Atlantis And Other Places: Stories Of Alternate History (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
A fun collection of short stories. The title is a bit of a misnomer, as two of the stories are set in Atlantis and tie into his Atlantis trilogy, the other 10 are not. I was expecting roughly half of the book to flesh out other times of the Atlantis timeline, with a sprinkling of other unrelated stories. That being said, the stories were a good mix of whimsical, and serious, with a good variety of tones, including pastiches of Catcher and the Rye, Sherlock Holmes, and WWII era news reporting. My favorites were the fantasy themed "Horse of Bronze" about centaurs making a heroic expedition past known lands, to seek out tin for making bronze, and the strangest creatures they find at their destination, even more so than fauns, sphinxes, and sirens. As well as the tale of an ancient Greece that never was featuring Sokrates influencing a different future for Athens in "the Daimon"."The Genetics Lecture" despite it's dry title is a fun little gem that takes all of 3 pages and left me with a smile on my face. I really liked the first and last stories of these alternative history short stories. The first story centered on Audobon's trip to Atlantis (America). The last story found "Helms and Walton" a duo eerily reminiscent of Holmes and Watson but visiting Atlantis to solve a case. Both were very enjoyable and cleverly written stories. The selections in-between were also good, but didn't capture my imagination like the two I have mentioned.I've been wanting to read Turtledove ever since I read my first alternative history novel. I see why he is considered one of the best writers of this genre.3.5 stars
What do You think about Atlantis And Other Places: Stories Of Alternate History (2010)?
Occasionally does more than fan service. His treatment of centaurs is impressive.
—ajsutton22
The premiss of an alternate history is good, but I found this was a bit silly.
—Marianne
