Harry Turtledove Trivia

1. What is different about this story's Solar System?

From Quiz A World of Difference

Answer: Mars doesn't exist

Harry Turtledove himself says at the start "Mars is boring. Turns out it's too small. But what if it weren't...?" And this book is the answer. Intelligent life, a breathable atmosphere, strange animals, and much much more.

From Quiz Guns of the South

Answer: 1864

It is now six months since the south lost the Battle of Gettysburg. General Lee's faithful depleted Army of Northern Virginia now stands on the defensive in Virginia, but everyone knows there is little hope of victory.

From Quiz Counting Up, Counting Down

Answer: Both these ages

At 40, Justin uses his remarkable computer skills to program his laptop to take him back in time. When he succeeds, he contacts his 21 year old self to try to change his past.

From Quiz "How Few Remain"

Answer: Ulysses Grant

Former US General Grant, who still seems to have a fondness for alcohol in this alternate history, attended the speech and expressed his regret for the USA losing the second war of secession.

From Quiz The Great War Trilogy

Answer: Emily

The other three feature in the novels. Anne Collerton is a plantation owner, Fanny Cunningham is the wife of Jefferson's best friend and Nellie Semproch is the owner of a coffeehouse in Washington DC.

From Quiz A World of Difference

Answer: 6

Six people are on each, though it's unclear if that was intentional or not. Three married couples inhabit the US ship, while five Soviet men and one woman are aboard the other. The woman is arguably the most popular of the USSR crew!

From Quiz Guns of the South

Answer: Rivington, North Carolina

Rivington is a small town the author made up. But the mysterious men calling themselves "America Will Break" do not sound like North Carolinians at all. In fact they do not even sound American; they all have strange not-quite-British guttural accents that remind some of Dutchmen. They also wear strange uniforms of green that seem to be designed to blend in with bush and trees.

From Quiz Counting Up, Counting Down

Answer: His marriage failed

He'd married a girl he'd been with since age 21. But eventually their marriage fell apart and she'd wanted nothing more to do with him. Years later he realised she was his only hope of ever being happy. He knew he had to travel back in time and stop himself from ruining the relationship.

From Quiz Harry Turtledove - "Timeline 191" Characters

Answer: Jake Featherston

In 1917, after the CSA have lost to the USA (for once), the C.S. capital Richmond is in ruins. Semi-anarchy, soldiers patrolling the streets, bomb-wreckage everywhere and thousands of frustrated unemployed ex-soldiers wandering round. Frustrated about having fought a war for nothing. Jake is one of them, but then he finds out about a small radical political party called The Freedom Party. He decides to join, not least because they insist it is time for a new revolution and a new government.

From Quiz "How Few Remain"

Answer: Contention City

It was decided that this city should be attacked because of the silver and gold production there which would help the Confederate War effort. Geronimo showed a very astute understanding of the situation and wanted to give the USA a couple of licks.

From Quiz A World of Difference

Answer: Images from the Viking Probe

In our world, the Viking space probe came back safely with pictures of a barren rocky landscape and no sign of life. But the Viking probe in this world not only sent back a picture of an alien (a Minervan), it never returned because that alien proceeded to smash it to bits! It turns out the Minervan was (and is) head of the local tribe and he kept the probe in his ice castle for years, calling it "the strange creature". He later apologises to the Americans when they reveal what it really was. He is quite flattered to learn millions of humans have been studying a photo of him for years!

From Quiz Guns of the South

Answer: Andries Rhoodie

Rhoodie makes his appearance in General Lee's camp at the beginning of the story. He is demonstrating a new gun he's "invented" and the southerners are astonished at its lethal firepower. They are even more astonished when Rhoodie claims he can supply as many AK-47s as they'd like - for next to nothing! Robert E. Lee is reminded of a passage in the bible when the devil offers somebody the whole world in exchange for worship.

From Quiz Harry Turtledove - "Timeline 191" Characters

Answer: We are not told

In the 1880s he has decided to teach socialism to exploited miners and factory-workers across what's left of the USA. He is 71 years old (and clean-shaven) and many blame him for the existence of the CSA, but he travels regardless.

From Quiz The Great War Trilogy

Answer: Pharmacist

He's based in the Confederate capital in Richmond and sneaks away during the lunch hour to hear Woodrow Wilson speak.

From Quiz Guns of the South

Answer: Nate Caudell

The book has two protagonists, Lee and Caudell. Lee's point of view is for the upper echelons of the army and government, and Caudell's point of view is that of an ordinary solider and later an ordinary Confederate citizen.

From Quiz Counting Up, Counting Down

Answer: 1999

The story begins in 2018 when Justin has just turned 40 and he wants to go back to 1999 when he was 21.

From Quiz Harry Turtledove - "Timeline 191" Characters

Answer: Major Abner Dowling

Dowling eventually becomes a general himself after Custer dies of old age. I suppose the message here is that if you stay in the army long enough and put up with the crummy jobs, you will eventually be promoted. To be honest, I expected Dowling to die of a heart-attack at the end of the series - he was beyond obese!

From Quiz "How Few Remain"

Answer: Foch

The two acknowledged each other at a diplomatic meeting just after the outbreak of hostilities. Foch was declared persona non grata at the meeting owing to the pro-CSA tendencies of France together with the British military attaché who deigned not to attend. Schlieffen said that the Germans could arrange for their transportation out of the country, which I'm sure gave him perverse pleasure.

From Quiz The Great War Trilogy

Answer: Little Nell

This was given to her by Bill Reach, a journalist she despised because he always took undue liberties and now that she's respectful, he has the potential to unravel everything.

From Quiz A World of Difference

Answer: Two tribes are on the verge of war

Co-incidentally: the earth spaceships land pretty much as soon as the western leader's eldest son threatens war on the eastern leader. Unless the latter agrees to immediate annexation, which he certainly will not. Not only that, but the earth expeditions land on opposite sides of the gorge (and therefore opposite sides of the brewing conflict).

From Quiz Guns of the South

Answer: Bean is really female

Melvin Bean's real name is Mollie Bean. Like Robert E Lee and Nathan Caudell she really existed, but Harry Turtledove invents why she joined the army and also her later marriage to Caudell. Later in the novel she is instrumental in finding out the truth about the mysterious gun manufacturers.

From Quiz Counting Up, Counting Down

Answer: Computer Programmer

He was a computer genius who spent years trying to find a way to go back in time. He ended up combining physics with Virtual Reality and chaos theory. Considering how sophisticated Virtual Reality could be in 2018, this story may be quite plausible in a few years!

From Quiz Harry Turtledove - "Timeline 191" Characters

Answer: Sylvia Enos

Hemingway is referred to as "Ernie" in these novels and his surname never given. But it is safe to assume this man is the same famous writer from our reality. Those who read "The Great War" trilogy for a second time will notice Lucien Galtier help a US ambulance driver called "Ernie" who's just been wounded below the waist. In real life Hemingway was wounded in a similar manner - ending his career as a WW1 ambulance driver. Another parallel to his real life is that he commits suicide, in this series after accidentally shooting poor Sylvia, his partner (in every respect). She'd tried to stop him blowing his own brains out and took the bullet instead. He then shot himself - several decades before doing so in real life.

From Quiz A World of Difference

Answer: Athena

Funnily enough, the ancient names "Athena" and "Minerva" refer to the same god.

From Quiz Guns of the South

Answer: All these things

Lee invites Rhoodie into his tent and offers him some wine. Rhoodie indulges himself but keeps his answers vague and does not offer any further information, much to Lee's dismay. Lee finally decides to ask him point blank how he and his friends can do what they've done to help the southerners so far. Rhoodie smiles and said Lee wouldn't believe him if he told him - thinking he was either mad or lying. Lee said "Madman may babble of wonderful weaponry but they do not, as a rule, PRODUCE them." Rhoodie decides to admit everything. He and his friends come from South Africa - in the year 2014. Readers have guessed as much so far, but assumed present-day not future South Africa. The time periods sound very similar, anyway. Apart from the time-machine America Will Break stole, their technology does not sound notably different from today's. Rhoodie also reveals something that horrifies Lee: the US will win the war in the next year!

From Quiz Counting Up, Counting Down

Answer: Email

As soon as he arrives safely in 1999, Justin gets himself organised. He rents a single apartment, puts half his "travel" money in a bank he knows his 21-year-old self has never used, and gets a second-hand computer with internet. He also procures a stereo, VCR and TV because he intends his younger self to stay at this apartment for a while.

From Quiz Harry Turtledove - "Timeline 191" Characters

Answer: Both

In 1914 poor Scipio was forced to join Cassius' revolution after stumbling across its planning. He could either join or be "silenced". As he predicted, the revolt failed miserably and he had to flee, calling himself "Xerxes" from then on. Cassius himself went hiding in the swamps and was later killed by C.S. militia. I was a bit surprised that years later Scipio named his son after someone he didn't exactly consider a friend. Several decades after his namesake died, the younger Cassius came across Jake Featherstone and shot him straight away. He became an over-night hero in the US and went on to give lecture tours in Philadelphia, New York etc.

From Quiz "How Few Remain"

Answer: New Mexico

Without his brother Wyatt in this scene, the Colonel falls to a CSA/Apache ambush which all but clears out US forces in New Mexico for the time being and is a great morale boosting victory for the CSA.

From Quiz The Great War Trilogy

Answer: Pompey

Pompey is a closet Red who falls under suspicion of first Jake Featherstone and then Major Potter. However, General Stuart protects his son from from the clutches of intelligence which proves to be a fatal mistake.

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