The Story So Far…by Walt Boyes
In 1631, or 2000, depending on how you look at it, the town of Grantville and its environs were ripped from West Virginia and deposited in a whole new universe, plunking down in the middle of Thuringia in the Germanies, in the midst of the Thirty Years’ War. This month the Gazette takes us even further into the universe that we call The Ring of Fire.
In this issue, we have David Carrico writing about a science fiction and fantasy magazine being published in Magdeburg, and a story submitted to it called “Drumline.” Why wouldn’t the Ring of Fire universe be interested in science fiction, after all?
Rick Boatright and Kerryn Offord continue the chronicles of Dr. Gribbleflotz with “Dr. Phil Rules the Waves!” There is also a great article, posted on the Baen.com website, called “The Science of Dr. Gribbleflotz” by Rick Boatright, which we urge you to read. You can find it at https://www.baen.com/free-nonfiction-2016.html.
Tim Roesch takes a break from his “superkids” to give us a stark and beautiful story, “Good German Axes.” It is one of his best. Szántai Gábor gives us some fiction based on his Hungary and Transylvania Series, called “Szekler in a Kilt.” It’s a great story from a part of Europe that we haven’t played in very much. I mean, do you know what a Szekler is, and why he’s wearing a kilt?
David Carrico returns to give us “Etude, Part 3” with a real twist for an ending. The other serial we offer this issue is “The Long Road Home, Part 2,” more of the adventures of Richard Hartman, also known as Sergeant Whatsisname.
In non-fiction, we start the new year off right with the seventh installment of “Papal Stakes: About the Faces on the Cutting Room Floor” as we look into the mind of Chuck Gannon and see what makes it into a novel, and what doesn’t—and why. We also have the third installment of “Hungary and Transylvania” by Szántai Gábor. And in her column this month, Kristine Katherine Rusch muses about History, and alternate history, and the things that writers of each should remember well.
No Time Spike or Annex stories this issue. We are working on getting more of them.
And don’t forget, Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire Press has 1632 stories, and we’ll be publishing many more in the coming months.
Enjoy your trip into the Ring of Fire universe!