1632 SERIES

The '1632 series', also known as the '1632-verse' or 'Ring of Fire' ''series'', is an alternate history book series, created, primarily co-written-by and coordinated by historian Eric Flint. It is, excepting the lead novel, all collaboratively written as Eric Flint likes collaborative writing, and claims the cross-fertilization of ideas and styles stimulate the creative process and prevent formulaic stale works. This series is the first example of and the inspiration for the Assiti Shards series.
The 1632 series began with Flint's stand alone novel ''1632'' (released as recently as February 2000) and now includes ten books in print (of 300 to 700+ pages), with two more scheduled for release by February 2008. As needed historic research, a common timeline, and character information have been established (from 2000-2004, culminating with the release of ''1633'' and ''Ring of Fire'' sequels, but ongoing), additional titles are being added to the series at a rate of three to five per year, not counting The Grantville Gazettes — of which the twelfth e-book will be out by that same cutoff date.^[1]

Contents

Series overview

Collective collaborative effort

The beginning

Works in the series

Published books

Short fiction in the series

''The Grantville Gazettes''

Cover art gallery

1632-verse Glossary of Terminology

Historical connections

Historical characters

1632 places

A,B to F,G

H,I to L,M

R to Z

Historical events and organizations

Fiction

Fictional characters

Fictional places

Known publishing schedules

References

Series overview

Flint's novel ''1632'' was an experiment wherein he explores the effect of transporting a mass of people through time — in the case of this series, the small fictional town of Grantville, West Virginia from the United States in the year 2000 to central Germany in the year 1631 — caused by an Assiti Shard event, a sort of cosmic accident affecting the time-space continuum, a literary device he invented to explore time travel themes; with fully outlined plans to explore Roman History, England's History, and American Colonial era history in various other novels using the same device. (These projects he has deferred due to the demands for this series.)
1631-32 occurs in the midst of the Thirty Years' War (1618—1648). The plot situation allows pragmatic American union-oriented political thought to grind against the authoritarian religion-driven societies of an unconsolidated Germany barely out of the Middle Ages. Flint explores examples of suffering due to the petty politics of self-aggrandizement and self-interest on the one hand, and the irreconcilable differences of the schism in Christianity called the Protestant Reformation and the Counter-Reformation on the other. Despite the fact that the shift puts Grantville in May 1631 initially, because of the ongoing war and the primitive transportation networks of the day Grantville's arrival has something of a delayed impact, so the bulk of the book's action takes place in 1632, hence the name.
The series was initially continued with two collaborative works that were more or less written concurrently: ''1633'' (with best selling novelist David Weber to add star power and raise internet buzz) and an anthology called ''Ring of Fire'' (with other established science-fiction writers, including long "deep background" stories by both Weber and Flint); the eponymous title referring to the appearance of the cosmic event from both inside and outside of Grantville as it arrived in central Germany. The later book is also used in some contexts for the series name, "Ring of Fire series", as is "Assiti Shards series"
Overall, in a difference with many series, the narratives are not oriented on one group of protagonists with a strong lead character, but instead is carried by what in acting is referred to as an ensemble cast — though it, at least in each book or story, does have several strong characters who carry the action and plot forward — Flint had intended from the outset that the whole town would be the collective protagonist; a reflection of his philosophy that historic forces are not centered in the main on the actions of one or two key individuals, but on the many small independent actions of the many going about their daily lives and coping as best they can.
By late in ''1632'', the United States-led coalition of the Confederated Principalities of Europe had become the arsenal and financier (through Jewish connections of real historical interest) for King Gustavus Adolphus who was concurrently turned upon by the scheming Cardinal Richelieu who'd been financing him to spite and weaken the Hapsburgs. Various books, especially history books had found avid readers amongst Europe's ruling elites, but a strong organized and wealthy Protestant state in Central Europe rooted in the dangerous revolutionary American ideas of egalitarian republican democracy was to Richelieu's judgement, not only ''not in the best interest of France'' but decidedly less desirable than seeing Spain and Austria's goals achieved, so he maneuvered diplomatically to form a four way alliance--The League of Ostend to oppose both the New United States and its military protection, Gustavus' expeditionary army and allied princes of the Germanies.
If that isn't complicated enough, at that publishing juncture, the series begat multiple plot lines or story threads reflecting this independence of action by a multitude of characters as the sequel ''1633'' began, which spread the neo-history out geographically and led to groups of protagonists acting on behalf of their new nation all over Northern Europe. by development of additional strong central characters, the start of which were the novel '', and the first of the anthologies called the ''Grantville Gazettes''. The former begins what is being called the South European thread, and some of the stories in the latter and Ring of Fire began the Eastern European thread (Austria-Hungary northwards to Poland).
Co-author of ''1633'', New York Times best-selling author David Weber is contracted for no less than five books in the series in what is called the ''Central European'' or ''Main thread'' of the series, but there was a lengthy delay before the two busy authors could synchronize schedules to write that next mainline sequel together, '', released in May 2007.
Without dallying for Weber, other sequels such as , , and other Grantville Gazettes continue in one thread or another with in depth looks at societal ramifications from technology, religion, and social unrest as Europe deals with the outlandish ideas of Grantville's influential presence, to machinations of Europe's elites trying to maintain their hold on power, or leverage off of Grantville triggered events or knowledge for reasons of self-interest. Without mentioning developments in the Low Countries or British Isles ''(coverage begun in '1633')'' which have ramifications rippling even across the Atlantic to American shores, suffice it to say the tapestry of tangled events and possibilities for plot development will fill quite a few more novels and anthologies as things stand. There are at least four major works set in the year 1634 and with the first entry in place in early 1635, perhaps not even Flint can guess at the likely size and scope of this series if it keeps the current momentum.

Collective collaborative effort

Fans are encouraged to contribute to the series though an online message board known as Baen's Bar, and the entire ''Grantville Gazette'' and large portions of the ''Ring of Fire'' anthology, both of which are considered canonical, are fan-written (albeit edited by Flint), and have directly contributed material to the main novels. The author also worked with other established authors to develop new stories and plot lines for further novels which are also published in ''Ring of Fire''. A second ''Ring of Fire II'' anthology is scheduled for release by February 2008.
The first published fruits of these "collaborative experiments" are the novel ''1633'' and the anthology written at the same time but published as the third work, ''Ring of Fire'' to which other "professional science fiction writers" were asked to contribute stories which would shape the milieu. This feature is quite novel, normally when a writer opens up a universe to be shared, stories are somewhere off to the side.
Ring of Fire has several levels of meaning: First it is the eponymous reference to what the town-folk themselves (and the few outside German witnesses) have come to call the observed phenomenon of their time-space juxtaposition. Secondly, it is a disparaging reference to the effects on the population of Germany at large, suffering under the war's environment outside American-controlled territory, used by Mike Stearns addressing a town meeting:

The beginning

''1632'' is the lead novel in the 1632 series. It is a science fiction (alternate history) novel originally released in November 2000. Originally a single story, the novel is now the first of an open-ended series with ten books (Three are Grantville Gazettes I, II, and II) published in print and an additional nine related Grantville Gazettes e-books (not in print) which for a time, generally also followed as printed works some months later after starting life as an online serialized magazine. These Grantville Gazettes are a series of short stories have developed that is expected to be a feedstock of new ideas and themes in the series, although most explore the personal experiences of minor characters in the series or examine in depth some aspect (e.g a multi-part serial explores and details Grantville's impact on public health in general, and the establishment of a twin teaching hospitals as a joint project of the University of Jena and Grantville's new hospital.) of the new society being formed under the leadership and influence of Grantville, Mike Stearns, and Emperor Gustavus Adolphus.

Works in the series

'In order of all publication media:' (includes e-book releases)
'In order of print publication:'

Published books

'Main/Central European thread:'

★ Novel: ''1632'' (February 2000)

★ Novel: ''1633'' (August 2002) with David Weber

★ Anthology: ''Ring of Fire'' (January 2004)

★
★ includes the "The Wallenstein Gambit" with Mike Spehar which begins the ''Eastern Europe'' thread, "In the Navy" by David Weber and other stories annedating ''1633'' in the neohistory.

★ Novel: '' (April 2006) with Virginia DeMarce, crafted as a collection of related 'key developmental events'. This is structured more as an anthology and includes substantial material from Paula Goodlett and other authors, but classed as a novel by the publishing trade since the stories all come together as having a related overall story arch (theme). This book deals with the NUS administration of Franconia and foreshadows attitudes of common folk who come to grips with the new concepts introduced by the up-timers.

★
★ Mostly written from non-American perspective, explores in-depth native reactions to the stimulus of what Grantville is doing inside local societies, in particular in Southern Germany.

★ Novel: '' (May 2007) with David Weber, the direct main thread novel sequel to ''1633''; this book ties up matters left hanging in ''1633'' such as the fate of the embassy in London, Eddie Cantrell's experiences as a Prisoner of War, and the siege of Lubeck. Admiral Simpson and the navy he built earns its keep and Mike Stearns as Prime Minister of the United States of Europe continues to run rings around European leaders.
'South European thread:'

★ Novel: '' (April 2004) with Andrew Dennis, begins the ''Italian-French'' or ''Southern Europe thread''.

★ Novel: '' (September 2006) sequel to ''1634: The Galileo Affair''.

★
★ Returns to Italy and France - explores the influence knowledge from the future has on the internal politics of the Roman Catholic church and the Papacy.
'Eastern European thread:' (or possibly "South eastern Europe thread" with separate works dealing with Poland, the Baltic and Russia)

★ Novel: '' (October 2007) with Virginia DeMarce

★
★ Chronological sequel to ''1634: The Baltic War'', but continues the Eastern European thread Seeded in ''Ring of Fire'', stoked in several different Grantville Gazettes, and brought to a boil in ''The Ram Rebellion''.

Short fiction in the series

When the novel ''1632'' was written in 1999, it was conceived as an experiment ''(See: Assiti Shards series)'' in the literary genre alternate history by Flint, without intentions of writing any immediate sequel. He had in fact, several other years of writing projects planned, which subsequent developments were to delay as late as publication in 2006—2007. Flint—as a relatively new writer at the time, following the popular demand for a sequel elected to invite other established authors in the Baen's stable of writers to share the universe in order to rapidly develop its potential—in this he traded on his experience as an editor. This went on concurrently with a great deal of reader input in what became the ''1632 Tech'' sub-forum on Baen's bar. In this initiative, he became the editor (He was already a Baen editor for the Baen Free Library) and together with fan input on Baen's Bar, and collaboration with established best-selling author David Weber on the first long sequel, concurrently put together Ring of Fire to innaugerate the short fiction in the series.
The publication order probably should have been reversed—but the economic push coupling the ''best-selling 'name' author'' Weber into a sales boost was too good to miss for Jim Baen—so the novel came out first. In fact, the two books shaped one another, all filtered through and also shaped by the discussions on Baen's website. ''This dynamic and unusual process continues to this day'', as eventually, Flint also talked Jim Baen into trying an e-magazine of Fan fiction, which experiment made a profit and became the first published Grantville Gazette. Shortly afterwards, it was released as a paperback, and subsequent Gazettes (instead released in print form as Hard Covers first) followed the pattern through the sixth when the serialized magazine release was omitted.
Flint, as editor of all the short fiction, also maintains the series canon which is co-ordinated by the website 1632.org and all copyrights to the alternate history universe per se, and with Flint as the controlling editor, the consequence is semi-pro or professional payment rates aside, Baen doesn't publish anything in the series which is not canonical.
In point of fact, the short fiction in the series frequently provides a more in-depth background and foreshadows larger events that are the meat of the long fiction in the series. The longer works are replete with mentions to events covered in the shorter works, and with characters and the history and events unfolded in such materials. Flint always publishes one of his own stories within the short fiction collections, or in the case of , considerably more, as it introduces several important background factors that are central to further series developments as the altered history is to unfold to the reader.

''The Grantville Gazettes''

The ''Gazettes'' began as an experimental semi-professional online magazine featuring fan fiction and non-fiction edited by Flint and (eventually) a volunteer editorial board. At the time of Jim Baen's death in the summer of 2006 ten Grantville Gazettes were under contract and they had (with some fits and starts) settled into a new version roughly three times a year. The serialized magazine gave way to an E-book release from the sixth volume onward, primarily due to Flint's other commitments, such as editing the new science fiction magazine Jim Baen's Universe. After being released as E-books, Baen has been releasing (all but the first) subsequent issues some months later as hardcover books.

'Book Volume'	'Issue'	'1st Serial e-magazine ''Issue date'''	'e-book version'	'Hardcover date'	'Paperback date'
''The Grantville Gazette''	''Issue 1''	November 2003	April 2004	none	November 2004
'' Grantville Gazette II''	''Issue 2''	January 2004	March 2004	March 2006	November 2007
'' Grantville Gazette III''	''Issue 3''	July 2004	October 2004	January 2007	unsch.
'' Grantville Gazette IV''	''Issue 4''	February 2005	April 2005	Fall 2007	unsch.
'' Grantville Gazette V''	''Issue 5''	April 2005	July 2005	unsch.	unsch.
'' Grantville Gazette VI''	''Issue 6''	December 2005	March 2006	unsch.	unsch.
'' Grantville Gazette VII''	''Issue 7''	April 2006	July 2006	unsch.	unsch.
'' Grantville Gazette VIII''	''Issue 8''	June 2006	September 2006	unsch.	unsch.
'' Grantville Gazette IX''	''Issue 9''	October 2006	October 2006 ★	unsch.	unsch.
'' Grantville Gazette X''	''Issue 10''	Jan 2007	Jan 2007	unsch.	unsch.
' ★ ' Suspected release

Beginning in early 2007, the Gazette's publishers added an online web-based edition published quarterly and moved the paper series to an annual "best of" volumne. Additionally, the publishers moved to paying full professional rates instead of the semi-pro rates that had been paid. After one year, the Gazette expects to be an SFWA qualifying market.
The web based version is available at http://www.grantvillegazette.com

Cover art gallery

1632-verse Glossary of Terminology

:Advisory to Readers: ''1632'' was a standalone, no sequel anticipated, experimental novel. Events since its release have lead to a shared universe experiment in the writing of collaborative fiction which is unprecedented, and perhaps wholly unparalleled and unique. This has led to certain needs and means of discussion, which accounts for the prominence of this section.

★ '1632-verse'/'1632 universe'— a way of referring to and clarify the distinction between entities or new time lines in science-fiction, its sub-genre alternate history, and discussions in science involving such esoteric physics as the Many world's hypothesis and Parallel universes in Quantum Mechanics.

★ 'Badenburg' — A fictional walled town or small city located within five to six miles of the locus of Grantville's new home. Citizens of the town were witnesses to the Ring of Fire, and have places in many of the short stories building the societal canvas of the works. For example, some of its people owned lands supplanted by the territory of Grantville within the Ring of Fire. A series of stories in Grantville Gazette III and explores how the economic and personal effects of such circumstances were worked out and settled between the down-timer and up-timers. Second state in the New US (NUS).

★ 'CPoE or CPE', (October 1632—10 October 1633 NTL) — Confederated Principalities of Europe. Formed at the end of 1632 (novel) in the aftermath of the Battle of Grantville, with Gustavus II Adolphus as ''Captain General'' of the'' 'New United States','' but not its monarch.

★ 'Down-timer'
★ — Any native born in Early Modern Europe.

★ 'Emperor of the United States of Europe' — see USE below.

★ 'Gazettes / Grantville Gazettes'—an experimental Online Magazine lauched by Baen Books with (See: ''main article: The Grantville Gazettes, and 1632 Editorial Board'')

★ 'Grantville, WV' — a town containing a cast of about 3,500 Rednecked hillbillies as the ''collective protagonists'' exploring the 'what if' theme of what sort of changes might come about in the chaotic history of the Thirty Years' War and the resulting social and political development of Europe (and the world) if such a town full of rednecks landed in Europe one fine afternoon. The ''up-timer'' Americans possess advanced technology, are experienced at organizing and recruiting as well as walking around with a chip on their shoulders and are limited to the town's small stocks and industrial resource base but showed up with its libraries, industries, electricity, an educated motivated populous, 'can-do' attitudes, a smattering of modern combat knowledge and modern thought patterns in the heart of disorganized, unlead, war-torn central Early Modern Europe.

★ 'OTL' — 'O'ur 'T'ime 'L'ine, or the history of our world sans a Ring of Fire.

★ 'NTL' — 'N'ew 'T'ime 'L'ine, or the history of our world from May 1631 after the Ring of Fire. NTL and OTL are long standing abbreviations with wide acceptance amongst science fiction circles. New Time Line was coined to handle comparison of events in Parallel World discussions.

★ 'NUS' or New US, (by late Fall 1631—Fall 1632 NTL)— 'The New United States' located in southern and western Thuringia — a loose collection of territories, towns and free cities lead by its first state, the ''up-timers'' (Americans) of Grantville, that Mike Stearns put together in the winter of 1631-32 to oppose the effects of "the wars" raging through Central Europe.

★ 'Ring of Fire' — the label or name given to the three mile in radius spherical space-time bubble caused by the Assiti shard that transposed part of Thurigia with Grantville, WV. While in the main faint and translucent, at ground level, the sphere appeared as an ephemeral (perhaps 15 seconds) wall of shimmering flames from the outside. Within, those near the edge also perceived something of the flames, but the effect was swamped and overwhelmed by the thunder-like sound blast that shook walls and rattled windows and fixtures like a mini-earthquake and the overwhelming blast of bright white light that was believed by many to be sheet-lightning.

★ '''The Prince of all Germans''', or ''The Prince of Germany'', or just ''The Prince'' (perhaps most common)—a popular unofficial title bestowed gratefully and spontaneously by the populous at large in the areas of Germany which have benefited from the advent of the Mike Stearns influence under the NUS, CPoE, and USE governments. The title began to become widespread circa the end of the novel ''1633'' in the unrest that lead to the USE, is mentioned a few times in ''The Ram Rebellion'' and becomes very obvious in the early chapters of ''The Baltic War''.

★ 'Up-timer'
★ — Any 20th century American from Grantville, WV.

★ 'USE', (10 October 1633— present NTL); the successor to the CPoE, a Monarchial Constitutional Republic the United States of Europe formed at the end of the novel ''1633'' during a demonstrative outbreak of nationalism triggered by news of the Battle of Wismar circa October 9 and 10th during protracted radio negotiations between Mike Stearns, who was appointed its first Prime Minister, and Gustavus II Adolphus Vasa, who became the new 'Emperor of the United States of Europe' in the agreement.
'
★ ' The hyphen is considered canonical by the 1632 Tech forum, 1632 Editorial Board, and 1632.org.

Historical connections

Historical characters

Alphabetical list (by surname) of real historical characters that appeared in the 1632-verse. Pictures and Authors annotated comments can be reached by this link.

1632 places

Alphabetical list of fictional and real historical places that appeared in the 1632 verse.

A,B to F,G

H,I to L,M

R to Z

Historical events and organizations

Alphabetical list of real historical events that are mentioned in the 1632 verse.

★ Catholic League was a confederation of Catholic German states formed in order to counteract the Protestant Union. Tension between these two groups would eventually ignite into the first phase of the Thirty Years War.

★ Edict of Restitution from 1629 was Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor’s attempt to restore the religious and territorial settlement after the Peace of Augsburg (1555). The "Ecclesiastical Reservation" forbade the secularization of Catholic land (i.e. being converted to some form of Protestant belief) after 1555. However, during the decades of weak emperors, princes had secularized Catholic land simply because it was so valuable and they had got away with it as no emperor was powerful enough to enforce the "Ecclesiastical Reservation".

★ Protestant Union or Evangelical Union was a coalition of Protestant German states that formed in the 1600s. Tensions between Protestants and Catholics in Germany escalated, leading to the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War.

★ Thirty Years' War was a conflict fought between the years 1618 and 1648, principally in the Central European territory of the Holy Roman Empire, but also involving most of the major continental powers. It occurred for a number of reasons. Although it was from its outset a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics, the self-preservation of the Habsburg dynasty was also a central motive. '''163x': the TYW is changed by the arrival of uptimers, the strengthening of Sweden and France allying with England, Spain, Denmark and Austria against the USE, Sweden and the Low Countries''.

Fiction

Fictional characters

Alphabetical list (by surname) of fictional historical characters that appeared in the 1632 verse.

★ Cardinal Lawrence Mazzare, originally the local Catholic priest of Grantville, later the USE ambassador to the Most Serene Republic of Venice, and then His Eminence the Cardinal-Protector of the United States of Europe.

★ Mike Stearns, president of USE

★ Rebecca Stearns, née Abrabanel, wife of Mike Stearns, daughter of Balthazar Abrabanel. Former National Security Adviser, the sole Senator of the United States, as of ''1633'' currently under siege in Amsterdam.

Fictional places

Alphabetical list of fictional places that appeared in the 1632 verse.

★ 'Grantville',
::The key setting, a small town that traveled in time within a circular region about 6–7 miles in diameter within which are a coal mine, some railways, and a coal fired power plant. Based on the real city of Mannington, West Virginia and its nearby power station. Flint sets the power station and Grantville near a tributary of the Saale river.

★ 'Badenburg',
::A nearby walled town near the East Bank of the Thuringian Saale river. It was defended by Grantville's population during the 'second military encounter', but first major war action. Badenburg is located at the center of a triangle formed by the actual municipalities of Arnstadt, Saalfeld, and Jena, and became the second town to enter the new (fictional) United States of Europe.

Known publishing schedules

Baen Books has finished scheduling for the October 2007 through January 2008 period. Here's what's scheduled in terms of the 1632 series:

★ October 2007: ''1634: The Bavarian Crisis''

★ November 2007: The mass market paperback release of ''GG II''

★ December 2007: The mass market paperback release of 1634: ''The Ram Rebellion''

★ January 2008: ''Ring of Fire II''

References

1. Forthcoming titles reported on ericflint.net.