrialized warfare" would have meant completely different tactics for both sides.

But I think the North would have won anyway.

Cassius Belli · September 24, 2002, 22:19

I've been trying to get our library to get some more Alt History novels in.They have some What ifs,books that sort of look at famous battles in history and tweak events to get a different out-come.There was one that really stood out,it looked at Hannibal,Battle of Trafalgar,
a few Civil War events,quite a few WW2 events,i'll try and find it again if anyone wants its name,maybe someone out there knows what it is or can recommend anything like that.

Th0mas · September 26, 2002, 04:41

I would have to say that the 'Harry Turtledove' books might make good CIV senarios, but they are not well written - Yuk!

A really good Alternative History novel is Bruce Sterling and Williams Gibson's THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE.

atomant · September 26, 2002, 05:04

a relatively informative site I have been looking at lately is www.strategypage.com. There are some good articles on a wide range of topics including alt history.

Obviously the site itself is rather pro American... but if one can read through the bias then it does make for some enlightening reading...

Perhaps some of the pieces can challenge the more creative amongst us?

Case · September 26, 2002, 19:28

Quote:

Originally posted by Th0mas
A really good Alternative History novel is Bruce Sterling and Williams Gibson's THE DIFFERENCE ENGINE.

Wow! I didn't think that anybody had ever finished that book! (I gave up on it after 100 turgid pages).

Scouse Gits · September 27, 2002, 02:21

Sory Case - I too loved The Difference Engine the prose were not turgid, they were Victorian (an easy mistake to make) and, for me, added to the atmosphere of the read.

How about ?Harry Harrison?'s "A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hoorah!" another one from my favourites shelf...

SG[1]

Scouse Gits · September 27, 2002, 02:24

,,, Oh and unless I am getting my alt history books confused it (The Difference Engine) also served to bring Ada, Countess Lovelace to life at a time when I was grappling with the programming language named in her memory ...

SG[1]