A funny thing happened after the Manassas Reads event, the first event I’d attended and sold books at since the pandemic began, oh, about a decade ago. OK, maybe it wasn’t a decade, but sometimes it sure felt that way. Anyway, I went to McKay’s Used Books, my favorite used bookstore in the whole world, again for the first time since the pandemic started.
Being me, I picked up a whole bunch of books (SF, Fantasy & Mystery), including a couple of hardcovers in Eric Flint’s 1632 series, also known as the Ring of Fire series. Now, the first book, called—wait for it—1632, came out in 2000, though I discovered the series in 2001 when the paperback was released. The series is about the town of Grantville, West Virginia…and what happens when a mysterious cosmic accident sends it back in time and displaces it geographically so that it appears in the middle of Germany during the ferocious Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648). This accident is the only truly science-fictional element of the entire series, as everything else devolves as an alternate history about how Grantville’s presence alters the course of history.
I stayed with the series through the first three mainline books, the first Ring of Fire anthology, the first Grantville Gazette anthology (containing both fiction and non-fiction) and about three associated books. Then, there was a wait for more books to be published. Somehow, I lost momentum and never started back up. After a while, I kinda lost track of the series.
Even back then, though, the series was starting to become a phenomenon. Since that time, it has evolved into one of the world’s biggest literary shared universes, with other authors contributing books, short stories, non-fiction articles, and more. Now, there are about 35 books in the main fiction series, plus a bunch of associated stories, etc. In some ways, the main series has branched, so there’s the core series, plus other sub-series and/or stand-alones set in other parts of the world.
Buying those two new hardcovers has inspired me to start catching up. Now, as I’ve described, catching up is a gargantuan task. Fortunately, there are online resources that provide a roadmap for traversing the series, including the 1632.org site. I’ve resolved to read, and review, a 1632 book every month until I catch up. Since I read five to ten books every month, that seems pretty doable. I figure the steady pace, interspersed with my reading of other non-related books, will also keep me from getting burned out on the series.
1632 is the first book in the series, published in 2000 (in hardcover). You’re not very far into the novel before the (fictional) town of Grantville, VA is propelled back in time and locale to 1632, stranded in the middle of Germany during the Thirty Years War. The town arrives as a glowing sphere three miles across that’s seamlessly swapped with the same amount of local terrain (including a functional coal mine and some natural gas reserves). The up-timers, as they come to known, have only the resources that were transported with them to help them survive.
This sets the stage for conflict between the pragmatic, democratic-oriented attitudes of the up-timers and the autocratic, religious dominated societies that surround them. But first, they have to survive the coming winter. And the predations of bandits raiders, and, most dangerous of all, the predations of rampaging armies that have been devastating the countryside.
It’s a rollicking action story with both heart and a consideration for deeper questions…
Like, what kind of society should a few thousand stranded time travelers build in the past? And what will it cost them? Also, should they keep their knowledge of future technologies as an advantage, or spread it to the winds? It’s an excellent book with a positive, hopeful outlook. Quite frankly, it’s a top-notch start to the series. Highly recommended.
As a bonus, I also read Essen Steel by Kim Mackey, published by Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire (ROF) press. In general, the main books and associated books in the series are published by Baen Books. Works of interest to dedicated, hardcore fans, but perhaps not as accessible to a larger audience, are published by ROF.
The book is 111 pages, and is more of a collection of three short stories than a bonafide novella. The stories describe the deal-making involved in creating Essen Steel, a company mentioned later in the main series for its role in making high-quality steel available. A parallel plot thread details an organized effort to spread mathematics around the globe. Without much in the way of significant conflict or emotional involvement, it successfully deepens the series’ background without becoming essential reading. For diehard fans like me.
Note: (12/30/24) No longer available due to the closure of Ring of Fire Press after Eric Flint’s death. See comments for further information.
I’ll be honest, I’ve been looking over all of the 1632 books that have been published…and I’m pretty amazed at both the number of books and the sheer variety. I’m really enjoying this read-through so far. In fact, I just finished reading 1633, which was my main selected book for June (I’ll report on that later).
FYI. It appears the “Essen Steel” is no long available. It was published by Ring of Fire Press, which was owned by Eric Flint, and then shut down after Eric Flint died. The individual stories are still available in the original Grantville Gazette ebook issues, which can be purchased at 1632magazine.com. They sell both 6-book bundles and single issues as downloadable ebooks. As far as I know, there were 102 issues of the original magazine. Beginning in 2023, a new magazine called “Eric Flint’s 1632 & Beyond” began publication.