Worldwar: In the Balance

I don't always like Turtledove- he can be long-winded at times. But this one I did enjoy. I believe science fiction is best when it only minimally changes reality- you get one or two allowances for impossible things, and then work from there. This is what Turtledove does- assume WWII, and assume alien invaders at that time. Both are possible- it just didn't happen. And the neat addition- the alien invaders aren't really that advanced. In fact, if they were to have arrived when we humans were another 50 years advanced, they'd be technologically inferior. But they don't, and thus the conflict of the story. Turtledove writes the characters quite well, and I remained interested in all of them. You feel the real emotions of these characters; you want to see what they will do next; you understand why they respond to these problems because part of you would respond the same way. Sometimes you see a long list of characters at the beginning of a novel (such as War and Peace or the never-ending Wheel of Time series), and you think, "Oh, no- I'll never be able to keep them all straight!" In this case, each character is clear, distinct, and easily remembered. Thus Turtledove pulls us from the Russian steppes to Nazi Germany to alien space craft to the radar detectors of Britian and the battlefields of Chicago- and we eagerly follow along to see how next the world can stem off invasion. Or participate with it.

After reading Guns of the South, I thought I would give the World War series a chance. I went into it intentionally ignorant (no sneeking a peek at the back cover) and was shocked to the point that I laughed out loud when I found out what the historical twist was.As in Guns of the South, the "twist" in this work of historical fiction would make many dismiss it as a big work of extra-cheese. But just like "Guns," Turtledove pulls of the impossible by making what would appear to be ridiculous at first glance into a masterwork.I don't want to spoil more, but if you are a WWII fan, or simply a history buff and have an open mind, you will be pleased. SF fans will NOT be let down.

This book is a well written alternate version of WWII. The fiction is blended so well with fact that it is hard to tell the difference. The characters are developed well and there is a great amount of carry over between the books in the series of events and conversations. Set against the backdrop of WWII, the story begins as the "Lizards" show up for their conquest and colonization of earth. Unfortunately for them, their reconnaissance probe took 1000 years to transverse the distance to and from their planet and earth. In the time since, mankind has made just a few improvements to the weapons of war. What follows is a story line filled with enough plots and subplots to satisfy all of the readers' sci-fi cravings. Buy the hardback - you'll want to read it again.

When I read Guns of the South by Turtledove, I was disappointed that the "alteration" was caused by time travellers smuggling AK-47s to the Confederacy. I'm enjoying The Great War tetrology much more because the "alteration" is a natural re-writing of a historical event. So I didn't have high hopes when I saw WWII was to be altered by an alien invasion. BUT THIS BOOK IS GREAT! Turtledove takes the oldest cliche in pulp sf-the invading lizard race- gives it twists and turns and drops it into WWII. My sense of wonder was 1st stirred when it was revealed in the prologue that the lizards , although more highly advanced than humans, progressed at a much slower rate. The aliens , who think they are invading a nomadic bow and arrow culture, find us with radio, flight , and explosives. Now they realize they have to kick tail fast or the earth will be counterattacking their home world much sooner than they can devise appropriate defenses. There are the requisite reality figures-mostly world leaders and a slew of characters so large there is a dramatis personae given. The action hops from China to the US to Poland to space as we catch every facet of the struggle from different viewpoints. Every character has a unique insight into the War, Mr. Turtledove has provided an excellent way to escape from the real world for a day or 2. Now, excuse me, I have to sign off and begin part 2, Worldwar:Tilting the Balance.

Harry Turtledove secures his title as master of alternate history in this thrilling book for fans of history and sci-fi alike. In this alternate history of WWII, a reptilian alien culture called the Race ( labelled "the lizards" by humanity) launch a massive invasion of war-torn Earth in May, 1942. Expecting the conquest to be a walkover, the Race soon realizes that humanity is going to be far more difficult to passify than anticipated. Turtledove takes us on an exciting journey accross the globe, from Nazi-occupied Europe (where the aliens face the brutal efficiency of Hitler's war machine) to the suburbs of Chicago (where General Patton attempts to halt the alien onslaught). Turltedove expertly tells the story of a huge cast of memorable characters, some fictitious, others prominent historic figures. We are shown the struggle of a Chinese peasant woman and the desperation of a Jewish family in Warsaw. We join an RAF bomber crew on a suicidal mision and ride with a German panzer commander against unstoppable alien war machines. Likewise, we also get to see the war through the aeyes of the Race. We get to experience the suffering of an alien pilot with the misfortune to be captured by the Japanese. We also get to experience the inner workings of the Race's military and political hierarchy. Turtledove also forces us to look at humanity's own shortcomings. In some ways humanity seems to be far worse than the Race (such as the Nazi and Soviet death camps and the Japanese enslavement of China's populous). All in all, Worldwar: In the Balance is a must read for any fan of sci-fi OR history. In a fascinating story of bitter enemmies forced to unite against the greater foe, Turtledove brings together the horrors of war and the strength of the human will to survive adversity to weave on of the greatest tales in the history of sci-fi.