Harry Turtledove's Works

New Books

Great War : Breakthroughs: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published July 2001; Not Yet Published
American Empire : Blood and Iron: Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published July 2001; Not Yet Published
Best Military Science Fiction of the 20th Cenury: Harry Turtledove(Editor), Martin Harry Greenberg(Editor) / Paperback / May 2001; Not Yet Published -- On Order
Darkness Descending: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published March 2001; Usually ships in 2-3 days
Through the Darkness: Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published March 2001; Usually ships in 2-3 days
Colonization : Aftershocks: Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published January 2001; Usually ships in 24 hours
Colonization : Down to Earth: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published January 2001

General Fantasy & SF Works

Down in the Bottomlands : And Other Places: Harry Turtledove, et al / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1999
Household Gods ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Judith Tarr, Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published 1999
Household Gods ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Judith Tarr, Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / July 2000
The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump ~ Ships in 2-3 days: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1993; WARNING!! This book contains massive and multiple puns! If you do not enjoy groaning at plays on words, do not get this book. Otherwise, buy it quick and enjoy.
Thessalonica ~ Ships in 2-3 days: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1997; Not quite as full of wordplay as Spell Dump, it still has more than its share. You have been warned.
Between the Rivers ~ Usually ships in 2-3 days: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1999
Between the Rivers: Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published 1998; An interesting departure for Harry, this is an alternate history set at the dawn of history. Or maybe it is an historical fantasy set at the dawn of history. Either way it is a lot of fun. The dialogue takes some getting used to, but it is based on the earliest records that survive today. This is worth picking up and reading, both for fun and to get a look at the very different mindset of earlier times.
Sentry Peak ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / August 29, 2000
Into the Darkness ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 2000
Into the Darkness ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published 1999; World war on another world. A lot of close analogues to our 20th century history, with just enough changes to keep things interesting. Not as engrossing as his Worldwar or Great War books, the lack of a common background makes identifying with the characters more difficult, even being familiar with our original history. Still a good read, and I will be picking up the next book.
Darkness Descending ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published 2000; The next in several books, with more similarities to our World War Two, I enjoyed this one more because of the differences that are starting to show up and knowing the characters from the previous book.

The History of the Videssos Empire

Videssos Cycle

This was Harry's first big sale, and it is where I first encountered his work. In some ways a typical fantasy series, the basis on Byzantium history makes this an outstanding work. I have since read most of his work and have rarely been disappointed.

Misplaced Legion (Videssos Cycle, Book 1) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1991
An Emperor for the Legion (The Videssos Cycle, Book 2) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1988
Legion of Videssos (Videssos Cycle, Book 3) ~ Ships in 2-3 days: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1987
Swords of the Legion (Videssos Cycle, Book 4) ~ Ships in 2-3 days: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1996

Tale of Krispos

The second series of books set in Videssos, Harry goes back in time to show us a turning point in the history of the Videssos Empire. Once again, the use of historical events makes this much more than a typical fantasy series in which the author is stuck in the rut of using the same world.

Krispos Rising (Tale of Krispos, No 1) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1994
Krispos of Videssos (Tale of Krispos, No 2) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1991
Krispos the Emperor (The Tale of Krispos, Book 3) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1994

Time of Troubles

The third series set in the world of Videssos, this one explores the society and life in the Videssos' main enemy, the Makuran empire. Each book is nicely self-contained, but they still build on each proceeding novel. The only bad part is waiting on the last book.

The Stolen Throne (Time of Troubles, Book 1) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1995
Hammer and Anvil (Time of Troubles, Bk 2) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1996
The Thousand Cities (Times of Troubles , No 3) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1997
Videssos Besieged (Time of Troubles, Bk 4) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1998

Alternate History

Harry's greatest strength is his knowledge of history and the events that shape it. It has helped make his fantasy stand out from the general run, and it has lead to him being declared the Master of Alternate History.

The Guns of the South : A Novel of the Civil War ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Paperback / Published 1997; Robert E. Lee with an AK-47? What a concept. And what an exploration of the concept. The level of historical detail is fantastic, but the best part is, you do not notice it because it is submerged so completely in the story. A prime example of What If?
The Guns of the South : A Novel of the Civil War ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1993
The Two Georges: Richard Dreyfuss, Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published 1996 (Back Ordered)
The Two Georges : The Novel of an Alternate America ~ Ships in 2-3 days: Richard Dreyfuss, Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1997; Yes, that is the Richard Dreyfus. And yes he really did do some of the writing. An imaginative look at North America without an American Revolution, not the best thing either collaborator has done, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
Agent of Byzantium: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1994 (Back Ordered); A collection of short stories set in an alternate Byzantine Empire, it has some weaknesses, but the ideas make up for them.

The Great War

An alternate history with a very plausible start and horrifying results.

How Few Remain ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published 1997

I have a review of this on the Amazon.Com page. After rereading is a couple of times since then all I can add is "Wow!"

How Few Remain ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1998

The Great War : American Front

Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published 1998

The Great War : American Front

Harry Turtledove / Paperback / Published 1999

The first book in Harry's Great War series. How Few Remain is the prologue to this series and it promised some very good things. Those promises are for the most part kept in American Front. WW I has started and the two Americas are pulled in by their existing treaties with the European Great Powers. The USA is aligned with Germany (and seems to share some of its cultural mores) while the Confederacy sides with its traditional allies, Great Britain and France. We don't hear much about the European part of the war with the book focusing on the North American continent as the title states.

The writing is solid and well crafted. Unfortunately, while there are some interesting characters, none of them are as gripping or as interesting as Clemens or Lincoln in How Few Remain. The USA once again loses Washington, D.C. and has some problems with the Mormons. The Confederacy has its own problems with its free blacks. And while both sides have their successes things rapidly develop into the a close analogue of the trench warfare of our history. Since the stalemate in our history was broken by the USA joining the fight, it will be interesting to see just how this war ends up.

The Great War : Walk in Hell ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published 1999

The Great War : Walk in Hell ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / July 5, 2000

Harry uses his usual style of jumping from person to person to give an overall view of the events of his major novels. But just because he is a POV character doesn't mean that he will survive the book or the series. This war resulted in huge amounts of casualties in our history, this history is if anything even worse because of added fighting in North and South America. Plus there are the mistakes made by the various military commands, the same kind of mistakes made in our history. It is not very sporting of Harry to have a character who is always wrong about strategy actually be right for once. Who will listen to him.

The characters themselves are more engrossing in this volume. Partly this is familiarity from the prior novel. But part of it is a better job by Harry on characterization. The people are less than perfect, some of them not even close, who seem to react realistically to the events around them. This is a big improvement from the first book where the characters seemed shallow and were hard to relate to.

The actual events of the novel are handled well, with several important happenings taking place off stage. Because the focus of the books is on the USA and CSA, we only find out about things in Europe or South America from passing mentions by different characters. And Harry is not above giving us a few cliffhangers, leaving things in the middle of a major event and not finding out how things turned out until a later chapter.

All in all, a very good book. There is lots of action from Washington, D.C., to Quebec, to Utah, to the Sandwich Islands. After two books it is still hard to tell just how the war is going to work out. But however it ends, there will be more death and destruction, with whoever loses being very unhappy.

The Great War : Breakthroughs ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / August 2000

Another foray into The Great War alternate timeline. The title Breakthroughs says just about everything. Following the fairly obvious setups in the previous book, a number of things happen, both on the battlefield and off, that lead to the end of The Great War. While the war itself is over, there is still plenty of conflict around, between characters, nations, and ideologies.

A good book, with a lot happening to keep your interest up. The writing is solid, the characters do not act like we would, but like people from the turn of the century, which is refreshing. And once again Harry shows that he is not afraid to kill off not just major characters, but point of view characters the readers care about. A very satisfying addition to the series, with a lot of things to be resolved in the last book, Blood and Iron. And there is the good news that Harry has signed to do another series of books in the same timeline under the title The American Empire.

The Worldwar Series

This is Harry's series about the alien invasion of Earth. In 1942. Some people did not care for the ending, but it went very well with the rest of the series. Not to mention history.

Worldwar : In the Balance Vol 1 ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1995

Worldwar : Tilting the Balance ~ Ships in 2-3 days

Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1996

Worldwar : Upsetting the Balance ~ Ships in 2-3 days

Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1996

Worldwar : Upsetting the Balance ~ Ships in 2-3 days

Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published 1996

Worldwar : Striking the Balance ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1997

Worldwar : Striking the Balance #4 ~ Ships in 2-3 days

Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published 1996

Colonization : Second Contact ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published 1999

Colonization : Second Contact ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 2000

The Lizards are back. With reinforcements. Lots of reinforcements. We get to meet several old friends from the Worldwar series, and Harry introduces some new ones as well. Not all of the survivors from the first series are still around, which is very disappointing, but realistic. And the new characters are much better drawn than in some of Harry's newer books. If you enjoyed the original series at all, you want to pick this one up. Lots of fun and some interesting extrapolations about life on earth after a semi-successful invasion.

Colonization : Down to Earth ~ Usually ships in 24 hours

Harry Turtledove / Hardcover / Published 2000

Colonization : Down to Earth

Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published January 2001

Gerin the Fox

These novels include the first that Harry wrote, and sadly you can tell. But the writing improves rapidly in the books, and the ideas flow very well. Even though they are much closer to typical fantasy stories than the Videssos books, Harry's background in history leaves its mark on these works, which helps make them stand out from their surroundings.

Wisdom of the Fox : The Man Who Wouldn't Be King (As If He Had a Choice) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Paperback / Published 1999; This contains Werenight and Prince of the North in one volume. Not Harry's best work, but worth picking up if you can't find the originals.
Tale of the Fox ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / June 2000
Werenight: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1994 (Publisher Out Of Stock)
Prince of the North: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1994 (Publisher Out Of Stock)
King of the North ~ Ships in 2-3 days: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1996
Fox and Empire ~ Usually ships in 24 hours: Harry Turtledove / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1998

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