JaniceMars Folks... we're lucky to have Dr. Turtledove with us tonight. Welcome Dr.!
Turtledove Thanks. Good to be virtually here.
JaniceMars Okay...we have a lot of questions in the queue already... so let's begin.
BuffaloWinger I've noticed that the phrase "Isn't that the sad and sorry truth?" recurs frequently in your stories. Any philosophical reason for this?
Turtledove Not really, BuffaloWinger. It's just something I say a lot, so it gets into the text. Now I'll have to self-edit more.
Atvar Hi Harry, A Pleasure to meet you at ICON. Do you enjoy conventions, or are they necessary evil?
Turtledove I usually have fun, Atvar. I admit I go to them as much to see writer friends as fans, but I have fun any which way.
Palgolak Have you sold to TOR the remaining volumes in your Darkness series? And can you share the titles?
Turtledove The first four are sold. The last two aren't, yet, but I hope will be soon. Titles of the last three are RULERS OF THE DARKNESS, JAWS OF DARKNESS, and OUT OF THE DARKNESS.
BuffaloWinger Are "The Last Article" and "In the Presence of Mine Enemy" set in the same universe? (They're both terrific stories, by the way).
Turtledove Thanks, BW. I don't know if they are or not. I never really thought about it. They could be.
Zelinko Mr. Turtledove has the threat of the Asteroids with motors not as big of a threat because they will take months to reach Earth and could be intercepted by the Race
Turtledove The only problem with intercepting a large chunk of rock is, what do you do with it once you've intercepted it? Blow it up? You can't vaporize a mile-wide chunk of rock very easily. Then you have lots of boulders instead of one big one.
gemini83 I've finished reading Through the Darkness and while I know you will merely smile and nod any thoughts about one of the "possible" 4 books left to come will touch on the cold war (or its magic equivalent)
Turtledove Gemini83, at present I intend to end the story when I end the war.
Palgolak Could you translate a pun from Sentry Peak? At the end of a chapter, mention is made of a popular writer of romances. To whom are you refering. Sorry. I don't have a copy on hand, if that is not enough to jog your memory. And as long as you are giving out proposed titles, what is the third title of the Civil War series.
Turtledove Palgolak, that isn't enough of a clue. Sorry back at you. The third one doesn't have a title I like yet. I wish it did.
tr was there any particular inspiration for worldwar, great war, and darkness?
Turtledove tr, the inspiration for the WORLDWAR books was wondering how you go about conquering an industrialized planet from space, and how easy or hard it would be. For the GREAT WAR books, entangling North America in the European alliance system. For the DARKNESS books, writing a big, real-feeling fantasy.
BuffaloWinger Are Garivald and/or Ethelhelm based on any particular real-life musicians?
Turtledove No, BW. They're fictional.
Pascat I wonder if your books will ever be translated to french... I am one and well... I am just devouring Into the darkness.. Still, I'd like it in french.
Turtledove Pascat, yell at your publishers to translate this Turtledove person. I'd love to have my stuff en Français.
gemini83 In through the darkness you pare down (quite violently) the cast. Do you feel your stories work better with more view points but thinner characters or more focused characters but with a less global perspective. (though your characters rarely thin out, no matter how big the story, I marvel at your greatness)
Turtledove [blush] Gemini83. It depends on the story. I've written novels with one or two viewpoint characters, and some with a lot more. If I'm trying to show the whole world, I'll usually interweave a lot of viewpoint characters. It gives me more scope than doing it the other way.
tr at the end of 2001, you will have had 5 books published. First thank you. Second how do you do it? Third Is there a minimum of writing you like to do in a year?
Turtledove You're welcome, tr. How do I do it? I write every day. I'm as near obsessive-compulsive as makes no difference. I'm also lucky enough to be able to write pretty clean first-draft copy. This helps.
gemini83 How do the nations in the darkness series maintain huge armies as there does not appear to be industrialization per se
Turtledove Oh, there is, gemini83. It's done through magic rather than factories, but it's there. People working in factories aren't as dramatic as people at the front, so you don't see them as much. Doesn't mean they aren't around.
BuffaloWinger Here's a (non-alternate) historical question. Do you have any thoughts on the "revisionist history" movement, as exemplified by Howard Zinn?
Turtledove BW, my eldest daughter had to read Zinn for her high-school history class. She has a low opinion of him. So do I, for the most part. He's not objective. He's not trying to be, and he succeeds.
Zelinko It seems odd that no one has tried to build a Ronald Regan Era SDI System [with orbital lasers, magnetic rail guns] or a THAAD [Theater High Altitude Antimissile Defense]
Turtledove Sorry, Zelinko, but I don't know where the question is in that.
Zelinko The question is why not
Turtledove Do you mean in the WORLDWAR books? If you do, it's because they're largely using manned ships up there as antimissile defenders. They got space technology all at once, compared to what we have here, and they don't worry so much about safety as we do.
BillBorre can you please ask Harry if he knows of any story set in 20th century when radar is first developed and signals are detected from a human civilization on Venus? The author could build a whole sister Earth and describe a first inter-solar system interaction between civilizations. I think it would be a great read if done well.
Turtledove I don't know of one, BillBorre. Yes, that could be interesting. I played alternate solar systems with Mars (A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE), not Venus.
tr A question about Great War what was the nature of the revolution in Russia?
Turtledove You'll find out, tr.
gemini83 why didn't you give Lagaos and Kuusamo leaders of equivalent stature to FDR and Churchill. Lack of space or does this mesh with some important plot point?
Turtledove Because they aren't precise analogs of Britain and the USA, mostly. They're more like those than they're like anybody else, but they aren't identical. It's fiction. I keep having to repeat this, for some reason. /
BuffaloWinger I read all the way through your "Departures" collection, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Any plans for further short story collections?
Turtledove Yes, BW. Del Rey will be doing a collection called COUNTING UP, COUNTING DOWN some time in the not too indefinite future; I was exchanging e-mail with my editor about possible cover art today.
Chris Dr. Turtledove, in the Colonization what ever happened to Hitler?
Turtledove Chris, he died in the mid-1950s of natural causes, as far as anyone could prove.
tr in another chat you mentioned a novella involving Hitler and a German victory in WWI. When was this published or when will it be?
Turtledove It's a novelette, tr, called "Uncle Alf." It's not out yet, but will appear in ALTERNATE GENERALS 2. No pub date yet.
BillBorre Do you ever receive flack from publishers or readers from your very realistic (i.e. non-PC) depictions of your character's attitude towards race? I'm thinking specially of the Civil War series. P.S. I love your Alternate History books!
Turtledove Thanks, Bill. No, I've had little flak about that stuff. I try to depict attitudes as they were, which is different from showing people with modern attitudes in historical time--a frequent problem with fiction that deals with history.
GW Dr. Turtledove, before the Great War, were there Hispanics and American Indians in the national Confederate government? congressmen, senators, or governors?
Turtledove Yes, GW.
Palgolak I heard on Hour 25 that you are writing a novel on spec - have you finished/placed it yet?
Turtledove It's done, Palgolak. Negotiations are in progress.
Randy1012 This is probably a pretty silly question, but I just wanted to make sure I have it right. In How Few Remain, the Confederate president, Pete Longstreet, was the Confederate general James Longstreet from the American Civil War, who was known as "Old Pete" to his colleagues. Is that right or is the president just a relative of the general?
Turtledove The president is the general, yes, Randy1012.
Pascat Well.. I'd like to tell you. I love your work... Even though I am french canadian... I find it very easy to understand... Keep on your very good work... You're the best English author I've ever, mmm, read ;)
Turtledove Merci beau coup.
BuffaloWinger What has happened on the Mexico front since Mantarikis left the picture? Will us Californians finally do some annexing?
Turtledove No, not really, BW. The Confederates and Mexicans drive U.S. forces back. It's a backwater, so the USA doesn't try very hard there.
tr another question on Great War what is the status of Alaska? Is it still a Russian possession?
Turtledove Yes, tr. The USA couldn't afford it in this universe.
Randy1012 At the end of the Great War does the U.S.A. occupy all of the Dominion of Canada, or just the parts that they were currently occupying?
Turtledove You'll see in August, when AMERICAN EMPIRE BLOOD AND IRON comes out. End of commercial. We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.
JaniceMars Dr.... Isaac Asimov often wrote several novels at the same time, but he used several typewriters. What are the mechanics you employ?
Turtledove My mechanic isn't a good writer at all. [g,d,rlh] I do first draft in longhand, working on each project every day. My style is a lot cleaner that way. Then I polish it up on the Mac. I'm basically a two-draft writer.
JaniceMars So you go at it one novel at a time? You don't have several going at once?
Turtledove No, I _do_ have several going at once--currently, four.
JaniceMars LOL... Thanks!
Turtledove mutterwheezegaspshriekwhimpercollapse
tr In your war stories, do you find yourself rooting for a side or sides? Or particular characters? Or do you stay neutral?
Turtledove Oh, I get friendly with some characters. I don't see how I can help that. They're people, after all--you like some better than others.
tr A personal question What do you do when not writing or researching? I know you are an Angels fan. Any other hobbies? And how can I learn to be compulsive?
JaniceMars LOL, TR.
Turtledove I play chess. I watch birds. I read a lot, which is both research and relaxation. I've got a wife and three kids who occasionally like to see my face, for some reason or another. How can you learn to be compulsive. Start by saying you'll write for an hour every day no matter what, and then _do_ it.
GW Dr. Turtledove, does John Moses Browning exist in the How Few Remain/Great War universe? If so, does he still invent the weapons he is known for?
Turtledove I don't think so, GW. But someone else would have come up with close equivalents, imho. A lot of those ideas were in the air.
Chris With all those books going at once do you ever get confused about which characters are in which book.
Turtledove Rarely, Chris. What _will_ happen is that, if I use an unusual word or phrase in one project, I'll end up using it again in another one a day or two later.
Randy1012 Have you ever thought about any possible AH novels that start prior to the American Civil War? Ones that deal with North America, I mean. I know you have other novels that take place way before then...
Turtledove Well, there's THE TWO GEORGES, set now (well, in the 1990s) in a world where the American Revolution didn't happen. It's a collaboration with Richard Dreyfuss.
JaniceMars Speaking of The Two Georges... any further information on that movie?
Turtledove I don't know anything more, Janice. It's been optioned. The check didn't bounce. Whether it gets made . . . Who knows?
JaniceMars Thanks Dr.
tr Another writing question how much do you write in an hour?
Turtledove About 600 words, tr. +/-
Chris Dr. Turtledove, I have noticed in a lot of your books you will have a character get killed all of a sudden in the middle of the book. Is there any reason for this or is it just something you like to do?
Turtledove I did less than that when I was starting out.
Turtledove Chris, it keeps the readers on their toes and reminds them this is a dangerous universe where nasty things can, unfortunately, happen to nice--or sometimes not so nice--people.
Randy1012 I've read The Two Georges, btw. Found it at my school's library (can you believe they only have *one* book by you, and it isn't even a novel only you did? Geez!). Anyway, my next question is are you in the middle of a book right now that you're taking a break from so you can talk to us, and if so, are you allowed to say what it is?
Turtledove I'm in the middle of AMERICAN EMPIRE THE CENTER CANNOT HOLD, which will take up where BLOOD AND IRON leaves off and carry the GREAT WAR universe into the early 1930s.
Turtledove I'm in the middle of the day's stint for AE TCCH, too.
JaniceMars Dr. Turtledove, I know you have to get back to your writing now...
JaniceMars but there are a couple of things I wanted to let you know.
JaniceMars First off, I'm going to be adding a search engine to your chats....
JaniceMars at Cybling so that your logs will be searchable...
JaniceMars and second...
JaniceMars I think we'd all like to thank you for joining us tonight!
Atvar Thanks!
Chris Thanks!!!!
Starfire thx
Randy1012 Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule!
tr thank you, doctor, it was a treat.
Chris Keep the books coming!!!!
Turtledove Thank you for having me, as always. A pleasure to be here. And a searchable log sounds way cool.
BillBorre Thank you for your time. This was my first-time ever chat, and
BuffaloWinger Yes, thank you! Very interesting chat.
GW Thanks Doc! Keep the books coming!
Turtledove Thank you all.
Turtledove Will you respect me in the morning, BillBorre? ;-)
JaniceMars LOL!
BuffaloWinger LOL!!
tr ha
Randy1012 Too bad he left before you said that -D
Atvar and, if you think he is nice in a chat room, wait 'til you meet him at a con!!!
JaniceMars Folks...thanks for coming out tonight. I'm going to take the duct tape of the Dr now and let him get back to writing the books we love so well.
Techyo ROFL
BuffaloWinger LOL!
Randy1012 Duct tape? What happened to the ropes?
tr yes, best had crack the whip.
Techyo [=== considers and throws away log search jokes.
BuffaloWinger Good by, Turtledove! Thanks for your time!
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