What do you think?
Rate this book
Grantville Gazette: Print Version #1
Grantville Gazette, Volume I
Ed Piazza, the Secretary of State of the small United States being forged in war-torn Germany during the Thirty Years War, has a problem on his hands. A religious conference has been called in nearby Rudolstadt which will determine doctrine for all the Lutherans in the nation. The hard-fought principle of religious freedom is at stake, threatened alike by intransigent theologians and students rioting in the streets.
As if that weren't bad enough:
* the up-time American Lutherans are themselves divided;
* a rambunctious old folk singer is cheerfully pouring gasoline on the flames;
* and a Calvinist "facilitator" from Geneva is maneuvering to get the U.S. involved with the developing revolutionary movement in Naples.
Stories include:
* Portraits by Eric Flint
* Anna's Story by Loren Jones
* Curio and Relic by Tom Van Natta
* The Sewing Circle by Gorg Huff
* The Rudolstadt Colloquy by Virginia DeMarce
* Radio in the 1632 Universe by Rick Boatright
* They've Got Bread Mold, So Why Can't They Make Penicillin? by Robert Gottlieb
* Horse Power by Karen Bergstralh
As if that weren't bad enough:
* the up-time American Lutherans are themselves divided;
* a rambunctious old folk singer is cheerfully pouring gasoline on the flames;
* and a Calvinist "facilitator" from Geneva is maneuvering to get the U.S. involved with the developing revolutionary movement in Naples.
Stories include:
* Portraits by Eric Flint
* Anna's Story by Loren Jones
* Curio and Relic by Tom Van Natta
* The Sewing Circle by Gorg Huff
* The Rudolstadt Colloquy by Virginia DeMarce
* Radio in the 1632 Universe by Rick Boatright
* They've Got Bread Mold, So Why Can't They Make Penicillin? by Robert Gottlieb
* Horse Power by Karen Bergstralh
362 pages, Paperback
First published October 26, 2004
50 people are currently reading
378 people want to read
About the author
Eric Flint
250 books873 followersEric Flint was a New York Times bestselling American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works were alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
August 22, 2017
Sans l’Internet, 1632 n’eut sans doute été qu’un essai isolé. L’Internet a permis à de nombreux lecteurs de se retrouver [1] pour poser des questions, soumettre des idées et même écrire des nouvelles. Cette émulation a donné naissance à un e-zine, The Grantville Gazette, dont le présent livre réunit quelques textes. Quelle différence avec The Ring of Fire me demandez-vous ? La réponse est facile. Ce dernier est une anthologie réunissant les fictions les plus publiables, The Grantville Gazette rassemble des nouvelles, mais aussi des textes techniques issus des discussions sur le forum 1632 Tech.
Les premières sont au nombre de cinq et recouvre environ 75% du volume. Tout en recouvrant des thématiques similaires à celles de Ring of Fire : l’impact de l’arrivée des Américains et leur vie quotidienne, les problèmes politiques et religieux, les personnages historiques, ce dernier thème étant moins fréquemment utilisé, quoique de manière éminente puisque la nouvelle d’Eric Flint, « Portrait », met en scène Rubens. D’autres apparaissent dans la nouvelle de Virginia DeMarce, « The Rudolstadt Colloquy », tels que des nobles du Saint-Empire ou Lucas Osiander le jeune, dont il faut bien avouer, que tout professeur de théologie de l’Université de Tübingen qu’il ait été, il n’en est pas moins un illustre inconnu [2]
Deux nouvelles, assez particulières, se consacrent à évoquer les problèmes des Américains pour assurer leur survie (au sens très large). Dans « Curio and Relic », Tom Van Natta met en scène un vétéran du Vietnam quelque peu marginal qui se retrouve chargé d’organiser l’arsenal des Grantvillois en collectant des armes et en fabriquant des munitions. La connaissance des armes et de leurs divers calibres, le titre de la nouvelle qui fait référence à une licence spécifique de détention d’armes, les curio and relics qu’en France on appellerait armes de collection, la référence au deuxième amendement de la Constitution - le fameux amendement sur le droit de porter des armes -, laissent à penser que l’auteur émarge à la NRA. Ce n’est pas pour autant qu’il faut jeter un regard négatif sur lui ou sur son travail, même si ce dernier n’amène pas de réelle réflexion sur la question de l’armement des Américains. Dans l’univers de 1632, cet aspect de la vie américaine est plutôt une chance puisqu’il leur permet d’assurer leur défense.
Dans « The Sewing Circle », Gorg Huff raconte longuement, trop longuement, l’histoire de quatre adolescents de Grantville qui se mettent en tête de créer une compagnie de fabrication de machine à coudre pour assurer soit la vie de leur famille, soit celle de leur ville. La nouvelle se construit sur l’évocation du cadre économique intérieur et extérieur à Grantville. Si certaines considérations et réflexions m’ont semblé pertinentes, telles que le questionnement sur l’impact de l’intrusion d’une nouvelle technologie sur la corporation des tailleurs, parce qu’elles soulignent une volonté de réalisme de la part de l’auteur, d’autres faits, tels que la compréhension de l’économie ou de la réalisation technique par quatre jeunes génies en herbe (quatre ça fait beaucoup de surdoués pour une petite ville et sur une même classe d’âge), m’ont laissé plus que dubitatif.
Virginia DeMarce concentre à elle seule les aspects politiques et religieux, nécessairement liés dans le Saint-Empire du premier XVIIe siècle, dans « The Rudolstadt Colloquy », une nouvelle difficile en raison des différents angles sous lesquels l’auteur aborde ses thèmes. Elle évoque l’assistance d’Ed Piazza, Secrétaire d’Etat (donc ministre des affaires étrangères) des Etats-Unis, à un de ses fameux débats, dont l’époque avait le secret et qu’elle a heureusement su garder, au sein du luthéranisme au sujet de la participation à la cène. DeMarce cherche à montrer que des aspects qui peuvent nous sembler anodins voire surannés, peuvent entraîner des émeutes. Elles introduit aussi la dimension révolutionnaire potentielle que peuvent constituer l’intrusion des principes américains, notamment quand ils sont repris par les contemporains. Les Arches de la liberté, sur lesquelles ont reviendra en parlant de 1633, y sont notamment évoquées.
Mes propos pourraient laisser penser à une série de nouvelles assez abstraites, du moins aux thématiques assez sèches. Les auteurs ont enrobé leurs histoire dans de l’humour (notamment Eric Flint) ou de la romance, même pré-pubère (Gorg Ruff), mais aucune nouvelle n’est plus émouvante que « Anna’s Story » par Loren K. Jones qui narre l’histoire de George Blanton, un Américain retraité et veuf, qui se retrouve en 1631 comme ses compatriotes grantvillois, et voit débarquer dans sa vie Anna, une jeune allemande qui fuit les déprédations des mercenaires. Le récit de Jones constitue par ailleurs une magnifique illustration de l’insertion des nouvelles dans le corpus des romans et, dans son cas, du roman initial, puisque la jeune allemande en question n’est autre que celle qui dans les premiers chapitres de 1632 déboule dépenaillée devant les Américains, poursuivie par deux mercenaires avant de disparaître complètement du roman. C’était le premier contact des Américains avec les gens du XVIIe siècle, un contact violent, qui laissait le lecteur avec une question : qu’est devenue la fille ? La réponse est dans « Anna’Story ».
Cependant ce premier recueil contient aussi quatre textes qui ne sont absolument pas des fictions, mais des synthèses expliquant les possibilités techniques accessibles aux exilés du temps. Quand on regarde un peu les avis abordant la série 1632, les reproches qui lui sont faits et les principales raisons d’avis négatifs résident dans les impossibilités techniques [3], comme la question de la sidérurgie, les réserves en carburant (pour les plus pertinentes). Or, il semble bien que ces questions techniques ont fait l’objet de débat sur le forum et que des synthèses sur ces questions en ont résulté. Les quatre textes de ce Grantville Gazette traite successivement de la radio - « Radio in the 1632 Universe » par Rick Boatright, un texte à lire en complément de 1633 -, des maladies et de la production de vaccins et d’antibiotiques (« They’ve Got Bread Mold, So Why Can’t They Make Penicillin ? » par Robert Gottlieb), des chevaux (« Horse Power » par Karen Bergstrahl) et Eric Flint clôt l’ouvrage par une galerie de portraits et de biographies historiques des grands de l’Europe de 1632. Tous ces textes, notamment les trois premiers, sont extrêmement bien documentés et techniques. Outre qu’ils apportent des informations sur le cadre créatif [4], ils illustrent parfaitement l’engouement et l’investissement généré par le roman d’Eric Flint et participent à la création de ce qui est pour le moment, et sans doute pour longtemps, l’univers uchronique le plus pensé qui soit.
Notes
[1] sur un forum de l’éditeur Baen
[2] Par exemple, il n’a pas de page wikipedia en anglais (et encore moins en français !) et n’a pas d’article dans l’Encyclopédie du protestantisme à la différence de son grand-père le réformateur Andreas Osiander. Il n’est pas cité dans l’Histoire du christianisme. En revanche il a une page wikipedia en allemand et... en portugais !!!
[3] La plupart sont en anglais et sur des sites de lectures mais des francophones tels Daidin ou Eumène de Cardie ont aussi fait l’effort de se plonger dans l’univers 1632. Toutefois ni Daidin, ni Eumène ne font preuve d’un scepticisme technique tel qu’il les ait détournés de la série.
[4] On apprend notamment que Eric Flint a pris la ville de Mannington comme modèle pour Grantville.
Les premières sont au nombre de cinq et recouvre environ 75% du volume. Tout en recouvrant des thématiques similaires à celles de Ring of Fire : l’impact de l’arrivée des Américains et leur vie quotidienne, les problèmes politiques et religieux, les personnages historiques, ce dernier thème étant moins fréquemment utilisé, quoique de manière éminente puisque la nouvelle d’Eric Flint, « Portrait », met en scène Rubens. D’autres apparaissent dans la nouvelle de Virginia DeMarce, « The Rudolstadt Colloquy », tels que des nobles du Saint-Empire ou Lucas Osiander le jeune, dont il faut bien avouer, que tout professeur de théologie de l’Université de Tübingen qu’il ait été, il n’en est pas moins un illustre inconnu [2]
Deux nouvelles, assez particulières, se consacrent à évoquer les problèmes des Américains pour assurer leur survie (au sens très large). Dans « Curio and Relic », Tom Van Natta met en scène un vétéran du Vietnam quelque peu marginal qui se retrouve chargé d’organiser l’arsenal des Grantvillois en collectant des armes et en fabriquant des munitions. La connaissance des armes et de leurs divers calibres, le titre de la nouvelle qui fait référence à une licence spécifique de détention d’armes, les curio and relics qu’en France on appellerait armes de collection, la référence au deuxième amendement de la Constitution - le fameux amendement sur le droit de porter des armes -, laissent à penser que l’auteur émarge à la NRA. Ce n’est pas pour autant qu’il faut jeter un regard négatif sur lui ou sur son travail, même si ce dernier n’amène pas de réelle réflexion sur la question de l’armement des Américains. Dans l’univers de 1632, cet aspect de la vie américaine est plutôt une chance puisqu’il leur permet d’assurer leur défense.
Dans « The Sewing Circle », Gorg Huff raconte longuement, trop longuement, l’histoire de quatre adolescents de Grantville qui se mettent en tête de créer une compagnie de fabrication de machine à coudre pour assurer soit la vie de leur famille, soit celle de leur ville. La nouvelle se construit sur l’évocation du cadre économique intérieur et extérieur à Grantville. Si certaines considérations et réflexions m’ont semblé pertinentes, telles que le questionnement sur l’impact de l’intrusion d’une nouvelle technologie sur la corporation des tailleurs, parce qu’elles soulignent une volonté de réalisme de la part de l’auteur, d’autres faits, tels que la compréhension de l’économie ou de la réalisation technique par quatre jeunes génies en herbe (quatre ça fait beaucoup de surdoués pour une petite ville et sur une même classe d’âge), m’ont laissé plus que dubitatif.
Virginia DeMarce concentre à elle seule les aspects politiques et religieux, nécessairement liés dans le Saint-Empire du premier XVIIe siècle, dans « The Rudolstadt Colloquy », une nouvelle difficile en raison des différents angles sous lesquels l’auteur aborde ses thèmes. Elle évoque l’assistance d’Ed Piazza, Secrétaire d’Etat (donc ministre des affaires étrangères) des Etats-Unis, à un de ses fameux débats, dont l’époque avait le secret et qu’elle a heureusement su garder, au sein du luthéranisme au sujet de la participation à la cène. DeMarce cherche à montrer que des aspects qui peuvent nous sembler anodins voire surannés, peuvent entraîner des émeutes. Elles introduit aussi la dimension révolutionnaire potentielle que peuvent constituer l’intrusion des principes américains, notamment quand ils sont repris par les contemporains. Les Arches de la liberté, sur lesquelles ont reviendra en parlant de 1633, y sont notamment évoquées.
Mes propos pourraient laisser penser à une série de nouvelles assez abstraites, du moins aux thématiques assez sèches. Les auteurs ont enrobé leurs histoire dans de l’humour (notamment Eric Flint) ou de la romance, même pré-pubère (Gorg Ruff), mais aucune nouvelle n’est plus émouvante que « Anna’s Story » par Loren K. Jones qui narre l’histoire de George Blanton, un Américain retraité et veuf, qui se retrouve en 1631 comme ses compatriotes grantvillois, et voit débarquer dans sa vie Anna, une jeune allemande qui fuit les déprédations des mercenaires. Le récit de Jones constitue par ailleurs une magnifique illustration de l’insertion des nouvelles dans le corpus des romans et, dans son cas, du roman initial, puisque la jeune allemande en question n’est autre que celle qui dans les premiers chapitres de 1632 déboule dépenaillée devant les Américains, poursuivie par deux mercenaires avant de disparaître complètement du roman. C’était le premier contact des Américains avec les gens du XVIIe siècle, un contact violent, qui laissait le lecteur avec une question : qu’est devenue la fille ? La réponse est dans « Anna’Story ».
Cependant ce premier recueil contient aussi quatre textes qui ne sont absolument pas des fictions, mais des synthèses expliquant les possibilités techniques accessibles aux exilés du temps. Quand on regarde un peu les avis abordant la série 1632, les reproches qui lui sont faits et les principales raisons d’avis négatifs résident dans les impossibilités techniques [3], comme la question de la sidérurgie, les réserves en carburant (pour les plus pertinentes). Or, il semble bien que ces questions techniques ont fait l’objet de débat sur le forum et que des synthèses sur ces questions en ont résulté. Les quatre textes de ce Grantville Gazette traite successivement de la radio - « Radio in the 1632 Universe » par Rick Boatright, un texte à lire en complément de 1633 -, des maladies et de la production de vaccins et d’antibiotiques (« They’ve Got Bread Mold, So Why Can’t They Make Penicillin ? » par Robert Gottlieb), des chevaux (« Horse Power » par Karen Bergstrahl) et Eric Flint clôt l’ouvrage par une galerie de portraits et de biographies historiques des grands de l’Europe de 1632. Tous ces textes, notamment les trois premiers, sont extrêmement bien documentés et techniques. Outre qu’ils apportent des informations sur le cadre créatif [4], ils illustrent parfaitement l’engouement et l’investissement généré par le roman d’Eric Flint et participent à la création de ce qui est pour le moment, et sans doute pour longtemps, l’univers uchronique le plus pensé qui soit.
Notes
[1] sur un forum de l’éditeur Baen
[2] Par exemple, il n’a pas de page wikipedia en anglais (et encore moins en français !) et n’a pas d’article dans l’Encyclopédie du protestantisme à la différence de son grand-père le réformateur Andreas Osiander. Il n’est pas cité dans l’Histoire du christianisme. En revanche il a une page wikipedia en allemand et... en portugais !!!
[3] La plupart sont en anglais et sur des sites de lectures mais des francophones tels Daidin ou Eumène de Cardie ont aussi fait l’effort de se plonger dans l’univers 1632. Toutefois ni Daidin, ni Eumène ne font preuve d’un scepticisme technique tel qu’il les ait détournés de la série.
[4] On apprend notamment que Eric Flint a pris la ville de Mannington comme modèle pour Grantville.
February 14, 2018
Wow, did I ever read this out of order. So... following the success of Eric Flint's 1632, it spawned an avid community of enthusiasts, some of whom are quite skilled writers and had an interest in building depth into the Ring of Fire universe that Flint had created, thus was born the Grantville Gazette E-Zine and from the best hits (so to speak) of the E-Zine were born the Grantville Gazette published volumes, of which this is (quite logically) the first. Oddly, due to it being rather esoteric and rather an old release at this point, I've actually read all the newer volumes of these releases and have come now to the beginning at the end (well, to the present, which isn't the end of the Ring of Fire (RoF), I should hope as there's far too many dangling plot threads... I shudder at the thought). Interestingly, this isn't purely a short story collection as it also includes a handful of non-fiction essays on the implications of being in a time-wrecked town in the middle of 30 Years War Germany, such as can you make Penicillin and what's the deal with Radio in 1630's Europe, but full disclosure I didn't read those, I'm in it for the fiction. Unlike the newer Grantville Gazette print editions I've read, the fictional section is actually a collection of novellas rather than short stories, as (apart from Eric Flint's small contribution, which the rather bawdy cover artwork references) and has just 4 stories (newer editions usually have about a dozen or so stories of various lengths) of ~40-120 pages. So decent length fiction. Also unusual in comparison to later volumes is the importance to the universes canon that some of these stories have attained, particularly the Rudolstadt Colloquy and the Sewing Circles, whose events are often referenced in the main RoF books and in the latter case, has actually led to a couple side releases (particularly the one set in Vienna whose title escapes me at the moment). Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Portraits by Eric Flint - an American nurse attached to the group in Amsterdam during the siege (see 1633) poses for Rubens as a cover for covert diplomacy. Not much to say about this story, it's really short and mostly of interest for starting the line of Amsterdam short stories that have been a feature of the Grantville Gazette print releases.
Anna's Story by Loren Jones - a young German refugee girl (and eventually her family as well) is taken in by a curmudgeonly old widower living alone on the outskirts of Grantville (during the early events of 1632) who rediscovers the joy of living through sharing his home with this adoptive family while also dealing with the reality of being an old man stuck 300 years from modern medicine. This is a bit of a tear-jerker (especially at the end) but I thought it was pretty well-written and worked as a human interest story.
Curio and Relic by Tom Van Natta - another loner on the fringes of Grantville, a hermit-ish Vietnam vet and gun-collector with a chip on his shoulder gets recruited by the emergency committee to help categorize and supply the hodge-podge of weaponry that they carried back in time with them. Some similar themes to Anna's Story, in that we have an outsider who doesn't really fit in with the rest of Grantville who gets gradually shoe-horned into a niche in the brave new world, mostly interesting for having series major character Eddie Cantrell in a supporting role (which may or may not fit with the main novels' storyline as Eddie gets roped into being minion number one in this story rather than heading off to join the Navy). This does have some interesting world-building as it establishes just how hard it is to assemble the arsenal of a couple thousand hunters and the odd few gun collectors into a real military stockpile and it's written okay, but it was kind of overshadowed by Anna's Story.
The Sewing Circle by Gorg Huff - a group of teens try and figure out how to do their part in post-Ring of Fire Grantville to boost the economy and end up coming up with a plan to make simple sewing machines. This story has had surprisingly wide-ranging effects on the RoF universe as it introduced a bunch of major characters and a handful of storylines that are ongoing in the main novels. It's an interesting story that does a lot of thinking about the economic implications of the RoF event and the characters are written well-enough that it's not strange that they've shown up so much since then and I enjoyed the story a lot.
The Rudolstadt Colloquy by Virginia de Marce - two factions of Lutherans want to pick who will be the Pastor of the Lutheran church in Grantville, this causes a minor political-theological crisis which leads to a major assembly of the who's who of 17th century Lutheran ideologues at the small town of Rudolstadt, whose feudal lord was the one who actually built the church and as such is the arbiter of the conflict; Ed Piazza is sent by the New United States government to observe the proceedings and encounters Leopold Cavriani, a Calvinist facilitator from Geneva who has his own interests in how things shake out. Just like the Sewing Circle, this story introduces a bunch of characters who make repeated appearances and its events are referenced a lot in the wider series. It's a bit dry, but it's worth the read for its wider importance in the series.
All in all, a decent collection of stories and I quite enjoyed it.
Portraits by Eric Flint - an American nurse attached to the group in Amsterdam during the siege (see 1633) poses for Rubens as a cover for covert diplomacy. Not much to say about this story, it's really short and mostly of interest for starting the line of Amsterdam short stories that have been a feature of the Grantville Gazette print releases.
Anna's Story by Loren Jones - a young German refugee girl (and eventually her family as well) is taken in by a curmudgeonly old widower living alone on the outskirts of Grantville (during the early events of 1632) who rediscovers the joy of living through sharing his home with this adoptive family while also dealing with the reality of being an old man stuck 300 years from modern medicine. This is a bit of a tear-jerker (especially at the end) but I thought it was pretty well-written and worked as a human interest story.
Curio and Relic by Tom Van Natta - another loner on the fringes of Grantville, a hermit-ish Vietnam vet and gun-collector with a chip on his shoulder gets recruited by the emergency committee to help categorize and supply the hodge-podge of weaponry that they carried back in time with them. Some similar themes to Anna's Story, in that we have an outsider who doesn't really fit in with the rest of Grantville who gets gradually shoe-horned into a niche in the brave new world, mostly interesting for having series major character Eddie Cantrell in a supporting role (which may or may not fit with the main novels' storyline as Eddie gets roped into being minion number one in this story rather than heading off to join the Navy). This does have some interesting world-building as it establishes just how hard it is to assemble the arsenal of a couple thousand hunters and the odd few gun collectors into a real military stockpile and it's written okay, but it was kind of overshadowed by Anna's Story.
The Sewing Circle by Gorg Huff - a group of teens try and figure out how to do their part in post-Ring of Fire Grantville to boost the economy and end up coming up with a plan to make simple sewing machines. This story has had surprisingly wide-ranging effects on the RoF universe as it introduced a bunch of major characters and a handful of storylines that are ongoing in the main novels. It's an interesting story that does a lot of thinking about the economic implications of the RoF event and the characters are written well-enough that it's not strange that they've shown up so much since then and I enjoyed the story a lot.
The Rudolstadt Colloquy by Virginia de Marce - two factions of Lutherans want to pick who will be the Pastor of the Lutheran church in Grantville, this causes a minor political-theological crisis which leads to a major assembly of the who's who of 17th century Lutheran ideologues at the small town of Rudolstadt, whose feudal lord was the one who actually built the church and as such is the arbiter of the conflict; Ed Piazza is sent by the New United States government to observe the proceedings and encounters Leopold Cavriani, a Calvinist facilitator from Geneva who has his own interests in how things shake out. Just like the Sewing Circle, this story introduces a bunch of characters who make repeated appearances and its events are referenced a lot in the wider series. It's a bit dry, but it's worth the read for its wider importance in the series.
All in all, a decent collection of stories and I quite enjoyed it.
July 11, 2017
When Eric Flint conceived the “Ring of Fire,” a cosmic event in that transposed an entire town (Grantville) from year 2000 America to year 1632 Germany, he created more than the basis for a series of novels. The concept attracted fans, inspiring them to comment and even write their own “fanfic” stories in the milieu Flint devised.
Some of those fans are writers in their own right: Mercedes Lackey, for one. Others are just as able if less well known, as this second collection of fan stories shows. Many of these stories began their life in the 1632 Slush Pile at Baen’s Bar. (For those who desire to get into science fiction writing, this is one path to publication.)
My favorite of these compilations is the second. (The first was Ring of Fire, whose highlight was a David Weber story.) Grantville Gazette includes five fiction and three non-fiction pieces, plus an introduction by Eric Flint. The book also gives the ground rules for stories in the Ring of Fire milieu, the most important being, if it isn’t native to the time, and wasn’t in the real-life town of Mannington, West Virginia, you can’t use it in the story. For that reason, ideas and knowledge are the strongest assets possessed by the Grantville “up-timers.”
“Portraits” by Eric Flint places an up-time American nurse posed as a cheerleader in the model’s seat of Pieter Paul Rubens. Technically, Rubens is an enemy, yet he manages to persuade the girl to sit for him, dressed in nothing but Old Glory and her own dignity. She has a secret agenda, however, one that is only revealed after her portrait is complete.
“Anna’s Story” by Loren Jones tells the events of the night of Ring of Fire from the perspective of a rural German girl, and the crotchety old farmer who takes her into his farmhouse. Anna is appropriately wide-eyed over the wealth of the Americans, while her mother is worried that this lord they have come to live with will expect more from them than a servant’s work.
“Curio and Relic” by Tom van Natta introduces a type of gunsmith not often discussed in time-travel stories. Paul Santee has a gun collection ranging from matchlocks to machine guns. More important, he knows how to repair, cross-part and modify ammo to supply most of the firearms that made it down-time with Grantville. The Vietnam vet has an important part to play in Grantville's defense.
“Sewing Circle” by Gorg Huff is the longest story in the anthology, and my favorite. Junior achievement meets time travel in this tale of five high-school freshmen (with a cartel of middle-school investors) who bring twenty-first century economics and nineteenth-century technology together to help prevent inflation in Grantville.
Virgina de Marce returns in this second Grantville story collection with “The Rudolstadt Colloquy.” American notions of freedom and tolerance run headlong into Medieval religious thought, and the result is a quiet—even yawn-inducing—meeting. The problem, from the American’s point of view, is that Medieval passions run to suppression of freedom. What’s needed is a call to revolution, taken straight from the music of “Mother Maybelle,” Johnny Cash’s mother-in-law.
On the fact side of the ledger, three fascinating pieces explain the technological background of the Grantville universe. “Radio in the 1632 Universe” by Rick Boatright (the source of Eric Flint’s radio expertise for the novels) explains the Maunder Minimum that affects radio reception for Grantville, and also details the limitations on up-time materials experienced by the locals. Remember, if it wasn’t in Mannington, WV, it can't be in Grantville. Period.
“They’ve Got Bread Mold, So Why Can’t They Make Penicillin?” by Bob Gottlieb explains the difficulties and challenges of up-timer doctors in 1632. They know where penicillin comes from in the same way most of us know how TV works. Making it is a whole ‘nother industry! Meanwhile they have plagues, starving refugees and a local war to contend with.
“Horse Power” by Karen Bergstralh puts the genetic contribution of up-time horses into perspective with details of two equine genes (X-Factor and HyPP), one beneficial and one lethal, and the difficulty of identifying either one in 1632. A catalogue of down-time horse breeds and the availability of Belgian draft horses within the Ring of Fire completes her discussion of the “horse power” available in Grantville.
If you’ve enjoyed the “1632verse” novels, both the fact and the fiction in this compilation are must-reads. For those who have never encountered Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire, I recommend reading at least 1632 first.
Some of those fans are writers in their own right: Mercedes Lackey, for one. Others are just as able if less well known, as this second collection of fan stories shows. Many of these stories began their life in the 1632 Slush Pile at Baen’s Bar. (For those who desire to get into science fiction writing, this is one path to publication.)
My favorite of these compilations is the second. (The first was Ring of Fire, whose highlight was a David Weber story.) Grantville Gazette includes five fiction and three non-fiction pieces, plus an introduction by Eric Flint. The book also gives the ground rules for stories in the Ring of Fire milieu, the most important being, if it isn’t native to the time, and wasn’t in the real-life town of Mannington, West Virginia, you can’t use it in the story. For that reason, ideas and knowledge are the strongest assets possessed by the Grantville “up-timers.”
“Portraits” by Eric Flint places an up-time American nurse posed as a cheerleader in the model’s seat of Pieter Paul Rubens. Technically, Rubens is an enemy, yet he manages to persuade the girl to sit for him, dressed in nothing but Old Glory and her own dignity. She has a secret agenda, however, one that is only revealed after her portrait is complete.
“Anna’s Story” by Loren Jones tells the events of the night of Ring of Fire from the perspective of a rural German girl, and the crotchety old farmer who takes her into his farmhouse. Anna is appropriately wide-eyed over the wealth of the Americans, while her mother is worried that this lord they have come to live with will expect more from them than a servant’s work.
“Curio and Relic” by Tom van Natta introduces a type of gunsmith not often discussed in time-travel stories. Paul Santee has a gun collection ranging from matchlocks to machine guns. More important, he knows how to repair, cross-part and modify ammo to supply most of the firearms that made it down-time with Grantville. The Vietnam vet has an important part to play in Grantville's defense.
“Sewing Circle” by Gorg Huff is the longest story in the anthology, and my favorite. Junior achievement meets time travel in this tale of five high-school freshmen (with a cartel of middle-school investors) who bring twenty-first century economics and nineteenth-century technology together to help prevent inflation in Grantville.
Virgina de Marce returns in this second Grantville story collection with “The Rudolstadt Colloquy.” American notions of freedom and tolerance run headlong into Medieval religious thought, and the result is a quiet—even yawn-inducing—meeting. The problem, from the American’s point of view, is that Medieval passions run to suppression of freedom. What’s needed is a call to revolution, taken straight from the music of “Mother Maybelle,” Johnny Cash’s mother-in-law.
On the fact side of the ledger, three fascinating pieces explain the technological background of the Grantville universe. “Radio in the 1632 Universe” by Rick Boatright (the source of Eric Flint’s radio expertise for the novels) explains the Maunder Minimum that affects radio reception for Grantville, and also details the limitations on up-time materials experienced by the locals. Remember, if it wasn’t in Mannington, WV, it can't be in Grantville. Period.
“They’ve Got Bread Mold, So Why Can’t They Make Penicillin?” by Bob Gottlieb explains the difficulties and challenges of up-timer doctors in 1632. They know where penicillin comes from in the same way most of us know how TV works. Making it is a whole ‘nother industry! Meanwhile they have plagues, starving refugees and a local war to contend with.
“Horse Power” by Karen Bergstralh puts the genetic contribution of up-time horses into perspective with details of two equine genes (X-Factor and HyPP), one beneficial and one lethal, and the difficulty of identifying either one in 1632. A catalogue of down-time horse breeds and the availability of Belgian draft horses within the Ring of Fire completes her discussion of the “horse power” available in Grantville.
If you’ve enjoyed the “1632verse” novels, both the fact and the fiction in this compilation are must-reads. For those who have never encountered Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire, I recommend reading at least 1632 first.
March 28, 2025
The concept behind the Ring of Fire books is that an American town from the year 2000 is transported back in time and to Europe. The town, the land, the buildings, everything comes through. So the first books in the series are looking at what that would be like. But this is a fascinating idea and about 5000 people were transported back and there are all kinds of implications about technology and so on. And the main author, Eric Flint, likes to work with others. So when people started writing fan fiction in the universe, Flint was like, some of this is actually really good. So he convinced his publisher and they started putting out an online magazine including some of this fan fiction.
This is the first print version of the magazine. It includes four stories (none of which are really short) and three technical articles.
This is the first print version of the magazine. It includes four stories (none of which are really short) and three technical articles.
September 4, 2015
Grantville Gazette is a collection of stories written and published up on Baen's Bar as well as some of the more normal author you will find the fills in certain areas of the 1632 universe as well as introduces us to characters that pop up further along in the series! :D
This is one of those great ideas that really expands series and let the reader get to see how thing are happening on a bigger canvas as well as providing a lot more backstory to a lot of the larger events that are happening! :D
As ever there are tonnes of humour throughout the book to the shocked faces of the local Germans to the arrival of a tonne load of Americans and their reactions to the Germans! :D Not to mention the Americans and some of their business practices and Ladies dress! :D Lol At the same time the anthology really examines what some of the long term implications for the arrival of all these Americans means to the local population and further in the wider world! :D The stories in this anthology are primarily about this so no doubt many of the characters will appear in later books as the new United States of Europe forms and no doubt many of these characters will show up and what they are up to and judging from this one everything and anything! :D
There are also some more technical entries at the end of the book describing some of the problems that are confronted ranging from horse breeding hygiene etc! :D These provide a great deal of backstory as well as hints about what is coming up! :D
Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
This is one of those great ideas that really expands series and let the reader get to see how thing are happening on a bigger canvas as well as providing a lot more backstory to a lot of the larger events that are happening! :D
As ever there are tonnes of humour throughout the book to the shocked faces of the local Germans to the arrival of a tonne load of Americans and their reactions to the Germans! :D Not to mention the Americans and some of their business practices and Ladies dress! :D Lol At the same time the anthology really examines what some of the long term implications for the arrival of all these Americans means to the local population and further in the wider world! :D The stories in this anthology are primarily about this so no doubt many of the characters will appear in later books as the new United States of Europe forms and no doubt many of these characters will show up and what they are up to and judging from this one everything and anything! :D
There are also some more technical entries at the end of the book describing some of the problems that are confronted ranging from horse breeding hygiene etc! :D These provide a great deal of backstory as well as hints about what is coming up! :D
Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2021
Still 4 ***
I found this audio on Hoopla and was delighted. It's been more 15 years since I started reading the Ring of Fire series. I enjoyed this collection of short stories about the people of Grantville and their struggles in 1632 Germany. It was fun revisiting the 'world' and the narration was good.
I found this audio on Hoopla and was delighted. It's been more 15 years since I started reading the Ring of Fire series. I enjoyed this collection of short stories about the people of Grantville and their struggles in 1632 Germany. It was fun revisiting the 'world' and the narration was good.
January 13, 2019
This is another great set of side stories in the 1632 universe. To go into a bit more detail about each, well...
Portraits isn't very long at all, but it's always nice to see the Grantville citizens through the eyes of the down-timers, and especially through famous personages like we do with this story. There's a great little discussion in it that really speaks about the world of the story in there too. With books about what all of these famous historical figures will have done, does one do what they are supposed to do according to history, or does one forge a new path and try different things? It's ideas like that that keep me coming back to this series.
Anna's Story might be my favorite in the whole book. It's a very touching tale all around, and it answers one of the first questions I had about this series. What happened to the girl that was being chased by the mercenaries towards Grantville right after the Ring of Fire?
Curio and Relic is, well, a decent character study. It's good and I have to acknowledge that. It's probably my least favorite story in the book though. I just didn't like the guy it follows, even as he started to grow into someone who is supposed to be a lot more likeable. I dunno. It definitely serves a purpose in laying out some facts for later too, or well, background information to help things make sense. It's certainly better than all of the non-fiction stuff at the end of this book, but more on that later.
The Sewing Circle started off feeling like a story I wasn't going to like. As the plot grew, my feelings about it changed and I really got into the whole thing. For what feels like a really boring idea first, I just wanted to see how this was going to grow and evolve from the silly idea in the beginning to what it became by the end. It really becomes a story that makes the title more clever than I imagined it being at the beginning.
The Rudolstadt Colloquy is the story that was the hardest to wrap my head around initially, but it had the right characters and the right direction to make out once I thought about it. And it's not even the story on the surface that matters so much, but the ones down a layer or two. There is some setup for future novels in the main series here from what I can tell. Eric Flint admits as much in his breakdown of the series to explain the reading order. We are introduced to a certain character that will probably have long-lasting effects on the main plot.
Now, all of this alone would make it easy for me to give this collection another 5 star review. Alas, it has this section of non-fiction essays explaining how radio works in the story, why they can't make penicillin and some information on horses. I can see where this can be interesting to some people, and even I'll admit that there was some tidbits in the radio section that intrigued me. Overall though, these sections read like a really boring textbook and nearly killed my momentum through the book. And I'm not even sure it's all stuff that I'm going to remember enough to realize when I'm reading the stories. I like the books, but not to the point that I need to know the hard facts about horses or disease in the 17th century.
Oh well, that section aside, it's a great set of stories to add to the 1632 universe and something I can definitely recommend to anyone reading the main series (read between 1632 and 1633 along with the first Ring of Fire anthology).
Portraits isn't very long at all, but it's always nice to see the Grantville citizens through the eyes of the down-timers, and especially through famous personages like we do with this story. There's a great little discussion in it that really speaks about the world of the story in there too. With books about what all of these famous historical figures will have done, does one do what they are supposed to do according to history, or does one forge a new path and try different things? It's ideas like that that keep me coming back to this series.
Anna's Story might be my favorite in the whole book. It's a very touching tale all around, and it answers one of the first questions I had about this series. What happened to the girl that was being chased by the mercenaries towards Grantville right after the Ring of Fire?
Curio and Relic is, well, a decent character study. It's good and I have to acknowledge that. It's probably my least favorite story in the book though. I just didn't like the guy it follows, even as he started to grow into someone who is supposed to be a lot more likeable. I dunno. It definitely serves a purpose in laying out some facts for later too, or well, background information to help things make sense. It's certainly better than all of the non-fiction stuff at the end of this book, but more on that later.
The Sewing Circle started off feeling like a story I wasn't going to like. As the plot grew, my feelings about it changed and I really got into the whole thing. For what feels like a really boring idea first, I just wanted to see how this was going to grow and evolve from the silly idea in the beginning to what it became by the end. It really becomes a story that makes the title more clever than I imagined it being at the beginning.
The Rudolstadt Colloquy is the story that was the hardest to wrap my head around initially, but it had the right characters and the right direction to make out once I thought about it. And it's not even the story on the surface that matters so much, but the ones down a layer or two. There is some setup for future novels in the main series here from what I can tell. Eric Flint admits as much in his breakdown of the series to explain the reading order. We are introduced to a certain character that will probably have long-lasting effects on the main plot.
Now, all of this alone would make it easy for me to give this collection another 5 star review. Alas, it has this section of non-fiction essays explaining how radio works in the story, why they can't make penicillin and some information on horses. I can see where this can be interesting to some people, and even I'll admit that there was some tidbits in the radio section that intrigued me. Overall though, these sections read like a really boring textbook and nearly killed my momentum through the book. And I'm not even sure it's all stuff that I'm going to remember enough to realize when I'm reading the stories. I like the books, but not to the point that I need to know the hard facts about horses or disease in the 17th century.
Oh well, that section aside, it's a great set of stories to add to the 1632 universe and something I can definitely recommend to anyone reading the main series (read between 1632 and 1633 along with the first Ring of Fire anthology).
April 16, 2025
Like all anthologies, this volume has stories (and nonfiction) that vary in quality and interest. In general, this is a collection that is unified only by its time in the storyline of the series.
Portraits
3-star short story
A short story set during the siege of Amsterdam, starring Peter Paul Rubens. Mildly interesting, but very light.
Anna's Story
4-star novelette
George Blanton, an old man whose wife and son had both died before the Ring of Fire event, finds a young German refugee hiding in his barn in the immediate aftermath of the event. This story is mostly a character sketch of Blanton shown through the lens of his interaction with that German girl (Anna) and her family. Excellent character work carries this piece; plot and setting are largely utilitarian. But the character work is very good.
Curio and Relic
3.5-star short novelette
The story of former SFC Santee (a Vietnam tunnel rat and weapons dealer) in the immediate aftermath of the Ring of Fire. Santee is irascible, insubordinate, and very good at what he does. The writing here isn't especially strong, but the character work is interesting. Had this been long enough, it could easily have been higher rated.
The Sewing Circle
5-star novella
How does one start a money-making manufacturing business in a 17th century society? Well, in this case, one starts by selling dolls to make sewing machines.
This story combines a fascinating combination of excellent character work with a very strong primer on corporate capitalism and entrepreneurship. When added to a solid understanding of the way that the industrial revolution affected society, this story is stellar.
This story and "Anna's Story" alone would give this volume a 4-star rating.
The Rudolstadt Colloquy
3.5-star novelette
Wherein it is shown that the Lutheran church is just as capable of counting angels on pinheads and disputatious and "energetic" discussion as the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
This is an interesting view of the clash of theological doctrines in the world of the 30 Years War, but as a story, it succeeds largely in the margins. Entertaining largely for the history.
Radio in the 1632 Universe
5-star nonfiction
This is an example of the best of the research done at Baen's Bar to increase the verisimilitude of the alternate history in the series. It's likely of interest only to tech geeks, but fortunately, I are one.
They've Got Bread Mold, Why Can't They Make Penicillin?
4-star nonfiction
A moderately in-depth discussion of the important diseases of the 17th century, the means of prevention and treatment, and the technology of antibiotic production. Another excellent technical discussion.
Horse Power
3-star nonfiction
While this is a good (as far as I can tell) discussion of horse breeding and a nice overview of modern horse breeds, its discussion of horses in 17th century Europe is weaker. Still worth reading, but less interesting overall.
Overall, this collection is definitely worth reading, but it isn't as compelling as the main fiction volumes in the series. If you like the series, you'll probably be interested, but this would not be a good place to start.
Portraits
3-star short story
A short story set during the siege of Amsterdam, starring Peter Paul Rubens. Mildly interesting, but very light.
Anna's Story
4-star novelette
George Blanton, an old man whose wife and son had both died before the Ring of Fire event, finds a young German refugee hiding in his barn in the immediate aftermath of the event. This story is mostly a character sketch of Blanton shown through the lens of his interaction with that German girl (Anna) and her family. Excellent character work carries this piece; plot and setting are largely utilitarian. But the character work is very good.
Curio and Relic
3.5-star short novelette
The story of former SFC Santee (a Vietnam tunnel rat and weapons dealer) in the immediate aftermath of the Ring of Fire. Santee is irascible, insubordinate, and very good at what he does. The writing here isn't especially strong, but the character work is interesting. Had this been long enough, it could easily have been higher rated.
The Sewing Circle
5-star novella
How does one start a money-making manufacturing business in a 17th century society? Well, in this case, one starts by selling dolls to make sewing machines.
This story combines a fascinating combination of excellent character work with a very strong primer on corporate capitalism and entrepreneurship. When added to a solid understanding of the way that the industrial revolution affected society, this story is stellar.
This story and "Anna's Story" alone would give this volume a 4-star rating.
The Rudolstadt Colloquy
3.5-star novelette
Wherein it is shown that the Lutheran church is just as capable of counting angels on pinheads and disputatious and "energetic" discussion as the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
This is an interesting view of the clash of theological doctrines in the world of the 30 Years War, but as a story, it succeeds largely in the margins. Entertaining largely for the history.
Radio in the 1632 Universe
5-star nonfiction
This is an example of the best of the research done at Baen's Bar to increase the verisimilitude of the alternate history in the series. It's likely of interest only to tech geeks, but fortunately, I are one.
They've Got Bread Mold, Why Can't They Make Penicillin?
4-star nonfiction
A moderately in-depth discussion of the important diseases of the 17th century, the means of prevention and treatment, and the technology of antibiotic production. Another excellent technical discussion.
Horse Power
3-star nonfiction
While this is a good (as far as I can tell) discussion of horse breeding and a nice overview of modern horse breeds, its discussion of horses in 17th century Europe is weaker. Still worth reading, but less interesting overall.
Overall, this collection is definitely worth reading, but it isn't as compelling as the main fiction volumes in the series. If you like the series, you'll probably be interested, but this would not be a good place to start.
July 20, 2021
3.0 Not as strong as the previous fan-fic collection, this paper version of an online magazine features both fiction set in and non-fiction articles about the 1632 universe. The articles weren't bad, but nothing I would have read in any other context. The stories are mostly unexceptional - includng the one by Eric Flint that gave us the fig leaf for the cover picture.
While I was glad to get the story of the woman who narrowly escaped rape in the first book, 'Anna's Story' is a lot more about the old farmer who took her in. Not bad, just a bit of a missed opportunity. 'Curio and Relic' is also not bad and a little whistful, but in the end nothing special and merely a nice description of an another old dude. The 'Rudolstadt Colloquy' is rather on the boring side and mostly interesting in the way it shows religious stuff not being swept under the carpet for once.
The only story with both some heft and some human interest is 'The Sewing Circle' by Gorg Huff, which features a couple of teenagers producing their own sewing machines and setting up a company to sell them. While it still suffers from the series' relatively uncomplicated love stories, it manages to focus on some characters that are a bit off the beaten path and manages to make economic matters both interesting and believable.
All in all a decent effort, but not overly satisfying.- subtracting a quarter-star for the pretty nonsensical, sexist cover.
While I was glad to get the story of the woman who narrowly escaped rape in the first book, 'Anna's Story' is a lot more about the old farmer who took her in. Not bad, just a bit of a missed opportunity. 'Curio and Relic' is also not bad and a little whistful, but in the end nothing special and merely a nice description of an another old dude. The 'Rudolstadt Colloquy' is rather on the boring side and mostly interesting in the way it shows religious stuff not being swept under the carpet for once.
The only story with both some heft and some human interest is 'The Sewing Circle' by Gorg Huff, which features a couple of teenagers producing their own sewing machines and setting up a company to sell them. While it still suffers from the series' relatively uncomplicated love stories, it manages to focus on some characters that are a bit off the beaten path and manages to make economic matters both interesting and believable.
All in all a decent effort, but not overly satisfying.- subtracting a quarter-star for the pretty nonsensical, sexist cover.
October 27, 2017
Note: this review is for the stories only, not the historical facts section.
Overall, this is a great series of stories that really helps flesh out some of the characters you'll meet in later "main" books (or, if you're like me, they're good backfill for characters who suddenly appeared without much introduction because you were only reading the "numbered" books).
If I'm honest, the only one I couldn't get into was "The Rudolstadt Colloquy." I read the first and last five or six pages, and felt like I hadn't missed anything by skipping the rest. Perhaps theological debate just isn't my forte... Or, given the rather low ratings on DeMarce's full-length "1635: The Tangled Web," perhaps the author just isn't a great fit for the Ring of Fire series? I certainly hope that's not the case, but I guess I'll know for sure when I get to the two 1634 books she co-wrote with Flint.
Overall, this is a great series of stories that really helps flesh out some of the characters you'll meet in later "main" books (or, if you're like me, they're good backfill for characters who suddenly appeared without much introduction because you were only reading the "numbered" books).
If I'm honest, the only one I couldn't get into was "The Rudolstadt Colloquy." I read the first and last five or six pages, and felt like I hadn't missed anything by skipping the rest. Perhaps theological debate just isn't my forte... Or, given the rather low ratings on DeMarce's full-length "1635: The Tangled Web," perhaps the author just isn't a great fit for the Ring of Fire series? I certainly hope that's not the case, but I guess I'll know for sure when I get to the two 1634 books she co-wrote with Flint.
April 9, 2023
I think I am part of the minority of people who actually bothered reading the essays at the end on radio, medicine, and horsepower in the 1632 series. Among those who did, I am among a much smaller minority who felt these were the best part of this book. The technical details help bring a fuller realism to the open-access world that Eric Flint gave to the world.
Like the Ring of Fire anthology, this is a collection of short stories out of the Ring of Fire universe. Some are written by fans, others by professional authors (who are also fans), but all are very good considering what they are. I read this a little late (both times), but would recommend others read it after 1632 and 1633 but before anything else.
Like the Ring of Fire anthology, this is a collection of short stories out of the Ring of Fire universe. Some are written by fans, others by professional authors (who are also fans), but all are very good considering what they are. I read this a little late (both times), but would recommend others read it after 1632 and 1633 but before anything else.
September 30, 2020
I've read the electronic/paper version of this book three times, and now I have listened to the audiobook. The narrator, P. J. Ochlan, elevated the book to five stars. I laughed out loud at times, especially during 'Anna's Story' and 'Curio and relic'. He gave the characters such flavor that it had me in stitches.
If you want to read/listen to this book, I highly recommend that you do at least read 1632 first. Otherwise, it may not make much sense.
If you want to read/listen to this book, I highly recommend that you do at least read 1632 first. Otherwise, it may not make much sense.
November 17, 2022
Originally an eBook, the Grantville Gazettes were short story collections that also included nonfiction articles. This collection contains five stories that are set in and around the first three novels and three articles. The first story focuses on Anne Jefferson, part of the Amsterdam embassy, and her portrait by Pieter Paul Rubens. The second story focuses on a young German and her adoption by a older Grantville resident. The third story focuses on a grisled Vietnam Vet and his job collecting firearms and ammo from Grantville residents. The fourth revolves around a group of teens who decide to build a sewing machine company. The fifth sees Ed Piazza observing a Lutheran Colloquy where all the controversy and heresy gets ironed out. I think my favorite of was the fourth story with the third being second-favorite. The nonfiction articles, one about radio, one about penicillin and antibiotics, and the third about horses, are interesting, but I kinda skimmed through these rather than read straight through. They're interesting, but nothing riviting. Overall, an enjoyable read and another good addition to the series.
July 8, 2022
Eric Flint edits the first compilation of "fan fiction" from the 1632 series. All of the short stories add something to the shared world. Often you are taken along with the "up timers" as they have to balance the world they came from and the world they live in now. While they have comparatively amazing technology, it is finite in quantity, resources are finite.
August 9, 2022
The stories in this volume range from the amusing to the touching to the boring. The reader must be deeply, deeply invested in the Alternate 1632 universe to hang on every word.
I like the 1632 universe, but not enough for this book to resonate with me.
I like the 1632 universe, but not enough for this book to resonate with me.
November 7, 2019
A mix
Really bored by schism story
a really interesting setting will read more of this if get chance
Really bored by schism story
a really interesting setting will read more of this if get chance
March 17, 2020
The "Connecticut Yankee" trope. Again. However, the series is clearly popular.
January 13, 2024
This is a collection of cohesive short stories in the Ring of Fire universe. It can get a bit dense in terms of describing the technology they had and modified, but it rings true.
January 31, 2024
I'm glad the stories explained the cover of the book. I don't know much about art so I was confused! The stories themselves are great. I like that additional characters are fleshed out.
March 11, 2024
A very strange read. I found it confusing to figure out what time frame things were happening in. It's quite an odd story. I might try another one in the series, not sure yet.
January 18, 2025
Good if you are familiar with the 1632/ring of fire series. Would be rather dry if not familiar with it.
December 13, 2025
Not sure how the dating of my reading works but that's what I got.
December 30, 2016
This anthology of five short stories and three factual articles based upon Eric Flint's Assisti Shards series (which begins with 1632), was less than pleasing. Besides not adding to the overall story, this book also generally fails to entertain. While the first three stories are all quite good, they are also very short and probably aren't worth the $6.99 cover price of the paperback unless you're completely obsessed with this alternative universe or a collector of anything with Flint's name on the cover.
The last two fictional stories, 'The Sewing Circle' and 'The Rudolsadt Colloquy', are slow going and forgettable. Unfortunately, they also make up about 3/4 of the book's volume. It is my understanding that they were included in their full lengths because they introduce characters and plot lines of future 163x books. For the purposes of THE GRANTVILLE GAZETTE, however, they fall way short of the mark set by the rest of the series. Ending this book with those two stories and the factual articles certainly contributed to the less than enthusiastic manner in which I finished the book, and may have led to my more negative review.
I'll continue on with the 163x series, but can't say I'm particularly glad I troubled myself with this volume. It certainly isn't necessary.
The last two fictional stories, 'The Sewing Circle' and 'The Rudolsadt Colloquy', are slow going and forgettable. Unfortunately, they also make up about 3/4 of the book's volume. It is my understanding that they were included in their full lengths because they introduce characters and plot lines of future 163x books. For the purposes of THE GRANTVILLE GAZETTE, however, they fall way short of the mark set by the rest of the series. Ending this book with those two stories and the factual articles certainly contributed to the less than enthusiastic manner in which I finished the book, and may have led to my more negative review.
I'll continue on with the 163x series, but can't say I'm particularly glad I troubled myself with this volume. It certainly isn't necessary.
December 23, 2019
"Grantville Gazzette" Volume 1 is one of those supporting books for the Ring of Fire series that is not quite an anthology. It is a series of stories building the world in which the Ring of Fire series lives. It provides great information about horse power, ham radio, generating electricity and creating antibiotics in the 1600s. These subjects are discussed in a serious way along with additional supporting stories.
I'd suggest reading this book before you read "1634 The Baltic War". Specifically read the story: "Curio and Relic" by Tom Van Natta. That will introduce the love story that is expanded upon in the larger work.
Any modesty issues? If you've seen the book cover, you must realize there are. Aside from the F-Word, the cover itself is a representation of a portrait painted by the famous artist Sir Peter Paul Rubens. As I recall, the model is the character Anne Jefferson. Note that the artist's wife was present during each session.
I'd read this again for serious study in a survival context.
I'd suggest reading this book before you read "1634 The Baltic War". Specifically read the story: "Curio and Relic" by Tom Van Natta. That will introduce the love story that is expanded upon in the larger work.
Any modesty issues? If you've seen the book cover, you must realize there are. Aside from the F-Word, the cover itself is a representation of a portrait painted by the famous artist Sir Peter Paul Rubens. As I recall, the model is the character Anne Jefferson. Note that the artist's wife was present during each session.
I'd read this again for serious study in a survival context.
December 5, 2012
This collection of short stories and some technical aspects of the world of 1632 was really interesting up until the very last entry about horse breeding. The Sewing Circle was enthralling, but was divided up in a rather odd way. The Rudolstadt Colloquy ended up being more interesting than I thought it was going to be. I really liked Portraits, Anna's Story (I want that stove) and Curio and Relic.
The nonfiction technical pieces were very interesting. Radio In The 1632 Universe, and They've Got Bread Mold, So Why Can't They Make Penicillin? had me really paying attention. Horse Power just about put me to sleep, and I have to admit I skimmed through the last couple of pages.
The eBook was formatted well with no obvious errors.
The nonfiction technical pieces were very interesting. Radio In The 1632 Universe, and They've Got Bread Mold, So Why Can't They Make Penicillin? had me really paying attention. Horse Power just about put me to sleep, and I have to admit I skimmed through the last couple of pages.
The eBook was formatted well with no obvious errors.
August 5, 2013
Collection of short stories set in the 1632 universe. Two of the collection are actually "technical" reports, having to do with radios and the production of antibiotics--by which I mean that they are REALLY technical, written by a person who knows radios/antibiotics and include bibliographies.
I enjoyed all of them--even the 3 that were technological. Since they were set in the same world, built on the same characters, except that they are from "minor" characters (or characters that appeared exactly once in 1632
The stories were selected by Eric Flint, even tho he only wrote one of them.
I enjoyed all of them--even the 3 that were technological. Since they were set in the same world, built on the same characters, except that they are from "minor" characters (or characters that appeared exactly once in 1632
The stories were selected by Eric Flint, even tho he only wrote one of them.
June 11, 2023
Short stories set in the 1632 universe that includes lesser personalities as well as main characters and moves the story along. One is about the girl from the novel, 1632, who ran screaming away from her ravished farm and wounded parents. Another is about Vietnam vet, Paul Santee, who lives reculsively outside Grantville. Then we learn about the beginnings of the “Sewing Circle,” the four ninth graders who come up with the idea of manufacturing sewing ing machines. And then the Rudolstadt Colloquy that meets to determine which group of Lutherans will pastor the new Lutheran churches just outside Grantville.
May 14, 2011
This anthology began life as an electronic magazine, but the success was so great Baen Books decided to publish it in traditional format as well. Most of the stories and articles started as posts in the Baen’s Bar web forum. The stories are high quality fanfic from unknown and mostly unpublished. If you are not familiar with the Assiti Shards Universe, you will be somewhat confused.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=720
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=720
November 21, 2011
I mixed collection of short stories and background articles in support of the 1632 series of books by Eric Flint & Co. For the most part the individual stories were that great, but because they helped fill in some of niggling blanks and plot holes from the series and also show the degree of background research this group of people have taken in creating this fascinating series of books, I'm gonna go ahead and give 'em four stars.
October 29, 2015
Interesting Read!
It's always good to get supplemental information and side stories about a series. I was especially grateful for the factual treatises on horses, bacteria and radio provided towards the end of the book. It gave me the background information I wanted about how some modern items worked in the 17th Century. Additionally, the facts and historical realities of the time really does make the series quite plausible when weaved into the stories.
It's always good to get supplemental information and side stories about a series. I was especially grateful for the factual treatises on horses, bacteria and radio provided towards the end of the book. It gave me the background information I wanted about how some modern items worked in the 17th Century. Additionally, the facts and historical realities of the time really does make the series quite plausible when weaved into the stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews