Wasteland of Flint

Rating:
Summary: Four and a half, really- it's only very slightly flawed.
Review: Alternate history and space opera, yes, but not completely either one. I am a big fan of alt-history.

The alternate history part is, the Aztec conquered the world (and, as a rather odd side note, apparently separate, Jesus had a sister, who is as revered as the the Virgin Mother is). But the story takes place enough into the future in space exploration that all of that is background, and the main plot is secret weapons from previous galactic empires gone for millions of years. The way that Aztec mythology colors the people's way of thinking is interesting, as are the racial conflicts- the Nisei and Skawts (yes, that's Scots) retained more of their independence than most other cultures, while the English are nonexistent (the Duchy of Kent is an area of Skawtland) - the main languages (besides Nahuatl) are Norman and Japanese. If you are, as I am, interested in the development of languages, and comparisons between existing languages from their roots, you'll have fun with this. There doesn't seem to be any Italy, nor any remnants of Latin as a language, which I found interesting; there are people who are Maltese, and I'm wondering if that includes Italy rather than just the island of Malta in our universe. A lack of a Rome, to spread its version of Christianity, would explain some of the reasons that Europe is less warlike than others, and would explain no Spaniards and Portuguese conquering the New World. Teasing this sort of thing out from the background scenery is fun.

Suprisingly, the mystical elements didn't bother me much, even though I am not a big fantasy fan nor do I think much of psychic powers or mind reading. I didn't find them obtrusive, and some of the seemingly mystical stuff was given a plausible cover of drugs. I guess my attitude is that in this book it's easy enough to ignore them; one could skip over the shamanistic stuff lightly and still enjoy the vast majority of the book, and not miss any major plot elements.

A few little inconsistencies but nothing that really interrupts the flow of believing in the possibility of this history (for example, we alternate randomly between spelling Tukhachevsky's nationality as Russian and Rossiyan).

Incidentally, another reviewer mentioned that they hadn't read any other Aztec alt-histories; I recommend L. Neil Smith's _The Crystal Empire_ as one such, if you enjoy the idea. It's very different from this book, but quite a good complement, two very different possibilities. There are several other alt-hists where the Aztecs are still a major world power albeit not the world's rulers; if I can find them in our house (family motto: I know it's in here *somewhere*) I will do a List of them for your reading pleasure.

A few other incidentals which some people may want to know about: yes there are aliens, but they are not a major part of the plot, although one such is one of our main characters. No, there's almost no romance, and no sex scenes at all - many space operas have a large helping of romance, but this isn't one of them. No, we don't have any major scenes of bloody violence, no giant gun battles in outer space nor hand to hand combat on the ground; the war here is cultural, and such bad guys as there are, are not total evil villians; resolution of that subplot is interesting but does not depend on armies and strength of weapons. Which is, when you think about it, rather unusual for space opera.

Last but not least, a sequel is in the works; a very short excerpt from it is in the back of the book. I plan to buy it!

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating - and Powerful
Review: I do believe this is the first novel in 40 years of reading SF that I can recall as an alternate history Aztec space empire. Characterizations of Ms. Anderssen (the Russo-Swede xenoarcheologist)whose family remembers their conquest by the Azteca), Green Hummingbrid (Mexaca judge), the various aliens and the strong but "low ranked" Japanese warship officers and marines (sounding and acting like WWII warriors, albiet Azteca space navy). The story twists and turns from a bit of mental rebellion of the lower "class" europeans and aliens, the tough but subservient Japanese warriors and the ore "pirates" and their mining ship (that "flies" in a supporting but crucial role). Finally, a bit of a surprise ending, though one which says something about our own cultural/international clashes. If you like Turtledove, on some levels this neat novel is much more sophisticated - if not as action packed.

Rating:
Summary: Unique & Facinating
Review: I found this book to be a unique and interesting story, but at times a difficult read. Harlan writes as though we ought to know some of the history, etc. of his characters, places, but this is the future of an ALTERNATE history. It's a facinating idea... what if the Aztec Empire had never fallen? What if they still ruled today and in the future? Combine that with a space adventure and what a great story. But Harlan stumbles over intricate wording and ideas causing the reader to question if Harlan himself really understands the world he has created and the story and action frequently grinds to a complete halt. An excellent book if you can get past some of the more akward areas.

Rating:
Summary: Wasteland of Flint: First Rate Science Fiction
Review: In Wasteland of Flint, Thomas Harlan creates not only a mysterious new world, but also plunks it down in the middle of a surprising and tantalizing new social order. Wasteland uses a slate of interesting and powerful characters to peel away layers of intrigue that surround the planet of Ephesus 3, which exists within the auspices of the futuristic society controlled by the Mexica, the eventual (future) result of an intact and hegemonistic Aztec Empire on Earth. The tale unfolds in only about 430 pages; it comes up to full speed quickly and holds the reader's attention fast throughout. The plot is well developed and the story grows more compelling with each chapter.

Called upon to reveal to the readers the elusive secrets of Ephesus 3 is one Gretchen Anderssen, a talented young xenoarcheologist with more than her share of backbone, a trait that will serve her well in this assignment. Directed to Ephesus 3 to investigate an accident that has befallen the Palenque, an exploration ship in orbit around Ephesus, the Anderssen character immediately brings the new Mexica social order into play for the reader. Anderssen is the future equivalent of a disenfranchised minority, a person of Swedish decent; we learn that the Swedes, final opponents of Mexica's bid to take over Earth in its entirety, have been banished to other planets and are now treated as second-class citizens. The resulting social tension between Swede and Aztec is painted well enough by Harlan that it survives the duration of the story, and begins the process of depicting the complicated social order in Harlan's universe. As the pages turn, the setting becomes increasingly compelling, and the underlying social interplay is a sub theme that adds an important and colorful dimension to the novel.

As powerful a character as Gretchen becomes, she often plays second fiddle to a number of rich and interesting secondary characters. My personal favorite is Magdalena, a Hesht (a feline alien species). Cat-aliens have always seemed to me to be a bit cliché in contemporary science fiction (plus, I'm more of a dog person), but "Maggie" is a cut above. Maggie's character literally flies off the pages, drawing on many layers of development to become a compelling supporting character. I was fond of the imagery surrounding Maggie's mannerisms -- in particular her claws and several amusing nervous habits.

Green Hummingbird, an Imperial Mexica judge, begins as a minor character, but develops into a surprisingly powerful one, and is an important tool for the reader to learn about Mexica. Gretchen and Green Hummingbird form an improbable, but highly effective team through which Harlan tells much of his story. Hadeishi, a Japanese ship captain and his first officer also form an interesting and rich subplot that I enjoyed quite a bit. Finally, it's difficult to know whether to consider the elusive scientist, Russovsky, a character or not, but she is extremely intriguing, and not like any other character I can ever remember reading about. If nothing else, she is a moving metaphor for the pieces of ourselves that we leave behind when we're gone.

The characters come to life amid crisp and readable dialogue and a compelling social backdrop. At the same time, Harlan shows his mastery of imagery in both subtle and dramatic settings, making the text very enjoyable to read. For me, he successfully brought together many difficult elements of a top-notch story: a truly compelling setting, a meaningful and agile plot, strong characters and gripping writing that depicts powerful and satisfying images. This is as good a novel as I've read in quite a while. I enjoyed it thoroughly and can't wait for the next in the series. I give this effort five stars; you won't regret the time or money spent on this book.