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The Prefecture Series #1
Incident in Alaska Prefecture
The German-Japanese Axis rules the world with an iron hand. Levi fischer , one of the last Jews in the Alaska Prefecture, works hard, keeps his head down and hopes the Japanese overseers do not notice him. All is well until a fateful, snowy night when a dying Japanese manager bursts into the small wooden office where Levi is waiting for the weekend. Levi is propelled into the center of a plot he would never willingly join.
Fans of the Phillip K. Dick novel The Man in the High Castle will enjoy this visit to a time and a place where a single misstep can cost a life.
Fans of the Phillip K. Dick novel The Man in the High Castle will enjoy this visit to a time and a place where a single misstep can cost a life.
302 pages, Paperback
Published August 19, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 26, 2017
In this "alternative history" novel, the premise is that WWII was won by the Germans who developed an A-bomb first, then used it to wipe out Washington DC. The American surrender left the continent pretty much controlled by Germany. But parts of the northwest, specifically the area known as Alaska Prefecture, are controlled by the Japanese Empire.
The year is 1967. As the novel opens, Levi Fischer, an American and one of the few people of Jewish descent left, is tapped as a supervisor for railway workers. Around the area of Fairbanks in central Alaska, the Japanese army is building a rocket meant to get them to the moon, following Germany's recent successful landings. That's where things begin.
Mr Compton knows his stuff about Alaska, and in addition to the rugged, forceful characters one would expect to find in a frontier area, he brings the land to life -- for example with vivid descriptions of the ice-melt and flooding along the Yukon River as spring begins.
We see the whole story from a number of different perspectives, too, as the author doesn't concentrate just on one viewpoint with the "good guys". We get insight into both the Japanese and German commands as well as individuals, so we can watch events unfold on a vaster stage.
There are a lot of characters in the book, and a variety of threads are started right off the bat. As things gradually come together, we learn more secrets about what's really going on, both with the Japanese and the locals. By the time I got about 2/3 of the way through the book, it became pretty much impossible to put down. I spent a lovely Sunday afternoon into early evening, hardly pausing until I'd finished the last page.
The year is 1967. As the novel opens, Levi Fischer, an American and one of the few people of Jewish descent left, is tapped as a supervisor for railway workers. Around the area of Fairbanks in central Alaska, the Japanese army is building a rocket meant to get them to the moon, following Germany's recent successful landings. That's where things begin.
Mr Compton knows his stuff about Alaska, and in addition to the rugged, forceful characters one would expect to find in a frontier area, he brings the land to life -- for example with vivid descriptions of the ice-melt and flooding along the Yukon River as spring begins.
We see the whole story from a number of different perspectives, too, as the author doesn't concentrate just on one viewpoint with the "good guys". We get insight into both the Japanese and German commands as well as individuals, so we can watch events unfold on a vaster stage.
There are a lot of characters in the book, and a variety of threads are started right off the bat. As things gradually come together, we learn more secrets about what's really going on, both with the Japanese and the locals. By the time I got about 2/3 of the way through the book, it became pretty much impossible to put down. I spent a lovely Sunday afternoon into early evening, hardly pausing until I'd finished the last page.
Read
April 19, 2019Railroad / River / Rebellion
Since dropping atomic bombs on Washington DC and Russia, the Nazis have achieved almost total world domination. The Imperial Japanese share power in a tentative alliance. By the 1960s, Americans in the Alaska Prefecture are conscripted labor; thousands of Chinese are disposable slaves. The hold on absolute power, as always, is tenuous. The Japanese are tired of answering to the Nazi superpower, but factions within the Japanese Empire are involved in their own conflict. American and Chinese workers feign cooperation, but wait and plan for the perfect opportunity.
Incident in Alaska Prefecture is a disturbing look at what could have happened, if the Germans won the race for atomic weaponry in the 1940s. Compton uses layers of loyalty, duplicity, espionage, and political intrigue to craft a terrifying juxtaposition of post-World War II Alaska. The novel is a kaleidoscope of interwoven contradictions and juxtapositions, not only of history as we think we know it, but of anticipated behavior of cultural groups, and even character traits and personalities of individuals.
In a Nazi-dominated world where Jews are systematically found and destroyed, Levi Fisher hides among the Japanese as a dutiful American railroad employee in a remote Alaskan territory. He is careful to do his job, keep a low profile, and not ask too many questions. But the sudden deaths of two other workers thrust him into an unwanted spotlight: A promotion in the Alaska Prefecture.
“Your work has been exemplary Mr. Fisher. You have served the Emperor well . . . Therefore you are to be rewarded.”
Levi’s agitation ratcheted up to a higher degree. The Japanese predilection for advancing people past the point of their competence and then destroying them for failure was well known to him. He realized that never before in his life had he been in more danger than at this moment. (p. 9-10)
Fisher runs into another contradiction in current ideals as soon as he arrives. His commanding officer is a woman – one of the first to achieve such a rank in the Japanese Imperial Army. The trouble, he realizes, is only beginning. Captain Hirako Atsumi also recognizes the precarious position.
She blinked and thought about her current assignment. As honcho for the civilian personnel it was her duty to vet top echelon employees. Many Americans had been hired by the military in Alaska for the same reason the military had admitted women into the ranks, the massive loss of young Japanese men during the war . . . To her knowledge, Mr. Fisher would be the first Jew she had ever met. The Reich worked diligently at their extermination . . .” (p. 28)
As if there isn’t enough conflict already, Compton then adds the local, indigenous Alaskans into the mix. This group seems to have a certain autonomy to go about life in their villages, and particularly in the bush. The reader is constantly questioning who is on what side – and how many sides are there, exactly. Germans, Japanese Army loyalists, Japanese Navy loyalists, Americans, Chinese, and indigenous peoples stomp through ice and snow into and out of each other’s worlds in a constant mash-up. Spies from every group infiltrate the other, and double-agents are more common than not. As a Jewish-American thrust into the middle of this seething conflict, the biggest question on Fisher’s mind is who to trust. He relays his concerns to his new subordinate:
“I think I am a pawn in a game with no rules, at least any rules I understand. My predecessor was murdered. To top it all off, just yesterday I discovered this station is a secret military project that even some Japanese don’t want to succeed. Further, if the Germans get wind of this project we will all probably end up atomized. I don’t want to sound too much like a madman, but you bet your ass I’m scared.” (p. 62)
The final player in this deadly game is Alaska herself. The Chena (Yukon) River is a frozen, silent partner and highway for the natives. Frigid cold keeps the Japanese indoors much of the time, and heavy snow keeps some things out of sight. But when the deadly cold and biting winds give way to a spring thaw, even the Chena joins the battle, offering brute force as well as welcoming arms.
The trees slammed into the mounting debris pile and the far end far end of the bridge structure jerked sideways. As Oyama watched, the end of the bridge slowly grated downstream. Railings in the middle first bowed, then bent, and finally snapped into splinters.
The crisp smell of sap from the damaged trees and exhalations of old broken wood permeated the humid air. Despair settled over those watching. (p. 240)
Nature has its own rules. What faction the river supports is just one more secret to be unveiled. Incident in Alaska Prefecture combines mystery, politics, military strategy, and a little romance, to create a thought-provoking, tantalizing read.
Since dropping atomic bombs on Washington DC and Russia, the Nazis have achieved almost total world domination. The Imperial Japanese share power in a tentative alliance. By the 1960s, Americans in the Alaska Prefecture are conscripted labor; thousands of Chinese are disposable slaves. The hold on absolute power, as always, is tenuous. The Japanese are tired of answering to the Nazi superpower, but factions within the Japanese Empire are involved in their own conflict. American and Chinese workers feign cooperation, but wait and plan for the perfect opportunity.
Incident in Alaska Prefecture is a disturbing look at what could have happened, if the Germans won the race for atomic weaponry in the 1940s. Compton uses layers of loyalty, duplicity, espionage, and political intrigue to craft a terrifying juxtaposition of post-World War II Alaska. The novel is a kaleidoscope of interwoven contradictions and juxtapositions, not only of history as we think we know it, but of anticipated behavior of cultural groups, and even character traits and personalities of individuals.
In a Nazi-dominated world where Jews are systematically found and destroyed, Levi Fisher hides among the Japanese as a dutiful American railroad employee in a remote Alaskan territory. He is careful to do his job, keep a low profile, and not ask too many questions. But the sudden deaths of two other workers thrust him into an unwanted spotlight: A promotion in the Alaska Prefecture.
“Your work has been exemplary Mr. Fisher. You have served the Emperor well . . . Therefore you are to be rewarded.”
Levi’s agitation ratcheted up to a higher degree. The Japanese predilection for advancing people past the point of their competence and then destroying them for failure was well known to him. He realized that never before in his life had he been in more danger than at this moment. (p. 9-10)
Fisher runs into another contradiction in current ideals as soon as he arrives. His commanding officer is a woman – one of the first to achieve such a rank in the Japanese Imperial Army. The trouble, he realizes, is only beginning. Captain Hirako Atsumi also recognizes the precarious position.
She blinked and thought about her current assignment. As honcho for the civilian personnel it was her duty to vet top echelon employees. Many Americans had been hired by the military in Alaska for the same reason the military had admitted women into the ranks, the massive loss of young Japanese men during the war . . . To her knowledge, Mr. Fisher would be the first Jew she had ever met. The Reich worked diligently at their extermination . . .” (p. 28)
As if there isn’t enough conflict already, Compton then adds the local, indigenous Alaskans into the mix. This group seems to have a certain autonomy to go about life in their villages, and particularly in the bush. The reader is constantly questioning who is on what side – and how many sides are there, exactly. Germans, Japanese Army loyalists, Japanese Navy loyalists, Americans, Chinese, and indigenous peoples stomp through ice and snow into and out of each other’s worlds in a constant mash-up. Spies from every group infiltrate the other, and double-agents are more common than not. As a Jewish-American thrust into the middle of this seething conflict, the biggest question on Fisher’s mind is who to trust. He relays his concerns to his new subordinate:
“I think I am a pawn in a game with no rules, at least any rules I understand. My predecessor was murdered. To top it all off, just yesterday I discovered this station is a secret military project that even some Japanese don’t want to succeed. Further, if the Germans get wind of this project we will all probably end up atomized. I don’t want to sound too much like a madman, but you bet your ass I’m scared.” (p. 62)
The final player in this deadly game is Alaska herself. The Chena (Yukon) River is a frozen, silent partner and highway for the natives. Frigid cold keeps the Japanese indoors much of the time, and heavy snow keeps some things out of sight. But when the deadly cold and biting winds give way to a spring thaw, even the Chena joins the battle, offering brute force as well as welcoming arms.
The trees slammed into the mounting debris pile and the far end far end of the bridge structure jerked sideways. As Oyama watched, the end of the bridge slowly grated downstream. Railings in the middle first bowed, then bent, and finally snapped into splinters.
The crisp smell of sap from the damaged trees and exhalations of old broken wood permeated the humid air. Despair settled over those watching. (p. 240)
Nature has its own rules. What faction the river supports is just one more secret to be unveiled. Incident in Alaska Prefecture combines mystery, politics, military strategy, and a little romance, to create a thought-provoking, tantalizing read.
July 19, 2020
Another excellent book from Ring of Fire Press, by Stoney Compton, who wrote Russian Amerika and Alaska Republik, two books already on my shelves, among others.
This is an alternate history, but is in the vein of a thriller story like many popular these days, and the pages fly by. This one's a keeper!
This is an alternate history, but is in the vein of a thriller story like many popular these days, and the pages fly by. This one's a keeper!
March 25, 2022
Wow, this was a very different alternated history for Alaska and very intriguing. I look forward to other stories in this verse.
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September 17, 2019I wrote it. I welcome your reviews.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews