Eric Flint’s place on the web

March 13, 2006

185 Comments »

1. While I am at the edge of my seat awaiting anything 1632ish, what book is going to address the group in the Tower of London? Will that be Baltic War? Cannon Law? Which?

   Comment by Steve Perrin — March 24, 2006 @ 4:59 pm

2. The tower group solution was GOING to be a seperate book. However, the press of other things has resulted in modified plans. The resolution of the group stranded in the tower of London is now planned as part of Baltic War, which is the next book to be written (if not the next one released.)

   –Loyal Minion

   Comment by webmaster — March 24, 2006 @ 6:13 pm

3. When do you plan to begin COS2,and how soon may we expect snippets?see post at Baens Bar.

   Comment by chris brownell — April 4, 2006 @ 4:52 pm

4. COS2 will be written after Baltic War. Writing for Baltic war is expected to begin in late May/early June.
   – Loyal Minions

   Comment by webmaster — April 4, 2006 @ 4:55 pm

5. Thank you,webmaster.That is precisely what I hoped to see.Does that mean that in late June,a snippet of the Prologue could be available?Chapter 1 in July,2 in August and so on?

   Comment by chris brownell — April 6, 2006 @ 12:49 pm

6. Yahoo! Whupee! Hurray!

   I am a long time fan of anything Schmitz, particularly anything Karres. The original I read when I was a child, and in time I completely forgot the title name and author. Finally about 5 years ago I came across something that prompted a memory of the book and author. I eventually found a paperback of the original, then came across the Baen website. I was overjoyed that several talented authors were going to collaborate on a new book in that universe, and wow! Another one! I am overjoyed. While I can definitely sense a difference in the storytelling of the latest book, Wizard of Karres, the over-all feel of that universe and it’s characters has been kept intact, leaving me eager to find any new material in that universe. On another note, I definitely enjoy those works you do not collaborate on, and I am eagerly awaiting your new releases.

   Comment by Chris Michler — April 7, 2006 @ 12:31 pm

7. Just wanted to post a quick comment on two future books that I am especially looking forward to:

   1) 1634: The Baltic War – I’m sorry to hear it will be another year before we see this, but I suppose their is enough other “1600″ stuff to keep me satisfied until then. I’m really looking forward to reading more about all the folks from Grantville.

   2) The Sorceress of Karres – Yeah!!! I loved the original Witches of Karres, and really enjoyed the Wizard of Karres, so I’m *really* looking forward to the third book. What *will* happen to Captain Pausert and Goth? I can’t wait to find out!

   Keep up the good work, Eric!

   Mike

   Comment by Mike — April 17, 2006 @ 5:09 pm

8. Mr Flint
   I am a die hard fan of the 16** series . When are all the short stoys in the Gazette going to be put out in a hardcover or softcover form. I do not have the abilty to down load the web books and would love to read all of them. Also when is the story arc about Lt Cantrell going to be finshed.
   Thank You
   SSGT
   Mike

   Comment by lonewolf2bt — April 25, 2006 @ 10:26 pm

9. Of course, two of the gazettes are out. Baen will continue to publish them as long as they sell.

   – Loyal Minions

   Comment by webmaster — April 25, 2006 @ 11:02 pm

10. I understand the COS2{Honorverse 18}plot will focus primarily on Torch according to what a Baen’s Bar poster said.What are some details about this?Has a title been chosen yet?Will the first snippet be ready soon-late June perhaps?COS1 remains one of my favorite Honorverse novels and eagerly await replies to these 3 questions.

    best of regards,Onewhowishes to read HONORable science fiction .

    Comment by onewhowishes — April 26, 2006 @ 5:00 pm

11. The ‘category’ being snippeted (Turned In and/or being snippeted) begs definition. Seems to me I could write a thousand words and snippet 900, without producing a cohesive work. So does that mean you’re in final stages of self-proofing and polishing, or what. While you’re at it, the whole cycle including what stages a work goes through at a publisher would be illuminating and appreciated!

    Comment by fabartus — May 11, 2006 @ 2:22 pm

12. I was wondering if a release date for 1634: the Bavarian Crisis has been set ?

    Comment by willomally — May 29, 2006 @ 8:47 am

13. Update on publication date of COS2?

    Comment by onewhowishes — June 4, 2006 @ 2:58 pm

14. PLEASE try to get the time lines of the 1632 universe stories to progress in such a way that I don’t have to read about something which happened in 1634 when I have already read what has happened in 1635. The suspension of disbelief and the production of plot tension are at stake here (in my opinion).

    Comment by Lon — June 6, 2006 @ 11:53 am

15. Good to see that the Tower situation is being resolved in Baltic War. Too bad one of the reveals shows up in the snippets presented for Cannon Law (which I realize takes place a year after Baltic War). As another commenter said, getting books out of sequence does confuse things. Really like the snippets from Cannon Law, but the Stones and Sharon Nichols and the invincible Ruy are some of my favorite characters from the series.

    Comment by Steve Perrin — June 6, 2006 @ 7:29 pm

16. Perhaps Harry Lefferts deserves a book of his Own?

    Comment by Tom Norrell — June 8, 2006 @ 12:48 pm

17. I loved the Witches of Karres and was thrilled after many years to have another excellent book come out in the series, The Wizard of Karres.

    Need I say that my cup runneth over with news of yet a third book in the series!

    Is there a target publication date yet?

    Comment by Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner — June 30, 2006 @ 2:22 am

18. in the raj whitehall series how soon will book #9 be started on or published? Thanks,DWM.

    Comment by david michals — July 28, 2006 @ 1:16 pm

19. I don’t mean to criticise, in fact I am writing because the Belasaurius books are becoming so well loved and respected among SF fans I know. But availability (and perhaps marketing) is bad. Local bookstores and Libraries have one or two books, but don’t realize this is a series, and won’t get others unless specifically ordered. At Amazon, one must do research and be lucky to find all the books.( I am amazed a list of the series is not one of the first things you find looking up one Bel book. Then again , Amazon is the worst layed out things I have ever seen—another story. You do not want to emulate them. I write because this is a great string of books and becoming well loved. Think about it–things are very wrong.

    Comment by Stuart Keith — August 16, 2006 @ 8:41 pm

20. eric I love your 16** series but if you ever want “Harry Lefferts” story I hope you get john ringo to do it(it just everytime I hear about Harry Lefferts I think of Ringo’s “ghost” (with admittedly less bondage and less bond)) but reguardless keep up the good work!

    Comment by c theriault — September 1, 2006 @ 10:10 am

21. I really enjoy the Assiti shard series, but the publishing timeline is atrocious. I
    ‘ve already read the Canon Law where the tower situation has been resolved, but with no explaination. Thanks to Harry. Lets have some more of Harry. Mike Stearns is my favorite character, but seems to be relegated to secondary status. Thanks for listening to my rant. GREAT WORK!!!

    Comment by edward salin — October 3, 2006 @ 10:54 am

22. 22. I really don’t know if this is the place to mention it but, I noticed that Tom Kidd’s site is showing a painting purporting to be the cover art for “1634 Baltic War”. It looks very nice, except there doesn’t seem to be a smokestack on the USE Timberclad in the foreground.

    Comment by gil norton — October 4, 2006 @ 10:56 pm

23. will there be a sequal to “this rough magic”?

    Comment by don — October 18, 2006 @ 10:28 pm

24. Deeply disenchanted with the Brillo swillo in Ram Rebellion – I can’t believe I paid actual money for pages and pages of this -
    utterly inconsistent with the quality of all that had gone before.

    The 1632 universe, even the Gazette content, is an absolute benchmark accomplishment. It is no small thing to create an internally consistent universe and render the intricacies of 163x geopolitics, religious squabbles and the petty details of day-to-day life so utterly compelling.

    OTOH, it is a terrible lapse to clutter such a body of work with Chic Lit tripe… like hiring Danielle Steele or Agatha Christie to complete the works of Harry Harrison or S.M.Stirling (if you sup with the Devil, gag me with a spoon).

    Comment by Marshall Armstrong — November 8, 2006 @ 3:31 pm

25. Why was the escape from the tower used in the most present book 1635 cannon law does that not ruin the story arc started in 1633 when they were locked up and harry was on his way. is ther a short stort i missed about the break out or is that forth coming

    Comment by Ssgt Rodbro — November 14, 2006 @ 1:45 am

26. I can not find any mention of “Much Fall of Blood” and the other contracted books in the series started with “The Shadow of the Lion”. Why? Dave Freer is working on his part of the next book right now.

    Other than that I can just say, keep on writing and I will keep on bying.

    As a non-american I must say that I have not started reading the 18XX series. I suspect that in order to really enjoy it I should start reading up on the historical background and persons. I just can not find the time to do so.
    I have asked friends who have read both books and they confirmed my suspicion.

    Comment by Eva Norman — November 27, 2006 @ 7:30 am

27. When are you going to be updating the forth coming section of your website. A number of the books mentioned in the March 06 update are already out or scheduled to come out soon. I would really appreciate a new update.

    Comment by John R. Johnson — November 28, 2006 @ 11:50 am

28. I have heard someplace of an Assiti Shard novel taking place in era of ancient Rome, featuring both Gen. George Washington and Freddie the Great. If this is so, I’m certainly looking forward to it. Can you address this question?

    Comment by R.A. Curtis — November 28, 2006 @ 8:07 pm

29. HI! – big fan but I am frequently dismayed by how out of date this (and other similar websites get…) – I suggest you condider updating the ‘Forthcomming’ section a bit more frequently…

    Cheers, Charles

    Comment by CHarles C — December 15, 2006 @ 6:03 am

30. ========================================
    ===Quick replies by the Loyal Minions===
    ========================================

    Regarding General Washington in Rome — that novel has been scrubbed, sorry.

    Regarding updates to this page — TADA!!! not much new to report, but I noted that.

    Regarding the 1812 and 1824 novels (both of which are now out) — non-US readers do NOT need to know US history to enjoy these, they’re complete in themselves. Eric did a heck of a job.

    Much Fall of Blood is a victim of writing schedules, Dave Freer is completing a first draft, but the book itself is not yet on the schedule

    Re escape from the tower, I can tell you as of Dec ’07 that Eric is actively writing those scenes even as I write this. Cool stuff. You _will_ like it.

    Respectfully submitted
    – the Loyal Minions.

    Comment by webmaster — December 17, 2006 @ 2:12 pm

31. I have found these alternative history series very compelling. Are there any plans for a sequal to The Arkansas War?

    Comment by Lorien — December 29, 2006 @ 6:50 am

32. A previous comment made me realize that the character Harry could be the charcter Mike Harmon from Ringo’s Ghost series, which incidently happens to be my favorite single character story line right now. Lets see Flint……… or Ringo………….., nah I’ll take both. Congradulations Eric of a truly spectaculr series. Please put your mind on drugs so your writings can quicken up.

    Comment by edward salin — January 2, 2007 @ 2:12 pm

33.         Lorien wrote:
            “I have found these alternative history series very compelling. Are there any plans for a sequal to The Arkansas War?”

            Eric has said that his agent and Del Rey are dickering over the advance.  So the next two books, which will cover the middle and end of the war with Arkansas, seem likely to be written.

            If sales justify, there will be other books, dealing with the Texas situation, and the equivalent of the Nullification Crisis of 1830, and then eventually the counterpart to the Civil War.

            So go buy more copies of 1824: The Arkansas War!

    Comment by Stephen M. St. Onge — January 3, 2007 @ 3:12 am

34. I am interested in subscribing to Baen’s Universe. If I do, will I have access to back issues?

    Comment by Steven Wilber — January 4, 2007 @ 5:21 pm

35. Eric or Loyal Minions:

    I noticed on the 1632 website that “Ring of Fire II” is scheduled for release in January 2008. How does “Ring of Fire” differ from “Grantville Gazette?” I am soon going to be reviewing “Grantville Gazette III” for a Texas newspaper, and would like to know before I write the review.

    Thanks.

    Comment by Mark L — January 15, 2007 @ 5:11 pm

36. Your book The Arkansas War is your best ever. I had an idea that could possibly be used in a future book. What if a noted naturalist comes to the Great Plains adjoining Oklahoma and expounds the theory that the American Bison can be tamed. This theory could be picked up by a Christian group on the basis that man should tame the savage beasts of the Great Plains along with the Indian tribes, but in fact making the Plains Tribes the richest faction inh the new west as they adapt their hunting skills to herding.

    Comment by Ora Stallard — January 17, 2007 @ 2:49 pm

37. I’m a die hard 16** series fan. Love all your books! Several comments:
    1. Please publish books in sequence. Jumping back and forth in time is confusing and also ruining the suspense.
    2. I’m a big fan of Mike and Rebecca Stearns and Don Francisco. Is there going to be a book about them again as a main characters? Something more historico-political.
    3. What about the Roth’s that moved to Prague. They were supposed to prevent Chmelnitski pogroms in Ukraine. And their interaction with Wallenstein should be really fascinating. Would love to read some more about them.
    Keep up a great work!

    Comment by Ellie — January 22, 2007 @ 12:54 am

38. Ok now I have not been hanging out in the bar, but what is the status on a third Rivers of War? Come on way too many unanswered questions left in 1824.

    Comment by Michael W — January 29, 2007 @ 5:33 pm

39. Reply to Ellie’s second and third comments
    >Ellie wrote:
    >2. I’m a big fan of Mike and Rebecca Stearns and Don Francisco. Is there going to be a book about them again as >a main characters? Something more historico-political.
    >3. What about the Roth’s that moved to Prague. They were supposed to prevent Chmelnitski pogroms in Ukraine. And >their interaction with Wallenstein should be really fascinating. Would love to read some more about them.

    While I’m not Eric or a Loyal Minion, I’ll attempt to answer those questions from information off Baen’s Bar and other places.
    2. The next book in the main thread which I believe is the “Historical-political” and features those three is 1634: The Baltic War due out in May of this year. Also as of today The Baltic War is available as an E-ARC from http://www.baen.com. Eric stated, a while ago so this is subject to change, that the political sequel to The Baltic War is 1634: The Bavarian Crisis, although I do not know if it features the three characters you listed.

    3. Long ago Eric stated that the Eastern European of which Wallenstein and the Roths are a part would be continued in a novel tentatively titled 1635: The Eastern Front. However this was a while ago and like Escape from the Tower may have change.

    David the Lettered Wolf

    Comment by David the Lettered Wolf — February 11, 2007 @ 2:53 pm

40. Do you plan to write a sequel to The Course of Empire? I’ve enjoyed all the recent works I’ve read, but that one in particular struck a chord with me.

    Comment by Jeremy — March 20, 2007 @ 4:25 pm

41. Update on publication of COS2?in what is now the latest update of the Forthecoming section of this site,there is no mention of it whatsoever.Likewise there is no trace of it ,or SOS2 on the current Baen Publishing schedule.

    Comment by onewhowishes — March 25, 2007 @ 3:03 pm

42. Y’all have dealt with baseball and soccer but considering Tom’s background-what happenned to FOOTBALL?

    Comment by Tim K — April 2, 2007 @ 1:05 pm

43. In answer to a number of comments, the “out of sequence” nature of the series is mostly due to one simple problem: Because of scheduling difficulties, Dave Weber and I wound up writing 1634: THE BALTIC WAR much later than we’d originally intended. In three weeks, however, that problem will be a matter oF history, since BALTIC WAR is coming out at the beginning of May.

    The reason I published THE CANNON LAW out of sequence — and it’s really the only book that was published out of sequence in the series — is simply because Andrew Dennis had finished the first draft. For me to sit on it for two years would have deprived him of income. (And me too, for that matter.) Authors don’t collect royalties until a book is published. So I did the rewrite and we published it. I’d apologize except — being blunt — nobody has offered to set up an Author’s Fund to pay writers while a book is held out of circulation to fit an abstract schedule.

    That said, I don’t foresee the same problem happening again. Dave Weber and I have agreed that our further collaborations in the series — we have contracts for three more books — will involve a “side story” rather than being central to the mainline of the series. I’ll be writing those mainline novels on my own, which allows me to control the publication schedule.

    However, you do need to keep in mind that it’s in the nature of this series that the books do not follow a clear and distinct chronology, with Book 3 being followed by Book 4 and then Book 5, etc. That’s only true for 1632 and 1633 — and, even then, many of the stories in RING OF FIRE overlap both novels.

    Following 1633, the story branches out in different areas and chronologically overlaps. For instance:

    1634: THE BALTIC WAR, which is the direct sequel to 1633, begins in December of 1633 and ends in June of 1634.

    1634: THE GALILEO AFFAIR begins in the spring of 1633 and ends in July of 1634. It overlaps BALTIC WAR completely, and begins well before BALTIC WAR. (And ends slightly later.)

    1634: THE BAVARIAN CRISIS — which is coming out in October 2007 — begins in January of 1634 and ends in October of 1634. Most of it overlaps BALTIC WAR, although it begins a bit later and ends several months later.

    1634: THE RAM REBELLION begins in June of 1631 and ends in October of 1634. In other words, it chronologically overlaps _every_ novel so far published in the series, including 1634: THE BAVARIAN CRISIS, with the exception of 1635: THE CANNON LAW.

    It’s not until you get to 1635: THE CANNON LAW that’s there no overlap at all. That novel begins in January of 1635 and ends June of 1635. I should say, there’s no overlap _so far_, because I don’t actually know yet (and won’t until I start writing them) exactly when I’ll begin the story in the next three novels.

    That’s just the novels. If you then factor into the equation the various stories that have been published in the anthology RING OF FIRE and the various issues of the GRANTVILLE GAZETTE — not to mention RING OF FIRE II, which will be coming out in January 2008 — the chronological overlap gets still more complex.

    That’s just the nature of the series. As I said, the only real problem was the very delayed publication of BALTIC WAR. Now that that problem is behind us (or will be in three weeks) there shouldn’t be any further problems of that nature. But the stories will always keep overlapping with each other.

    Eric

    Comment by Eric — April 9, 2007 @ 6:00 pm

44. In reply to comment 40, Kathy Wentworth and I are working on a sequel to COURSE OF EMPIRE. The working title of it is NGC 7293 — that’s the official astronomical designation of the planetary nebula where much of the action takes place — and Kathy is writing the first draft right now.

    Eric

    Comment by Eric — April 9, 2007 @ 6:02 pm

45. In answer to comment 41, Dave Weber and I will be writing the sequel to CROWN OF SLAVES this summer.

    Eric

    Comment by Eric — April 9, 2007 @ 6:03 pm

46. Eric:

    You state you and Dave Weber will be doing “side stories.” Given the nature of the beast that is 16xx, What is the main channel (after The Baltic War) and what are the side channels? If the main channel is the House of Vasa, I suspect that channel becomes smooth and dull, with little turbulance as it flows to the sea. If the main channel is Vasa vs. Richeleau, isn’t that muddied beyond coherance, what with the civil war brewing in France? (You succeed in making me feel sorry for Richeleau at the end of TBW, which I never would have believed possible.)

    Anyhow, I’d appreciate your thoughts. (You have no obligation to provide them. I understand. But I am curious.)

    Comment by Mark L — April 11, 2007 @ 10:43 am

47. In reply to comment 46, I principally define “mainline” in terms of the characters, which means particularly Mike Stearns and Rebecca Abrabanel. That said, those two characters (especially Mike) tend to be at the center of the storm in the series in terms of major political and military developments.

    So far, Jeff Higgins and Gretchen Richter have also been centrally involved in mainline novels, but that may change in the future. What won’t change, given what is now his objective political importance in the series, is that any novel that has Mike Stearns as a major character — which means _doing_ something himself, not simply appearing occasionally as the President or Prime Minister (as he did in GALILEO, CANNON LAW and RAM REBELLION) — is more or less by definition a “mainline” novel.

    Likewise, the central characters in the Italy sequence are Sharon Nichols, Ruy Sanchez, Frank Stone and Giovanna Marcoli. As time goes on, that will become the Italy/France/Spain sequence, by the way. Harry Lefferts and his crew will be shifting into that sequence, at least for one novel, but Harry will generally be part of the mainline stories.

    With the completion of BALTIC WAR, Andrew Dennis and I will be starting a new sequence (or “thread,” if you prefer) that centers on the British Isles and has as its main characters Julie and Alex Mackay. (With a number of other important ones, such as Darryl McCarthy, Victoria Short, Oliver Cromwell and Gayle Mason.)

    There’s an additional thread/sequence to the series that I’m doing with several other writers, mainly Virginia DeMarce, that runs parallel to the mainline sequence but involves actions that are closer to the ground, so to speak, and feature a much more varied cast — although I may eventually use Jeff and Gretchen as the anchors for it. The first book in this sequence was RAM REBELLION.

    In the nature of things, though, this “parellel mainline” sequence has pretty fuzzy boundaries. The next book in it, 1634: THE BAVARIAN CRISIS, is in many ways part of the mainline developments, certainly in terms of its political importance.

    What Dave Weber and I will do is develop a specifically naval side to the series, which will focus on Admiral Simpson and Eddie Cantrell.

    Finally, although it’s so far been expressed only in one short novel (“The Wallenstein Gambit” in RING OF FIRE), I’ll be developing a Bohemian sequence to the series. I use the term “Bohemian” loosely, since Austria and Poland will also figure prominently in it as time goes by. The next story in the sequence will be the story I write for the next RING OF FIRE anthology, coming out in January of 2008. I also have one full novel under contract in that sequence, which I’ll be writing with Mike Spehar, 1635: SOLDIER OF BOHEMIA.

    Eric

    Comment by Eric Flint — April 14, 2007 @ 8:18 am

48. I have a couple of questions: What happened to the Heirs of Alexandria serie? Was it cancelled? Or just pushed into the future?

    Comment by mikaela — April 22, 2007 @ 3:58 pm

49. Re:North America in the 1632+ Universe, I note in 1634 BW a proposal put to Adm. Simpson concerning invading Florida, but French Forces have been sent to subdue the English, Dutch, etc. colonies further up the east coast of NA. What will the “good guys” do to get control of NA once the European situation is more stabilized? I presume the Spanish control Mexico and most of South America.

    Comment by jim summerlin — April 26, 2007 @ 12:01 pm

50. I bought The Baltic War,henceforth tbw, on saturday april 25 early morning and didn’t put it down until sometime in the evening after reading the last page. Let me say to both Eric and David thank you for a great day. I had previously been reading and enjoying the snippets including the comments, yes even the less than stellar opionion. I don’t know what those critics were expecting but I found tbw entertaining and exctiting and has me looking forward anxiously for the next installment in the series. Again thank you gentleman for a terrific addition to the story.

    Comment by edward salin — April 27, 2007 @ 11:47 am

51. Are you planning another Joe’s World book? Need some more strangling…

    Comment by Mercedes — April 27, 2007 @ 11:46 pm

52. Correction. Scanned 1634 TBW, have not had time to read fully, got mistaken impression of Florida reference. Still interested in fate of North America in 1632+ Universe. Is there anything that can be revealed at this point?

    Comment by jim summerlin — April 28, 2007 @ 9:24 am

53. This is posted on K. D. Wentworths homepage. Can you make any comments on what the book is about or when it will be available?

    The Torus War, with Eric Flint, A New Novel From Baen

    John R. Johnson

    Comment by John R. Johnson — May 4, 2007 @ 10:56 pm

54. Hi I just finished reading Baltic War. Good stuff. Question: Is 1634: The Bavarian Crisis ever going to come to fruition? The snippets would have one believe that it merely needs a quick edit and release.

    I hope you’re having as much fun writing this as I am reading it.

    Comment by Clint Bright — May 17, 2007 @ 6:53 pm

55. I also would like to know the answer to Mark L’s question: What is the difference between the “Ring of Fire” anthologies and the “Grantville Gazette” anthologies?

    Speaking of GG, the running gag of Anne Jefferson getting her portrait painted is going to get very threadbare, long before GG10. How about Jeff and Gretchen on a cover? Or Gretchen alone, surrounded by her birthed and adopted children? I imagine Gretchen looking like a cross between Patty Hearst in the SLA, and a Victoria’s Secret lingerie model.

    I have no idea what you’ve got planned as a sequel to 1635: Cannon Law. What I’d liketo see is the Pope smack Spain with the Heavenly Mother of all interdicts. (Which would make King Philip “His Least Catholic Majesty.”) And before Spain gets the interdict lifted, they must stop the Spanish Inquisition. Also, I think you’re setting up Mazzare to eventually become pope himself — and wouldn’t that drive Richelieu bonkers!

    North America — I figure that the Grantvillers will decide that trying to make the Thirteen Colonies as English again is beyond their military abilities. Also, I think that Richelieu, once he secures would-have-become West Virginia, will build a permanent French fort at would-have-become Grantville. (So that the fort will still be there in the year 2000.)

    Because of events already transpired, genealogies are going to change among people speaking English, French, German, and Scandinavian, in the decades and centuries after 1631. Beginning in the late seventeenth century, it will be noticed that someone famous enough to get into the up-time encyclopedias doesn’t exist, because his parents married other people. By the end of the 16xx eighteenth century, this trend will be clear. The effect will strengthen with time; almost nobody mentioned in the encyclopedias as being born in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, will in fact be born. One implication of this is that all the nineteenth- and twentieth-century art and literature in Grantville (whether it’s an Elvis Presley CD or Debby Does Dallas or Hucklebery Finn) will be unique and irreplaceable. Because not only “there will never be another Elvis Presley,” but the original Elvis Aaron Presley will never be born. Likewise, the 16xx world will never have Victor Hugo, Karl Marx, Groucho Marx, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, Adolph Hitler, Steven Spielberg, Stephen King, or ABBA.

    Comment by Thomas Richardson — May 20, 2007 @ 11:22 pm

56. The difference between Ring of Fire and Grantville Gazette is that RoF is made up of mostly professionals’ works that had been contracted for, whereas the GG series is primarily made up of works by (previously) amateurs, done ‘on spec’.

    - Another Loyal Minion

    Comment by Alex — May 21, 2007 @ 2:25 am

57. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed the 1632 Series, but I would like to speak up for the unfairly (IMHO) neglected Princess of Wands.
    Great series potential here.
    Please, more sir?

    Comment by Man in Black — May 24, 2007 @ 8:01 pm

58. Princess of Wands is one of John Ringo’s books. But I know what you mean. Eric’s other series are rising up on the todo stack, though.

    - Another Loyal Minion

    (PS – John said he keeps trying to return to the Special Circumstances series, but it keeps ending up reading like a Ghost story..)

    Comment by Alex — May 25, 2007 @ 1:30 am

59. A little 200x history: I bought 1633 because of David Weber’s name on the cover, then bought 1632 to read first. Eric became my #1 favorite living SF/AH author. I just reread 1632 for the 4th time.

    The weakest part of all the 163x books published so far, in my opinion, is the Brillo material in 4TRR. But the novel itself is great.

    My only regret about 163x is that being 71.6 years old now, I am unlikely to live to buy and read all of it. But I expect to be around for those currently scheduled for publication.

    Reading 5CL before 4TBW did not in any way impair my enjoyment of 4TBW. I never had any doubt that Melissa and the others would escape.

    In 4TBW we didn’t learn whether Wentworth and Laud chose to stay in Amsterdam or go on to Grantville. Also, will Cromwell eventually get to Grantville and become a general in the USE army? Perhaps we will find out in 1635: The Kalmar Union?

    Comment by Bret Hooper — May 28, 2007 @ 9:01 pm

60. Considering that the ‘Forthcomming’ essay is now 15 months old what are the chances of getting it updated???

    Thanks, CEC

    Comment by Charles — June 1, 2007 @ 6:32 am

61. Just finished 1634 The Baltic War and apart from the first book in the series i think it was the best so far. But can someone please tell me what the next book in the series is going to be when it is going to be published.

    Comment by Adrian Gregory — June 12, 2007 @ 7:50 am

62. I want to know when a new pyramid series book is gunna come out better not be to long cause the gang is still stuck in the norse mythverse.

    Comment by AARON — June 23, 2007 @ 11:44 pm

63. When is the 3rd Joe’s World comming out?

    Comment by Clayton — June 28, 2007 @ 3:54 pm

64. RING OF FIRE II:

    Anyone have any idea where this fits in the 163X series? Is it a continuation of he series (i.e., after 1634: the Baltic War)? I’d love any insights.

    Muchas Gracias,

    EGC

    Comment by Gonzolo de Cordoba — July 20, 2007 @ 5:46 pm

65. Any news on when The Wizard of Karres is coming out?

    Comment by TGIF — July 26, 2007 @ 5:17 am

66. Answering from a reader’s perspective, and subject to correction by the author…

    Number 53. Eric’s sort of answered that question. Look at comment 44, by inference you’re both referring to the same book.

    Number 61. Next book after Baltic War is Bavarian Crisis. You can get an e-arc now if you want, or wait until October for the hardback. Then in January Ring of Fire II is coming out

    Number 64. The part Eric is writing is part of the sequence started in The Wallenstein Gambit, at least from earlier comments, but basically it’s the ‘little stories’, as in the original Ring of Fire anthology, but presumably taking place later 1633-1635 at a guess.

    Comment by Jess — September 7, 2007 @ 10:07 am

67.         September 9th General Schedule Update answering questions in these comments (frequently consolidated from other answers already posted herein):

            1634: THE BALTIC WAR, by David Weber and Eric, is out now in hc, and includes the escape from the Tower of London, organized by Harry Lefferts and carried out by Harry and his commandos, with a little assist from *ACH* damned snerk collar.  Included is a CD-ROM with the entire rest of the 1632 series to date, plus a lot more good stuff.

            1634: THE BAVARIAN CRISIS (former working title 1634: THE AUSTRIAN PRINCESS), by Eric and Virginia DeMarce, is scheduled for October 2007, which means it should hit US bookstores by the end of this month.  Having read the E-ARC and the first draft, I’ll say: Recommended.

            Eric is currently serializing a 163x story in JIM BAEN’S UNIVERSE, entitled THE ANACONDA PROJECT.

            RING OF FIRE II is on the schedule for January 2008.  It’s a general anthology of 1632 stories, like the original RING OF FIRE.

    Eric’s current plans for 163x:

            “With the completion of BALTIC WAR, Andrew Dennis and I will be starting a new sequence (or “thread,” if you prefer) that centers on the British Isles and has as its main characters Julie and Alex Mackay.    (With a number of other important ones, such as Darryl McCarthy, Victoria Short, Oliver Cromwell and Gayle Mason.)

            “There’s an additional thread/sequence to the series that I’m doing with several other writers, mainly Virginia DeMarce, that runs parallel to the mainline sequence but involves actions that are closer to the ground, so to speak, and feature a much more varied cast — although I may eventually use Jeff and Gretchen as the anchors for it.  The first book in this sequence was RAM REBELLION.

            “In the nature of things, though, this ‘parellel mainline’ sequence has pretty fuzzy boundaries.  The next book in it, 1634: THE BAVARIAN CRISIS, is in many ways part of the mainline developments, certainly in terms of its political importance.

            “What Dave Weber and I will do is develop a specifically naval side to the series, which will focus on Admiral Simpson and Eddie Cantrell.

            “Finally, although it’s so far been expressed only in one short novel (‘The Wallenstein Gambit’ in RING OF FIRE), I’ll be developing a Bohemian sequence to the series.  I use the term ‘Bohemian’ loosely, since Austria and Poland will also figure prominently in it as time goes by.  The next story in the sequence will be the story I write for the next RING OF FIRE anthology, coming out in January of 2008.  I also have one full novel under contract in that sequence, which I’ll be writing with Mike Spehar, 1635: SOLDIER OF BOHEMIA.”

            Also under contract is 1635: SYMPHONY FOR THE DEVIL with David Carrico.

            Grantville Gazette XIII is up.

            The next in the “Heirs of Alexandria” series is being first drafted by Dave Freer, who expects to finish it by the end of September, 2007.  I believe the title will be MUCH FALL OF BLOOD.

            March 2008 will see the publication of THE DRAGON DONE IT, an anthology edited by Eric with Mike Resnick.

            May 2008 will see the publication of TIMESPIKE by Eric and Marilyn Kosmatka, a different branch of the “Assiti Shards” universe.

              Del Rey having failed to use the pot in time, they were kicked off it.  Eric has signed with Baen to continue the “Rivers of War” series.  Two novels have been contracted for so far.

            A sequel to THE COURSE OF EMPIRE has been contracted for, and Ms. Wentworth was first-drafting as of April 2007.  Working title NGC 7293 “that’s the official astronomical designation of the planetary nebula where much of the action takes place” (Eric).  IMAO, the team of Flint & Wentworth is better than either alone, which is saying quite a lot.

            COS II should get written in the fall or winter of 2007.  Btw, at last report, Big Dave was at work on SoSII, or about to start it, as soon as he finished a final polish on the second and third books in the OFF ARMAGGEDON REEF series (the titles will be BY SCHISM RENT ASUNDER and BY HERESIES BESET respectively).

            More is forthcoming in the JOE’S WORLD series, but nothing is currently on the Baen schedule.  Novels to come include A DESPERATE AND DESPICABLE DWARF and SWORD ON CANVAS.

    Comment by Stephen M. St. Onge — September 9, 2007 @ 3:28 pm

68. SSGT Mike wrote in comment 8:
            “I am a die hard fan of the 16** series .  When are all the short stoys in the Gazette going to be put out in a hardcover or softcover form?   I do not have the abilty to down load the web books and would love to read all of them.”

            Probably never, imao.  The Gazette keeps churning them out electronically faster than Baen could hope to sell them in paper.

            Still, if you subscribe to the Gazette, I’m sure someone out there could be persuaded to download the stories, print them out, and mail them to you.

    Comment by Stephen M. St. Onge — September 9, 2007 @ 3:31 pm

69.         Impetinent suggestion for Eric and Dave: to make the punishment fit the crime, I’d suggest that captured crew members of slave ships be tattooed appropriately, transported to the Muslim world, and sold into slavery there, with much publicity about their fate in their appropriate homeland.

    Comment by Stephen M. St. Onge — September 9, 2007 @ 3:31 pm

70. I really like the 1632 series, but I also enjoyed David Weber’s Off Armaggedon Reef series. I notice that you indicate there are two more books in that series. Do you have any timetable for their release? Thank you.

    Comment by Darhyl — September 13, 2007 @ 3:18 pm

71. I see (67 above) that there is a contract for 2 more books in the “Rivers” series.

    Is there a schedule? If so ??

    Comment by Ed Purvis — September 18, 2007 @ 11:50 am

72. In answer to comment 71, Eric said on a post he put up Sunday (9-16-2007) that the earliest he would start writing a sequel for Rivers of War, unless something changes, is summer/fall 2009, and the earliest it could be published is mid-2010.

    David the Lettered Wolf

    Comment by David the Lettered Wolf — September 18, 2007 @ 5:36 pm

73. If I want to reread the books and stories in a chronological order rather than in the order the books were published, what is the order that you would suggest?

    Comment by Diane — October 1, 2007 @ 9:25 am

74. Just curious…. in the Bohemian sequence to the series, seeing as how the use of the term ‘Bohemian’ seems to be pretty loose (i.e., Austria and Poland will also figure prominently in it) will there be anything in it involving Berni Zeppi in Russia? I’ve been enjoying the “Butterflies in the Kremlin” stories quite a bit and considering Russia’s history with Poland and the area of Eastern Europe encompassed in “The Anaconda Project”…. anyway I was just wondering – seems to be too good a character and situation to just be sitting on the sidelines particularly since Francisco Nasi seems to be well versed in the situation there.

    Comment by Bruce Stewart — October 1, 2007 @ 3:50 pm

75. Eric Flint is my new favorite author and is on lever with Starwars. So please let me know when next 16xx book will be out after bavarian sequence. So I start whining a about it and checking your site every 5 mins for news.

    Comment by kenny walker — October 6, 2007 @ 3:53 pm

76. Hi All, Hi Eric,
    OK, a few very disparate points.

    IMVHO, I think the time line in Europe is getting CROWDED. I really felt this after reading the Bavarian Crisis. Loved it, but…crampt. I can’t think of anything else. I raised with Eric off list the possibility of Simpson or Good Ol’ Adolph of raising a Swedish fleet, of some sort, and sail off to establish something of colony. The uptimers know where the good places would be, in fact, they know where the gold is. In fact, everyone now, probably knows where the gold is (Black Hills, and Feather River). But the real gold is the continent itself. Maybe reverse some of the genocide against the native Americas…but in this time line, not bumping up against the Rivers of War series. BTW….they also know here the diamonds and gold is in S. Africa. Just a wild thought. SOMETHING outside of Europe. I’d even behappy with something about the de facto allies of the Ottomans!

    Rivers of War: so far both books are have used a ‘generational’ approach, about 20 years I think. The same thing going to happen again? Any date scenerio you can let us have?

    David Walters

    Comment by David Walters — October 12, 2007 @ 3:00 am

77. At one point you were providing afterwords describing works in progress; I found them convenient. Please consider once again describing furthcoming works as part of your dead-tree books.

    Comment by Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz — October 21, 2007 @ 1:48 pm

78. Greetings Eric, et al, re: Comment 76, some news about the Americas thrown into some of the 16xx books would be welcome. The last I read, French forces were en route to taking over all other colonies in North America. With our guys’ fortunes on the rise, and French fortunes on the wane, maybe some attention could be paid to expansion across the Atlantic, if only for the gold and other wealth. Maybe some European continentals could go over to grow cotton and tobacco, since the slave trade is to be discouraged, and bring in the natives as neighbors and partners rather than killing and exiling them. Anyway, please work in some comments about the Americas somewhere. Thanks. JLS.

    Comment by jim summerlin — October 24, 2007 @ 12:55 pm

79. re: answer 68. to comment 8:
    >
    >SSGT Mike wrote in comment 8:
    > “I am a die hard fan of the 16** series . When are all the short stoys in the Gazette going to be put out in a hardcover or softcover form? I do not have the abilty to down load the web books and would love to read all of hem.”
    >
    > Probably never, imao. The Gazette keeps churning them out electronically faster than Baen could hope to sell them in paper.
    >
    > Still, if you subscribe to the Gazette, I’m sure someone out there could be persuaded to download the stories, print them out, and mail them to you.
    >
    > Comment by Stephen M. St. Onge — September 9, 2007 @ 3:31 pm

    Actually, would like to weigh in on this with hearty “Do it yesterday” suggestion called “Intermittent scheduled subscriber servicing”:

    Point, many older readers, myself as a case, have limited tolerance for paging a screen of data–especially after a day spent in front of a monitor for actual work–even though I bought a laptop for that kind of task last Xmas, screens get hard on the eyes. One reason I hardly ever browse the bar, or for the moment, JBU (I’ll get there someday Eric!).

    Perhaps, JBU and the gazettes could be offered in manuscript form via Eric Flint Enterprises and an arrangement with (obviously Baen’s and…) the local Kinko’s or UPS store or college publishing house or whatnot. Hell, since artwork is a “thrust” on the new e-zine GG’s one bonus “motivator” would be a decent color rendition of those! (Jes a li’l cha-ching motivator! Me, I wouldn’t care, just so I have text comfortable with its imagery!) Even as a GG subscriber, I would love a (stapled, at least–perhaps those plastic spiral thingy’s used by college publishing shops) unbound easy to position hard document. (I tend to like to recline when reading like Eric’s pic!) At least with a two sided –big commercial staple in one corner copy, would do me “fine”– a simple manuscript version would be relatively cheap I would think. Just charge cost plus a buck or two to split up in royalties, and S/H by distance!

    Also, we who now qualify for AARP tend to be the demographic reading public, more than the next generations, and having gone through the trials of stiffening eye tissues, an easy reading font would be very nice addition to Eric’s concern for those who have disabilities–so aim for 10, 12, and 14pt options, priced accordingly to pages lengths/print costs. Aging too, is a factor, and not being totally disabled in something hardly means the help wouldn’t be gratefully received, or that we aren’t willing to pay for it in this sort-of “niche market”! [Climb the tiger and ride it! ] (Hence the manuscript bound versions could be offered in two or three fonts–I know the RTF downloads will scale before printing!)

    Consider tying the “concept” in with the e-subscriptions too as a package–I admit to inconsistency–the e-copy does travel without adding luggage. If (and I’m figuring once a quarter, or bi-monthly) such a print-run and mailing is batch managed (meaning tallied up and ordered from kinkos), it shouldn’t interfere much with anyone’s schedule. Perhaps a half-day task for Mrs. Eric?

    (Aside to RB –Consider a preview screen option for these dialog pages! Some font effects buttons and an “mdash” would be nice too! [in your copious spare time– next week will be fine! )

    Best!

    FrankB

    Comment by Frank Bartus — October 30, 2007 @ 10:29 am

80. I’ve really enjoyed the 1632niverse stories so far, but the Assiti Shards story I was looking forward to most was the Washington and Friedrich in Rome novel. I’m sorry to see the idea’s been dropped, and hope that at some point it’s revived.

    Comment by Greg Eatroff — November 11, 2007 @ 10:33 am

81. Dear Mr Flint,
    Thank you for many, many wonderful hours spent in all your alternate universes.. and the one I enjoy best is that of the Heirs of Alexandria. In the immortal words of Oliver Twist – PLEASE SIR, CAN I HAVE SOME MORE?
    Keep writing..
    Lavanya

    Comment by Lavanya Vijayaraghavan — November 20, 2007 @ 7:21 pm

82. I Lov the 16** universe, but it will have to end sometime. It will get to hard to do every year, (1632, 1633, 1634, 1635,…). Is it eventually going to go the way of 1812: RoW where it skips some years,( ex. 1640:? skip to 1650:?) but it doesn’t leave story out? I myself think 1640 might be pushing at least a bit due to the strained timelines.

    Comment by Nick — January 23, 2008 @ 7:42 pm

83. Had an amazing idea for the 1632 universe
    had a period of time set off for different areas of the world for ex. 1632-1642 Europe ext. then 1640-1650 the stories could focus in on Asia or North America

    Comment by Nick — January 24, 2008 @ 5:39 pm

84. Regarding Swedish–and Amideutsch–colonies….
    The places that we are most emotionally attached to…the Continental United States.. may not be the places that the USE may find what it most needs. Richelieu has read the Encyclopedia Brittanica too, and he is moving in force to occupy Middle North America. New Orleans will be an obvious quick establishment, especially given the oil that France now realizes it needs, and Virginia has been ceded to France. France is not making the mistake of restricting immigration to the New World that it did in our timeline, and even with a crash program of naval development, France (with more resources) is hot on the USE’s heels, if not ahead in some areas. If the USE (or more likely Sweden) is to colonize North America, Hudson’s Bay and the Nelson River would give them access to a huge portion of the American continent with little chance of interference. And the mineral deposits of the Canadian Shield are huge.
    SOUTH America, on the other hand, has a resource the USE needs desperately–rubber from Amazonia. And it could be for the taking simply by capturing Belem from the Spanish-Portugeuse. Peru is relatively ligthtly held by the Spanish, and might be attacked from the unexpected direction of the Amazon, once steamships start going upstream. And Argentina and Paraguay are also lightly held. Buenos Aires is a hamlet.
    South Africa hasn’t been settled by the Dutch yet. And diamonds (valuable for trade with India, as well as industrially, can be found in the sands around the Orange River without even going to Kimberly immediately. Another immediate possibility for a colony.
    Australia is a possibility if the USE can get there first. Remember, the Spanish have also been reading Encyclopedia Britannica and may twig to the fact that Ballarat is very close to Prince Phillip Bay and has huge gold deposits.
    Finally, it would not be difficult with a few steamships, to take Siberia. The Russians only have a few outposs, such as Tobolsk, Turukhansk, Berezovo and Yenseisk that could easily be taken. Easily accessed from the Arctic Ocean by Sweden. And Siberia offers the chance of access to China and India from the Yensei and Ihrtish Rivers.
    But therin lies an interesting danger. Of all the nations at that time, China has the greatest potential for taking technology and running with it and dominating the world. The Swedes/USE would quickly encounter the Manchus, who now have a kingdom centered at Mukden and in our timeline, conquered China in 1644, not very far off. They will have to be careful.
    China is important, though. Besides it’s silks (valuable for insulating wires, among other things, it has the world’s greatest pharmacoepia at that time. The USE could easily trade for a lot of it with deer antlers (valuable in Chinese medicine), furs, and it’s most valuable and precious export of all, chloramphenicol. No need to mess with addicting Chinese to opium. One of he things the Amidestsch would want from China would be some doctors to teach at Jena and Uppsala. In the 17th Century, cures for diseases are where you find them.
    So does Vietnam, which is a lot smaller and less threatening. And isn’t Frank Jackson’s wife Vietnamese? Would a trade/navl expedition to Vietnam (Annam or Tonkin) be productive?

    Comment by Martin Katchen — January 27, 2008 @ 1:18 am

85. Is there going to be any books in the 1632 universe/series heavily involing Russia.

    Comment by Fan — January 28, 2008 @ 12:08 pm

86. So far I love all of your books that I have read and am very glad that the 16** series and the Rivers of War series are going to be continued. My question is about the Dahok/Fifth Imperium series. Are there going to be any more? I would love to see how the twins carry on after getting back from Pardul.

    Wade

    Comment by Wade Purvis — February 9, 2008 @ 6:09 am

87. Wade, you’re asking the wrong author. Eric doesn’t write the Dahak/Fifth Imperium books, David Weber does.

    Comment by jessara — February 12, 2008 @ 5:22 am

88. Eric, you are amazing! It is obvious you are working hard on all the series. Yet, I must ask, what is the progress on CROWN OF SLAVES 2 and BOUNDARY 2? Having read the first volume of each of these series, I am very much looking forward to the continuing volumes. Can you or a minion give us an update? Thanks!

    Comment by jim summerlin — February 14, 2008 @ 12:40 am

89. wondering about Dreeson Incident and Crown of Slaves 2 publication dates?

    Comment by bob robertson — September 3, 2008 @ 11:32 am

90. Bob, the Dreeson Incident is a Dec 2008 release. Unfortunately, there’s no word yet on when CoC2 will be out. However, based on the Baen Schedule on SimonSays (see below), it will have to be after May 2009. SimonSays has the Baen schedule thru May 2009.

    http://www.simonsays.com/content/destination.cfm?sid=184&Ns=P_PUBLICATIONDATE%7c1&pid=427656

    Comment by Drak Bibliophile — September 3, 2008 @ 8:18 pm

91. What happened to the Grantville Gazette? I was reading a story from # 21 last night and today I can’t find the link.

    Comment by Kurt Winn — November 1, 2008 @ 5:35 pm

92. Where do we stand on the 18** series. I follow both 16** and most other stuff that is being done, but haven’t seen anything on the next step in US alt. history.

    Comment by JMichael Slocum — December 4, 2008 @ 6:58 pm

93. I am extremely hopeful that the next book in the 1632 series rekindles my attachment to the series. I was enormously disappointed in the Dreeson Incident. I sincerely hope the series isn’t losing steam and tanking the way Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time did or those of so many others who wrote book after book but didn’t get past 2 or 3 years in the timeline of the story for filling in usually unnecessary details and making the plot overly intricate. It would be a true shame were such a fate to befall this series since it has the potential for some absolutely incredible stories.

    Comment by Alejo — December 15, 2008 @ 9:58 am

94. When are you going to start snippets for Weber's BY HERESIES BESET ?

    Comment by Ralph.gold — January 10, 2009 @ 10:06 am

95. When is the follow-up to 1824 due? You can't just stop in the middle of a war.

    Comment by Jim Hazen — January 12, 2009 @ 5:36 am

96. Well you _can_….. but he won't.
    The Rivers of War series was not picked up by Del Rey. Toni has picked it up for Baen, but she has directed that the next novel in that series has to FOLLOW Crown of Slaves 2, the next solo Eric Flint 1632 novel, and probably Course of Empire 2.

    In other words, don't hold your breath. — Sorry.

    Rick

    Comment by rboatright — January 12, 2009 @ 7:59 am

97. Just wondering, is the top section of the ‘Forthcomming’ page likely to get updated sometine in ’09?
    Much as I enjoy the snippets, this is the section I really like.
    Ok, I’m wierd.
    and Eric, thank you for all the hours of enjoyment your writing has, will be, providing me.

    Comment by hank — January 28, 2009 @ 6:22 pm

98. hi. can you give me a general timeline on the 163x series after 1633. Got a bit lost on which to read next, hate to read them out of sequence.thanks

    Comment by john stafford — February 5, 2009 @ 4:56 pm

99. # Sword on Canvas, Forthcoming, (no date) with Richard Roach
    # A Desperate & Despicable Dwarf, Forthcoming (no date)
    # The Thumbs of Eternity, Forthcoming (no date)

    it says on this page that sword on canvas that the draft is in your hands yet there is no expected release date, are you still unsure of when it will be published? or have you just omitted to change the bibliography

    avid for more

    Simon

    Comment by Simon — February 10, 2009 @ 4:26 pm

100. Hello Eric,

     Just wanted to start out by saying how much I have enjoyed the Ring of Fire series and all I have to say is MORE HARRY AND HIS COMMANDOS!!

     I love all the characters in the books and have really enjoyed reading it. I read SM Stirlings Island in the Sea of Time and his Dies the Fire series, which lead me to some of the news groups posts about it, which lead me to you

     I like the different approaches to both series and was wondering if you will be taking a similar track at some point (1632 universe but in present time and how much the differences between our world and that one would be!)

     Either way, really glad Weber helped out with the Naval sequences, no one else gives a clear view of HOW deadly the weapons of war can be than Weber (the Volley gun sequence has Weber all over it ).

     Comment by John From — February 13, 2009 @ 8:14 pm

101. Hi Eric
     Loved your “Course of the empire” how are you coming along with the sequel, I can’t wait, any info
     All the best
     Mike

     Comment by Mike Laws — March 24, 2009 @ 2:15 am

102. “Last updated, October 2007″

     The publication schedule DESPERATELY needs an update!

     How come, Eric, you have never (so far as I know) collaborated with Steve Stirling? A 163x novel by you & Steve could be a great addition to the [series?] This brings up a question: is ‘series’ the right term for 163x? Perhaps saga would be more appropriate, or do we need a new word?

     Comment by Bret Hooper — April 3, 2009 @ 3:28 am

103. Eric, ANY information on the new Rivers of War novels????? Say…a title or the date in the title??? I think this is your best historical fiction.

     Your old Comrade,

     David Walters

     Comment by David Walters — April 21, 2009 @ 10:40 pm

104. About the Safehold series. I dislike TOR’s insistance on the one Mobi ebook format. I have all the rest of my books in RTF so I can read them 2 pages at a time on my laptop, but mobi only displays one page. will there be the option to buy in rtf still? or perhaps PDF?

     Comment by SGT James Copley — May 25, 2009 @ 2:11 am

105. Hi Eric, I see that Crucible of Empire is not expected to be published before spring next year (thanks for the two snippet chapters you posted) Any indication when/if you’ll be posting snippets?
     Thanks.

     Comment by Ian Birchenough — June 2, 2009 @ 8:11 pm

106. Ian mentions two snippets from Crucible of Empire – where are they? Thanks.

     Comment by Olin Anderson — June 9, 2009 @ 6:33 pm

107. Greetings. I recently completed reading 1812… and 1824…, and I honestly think they are two of the best alternate history novels I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a LOT of them). Now, of course, I find myself desperately wanting to read the rest of the story.

     Frankly, I am shocked that Del Ray did not pick it up the continuation of this series (though grateful that somebody else has). My personal opinion (and this is truly based on my own paranoid thoughts, not anybody else’s opinions) is that some of the liberal-minded themes and ideals discussed, for example, Andrew Jackson’s stated opinion on marriage (I am paraphrasing), “who cares who marries who as long as they are happy together.” rang a little too true in today’s divided America where some conservatives have (with at least short-term success) used the banning of gay marriage (in other words, unlike the fictional Jackson in 1824, they very much DO care who marries who) as a wedge issue. Obviously, I could see where a conservative publisher or one who is worried about the reaction of conservatives could possibly be a little bit leery of the followup to 1824 and what it might imply in the America of today.

     Anyway, that is enough of my pontificating. What I really want to know and as others have asked, is there even a rough target date for when a followup to 1824 might be published? Is there a proposed title out there yet? Any hints as to where the story is going? Might there be a further sequel(s) after the third installment?

     Comment by Ken — June 15, 2009 @ 11:59 pm

108. have just finished the arkansas war and eagerly await the next installment. I hope there will be another installment in this series.

     Comment by john — July 15, 2009 @ 1:28 pm

109. Sorry to say “The Dreeson Incident” was a bit of a letdown, the first 2/3 was pretty slow going, way to much convoluted family history about what are mostly minor characters. As an aside, having spent most of my 52 years in small towns in Appalachia I can tell you that finding a 19-year-old virgin brings to mind Diogenes and his lamp(for that matter chances of a 16-year-old virgin are probably no better than 30%).

     Comment by andy — July 29, 2009 @ 11:14 pm

110. Im cross posting this from baens bar. Eric posted it there last night and I thought it might be of interest to anyone who doesn’t visit the bar.

     On Sat, 01 Aug 2009 07:34:20 GMT ericflint wrote:

     Essentially, either working alone or with me or with me and several other authors (especially Kim Mackey and Anette Pedersen), Virginia is now handling this material. Some of it goes back to RAM REBELLION and BAVARIAN CRISIS, and it’s moving on through Virginia’s 1635: TANGLED WEB coming out in December, the anthology-formerly-known-as THE TORTURER OF FULDA but now renamed 1635: THE WARS ON THE RHINE (publication date not set yet) and after that a novel I will co-author with Virginia dealing with Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar titled 1636: THE GRAND DUKE OF BURGUNDY.

     Eventually, all this material will start intersecting with the material that Andrew Dennis and I will be working on that focuses on Italy, France and Spain.

     Eric

     Comment by John R. Johnson — August 15, 2009 @ 5:48 pm

111. Hi,
     Just finished “By Heresies Distressed”. Loved it. Any info on the next chapter in the saga will be appreciated.
     Thank you,
     Mike

     Comment by Mike — August 15, 2009 @ 6:09 pm

112. Mike, David Weber is currently working on the next Safehold novel “A Mighty Fortress” as well as unnamed Safehold novel which will following “A Mighty Fortress”.

     Comment by Drak Bibliophile — August 16, 2009 @ 11:51 am

113. Just as a minor point of interest but the next time the Forthcoming section is updated you might consider removing the books scheduled for publishing in 2006, 2007 and 2008 if they have already come ount. I mean after a while it becomes a little superfalous.

     Comment by John R. Johnson — August 25, 2009 @ 4:26 pm

114. Someone typoed there – it should be 1634: The Bavarian Crisis, not 1643: The Bavarian Crisis. And Big Dave’s third book in the series he’s writing for Tor is By Heresies Distressed (not Beset).

     Comment by Andrew Ramage — September 11, 2009 @ 8:07 am

115. How about a sequel to ” Mother Of Demons ” (Thought I posted this yesterday, but must not have gone through.)

     Comment by John Ross — September 19, 2009 @ 6:05 pm

116. Eric just posted this on the bar. I thought I would put it here in case it would help anyone.

     2009:

     TORCH OF FREEDOM (November)

     2010 (Projected):

     THE SORCERESS OF KARRES (January)

     THE CRUCIBLE OF EMPIRE (March)

     MUCH FALL OF BLOOD (May)

     THRESHOLD (June)

     1635: THE EASTERN FRONT (Probably October or November)

     A DESPERATE AND DESPICABLE DWARF (possibly December, more likely early 2011)

     To sum up, I’ve averaged three to four books a year for several years now. The gap in 2009 will average out in 2010.

     About 40% of these titles are 1632 series titles. In response to the person who grumbled about the large number of non-1632 titles, the following two points need to be made:

     First, I would slowly go batty if I wrote only 1632 books.

     Secondly, I do a lot of collaborative writing and I have a moral responsibility to my co-authors not to sit on their work indefinitely once they’ve finished their share of the work. As it is, SLOW TRAIN TO ARCTURUS and THRESHOLD were unconscionably delayed because of my other commitments. I try to keep that to a minimum, however.

     Eric

     Comment by John R. Johnson — September 28, 2009 @ 5:40 pm

117. I really enjoyed Slow Train to Arcturus and the 1632 series, though I am a bit lost as to the order as things get more complicated and the characters spread out. keep writing so that I have something to read!

     Comment by Kirsten — October 1, 2009 @ 8:24 pm

118. Could you please move past 1634 and 1635. It seems that you are milking the series. I have read all of the 1632 books, and am frustrated with the progress. Also, it is hard to keep up with the characters when there is a long gap between stories. I enjoyed 1632, 1633 and 1634: The Baltic War. I have also liked the Grantville Gazette and the Ring of Fire series, but the other 1634 and 1635 drag on. Most could have been written in half the pages, and half the characters. Please make the next books more dynamic or you will lose a reader.

     Comment by Clay — October 9, 2009 @ 7:32 pm

119. Hi Eric,
     You need to update your “forth coming” section. It’s way behind.

     Comment by Kirby — October 19, 2009 @ 8:53 pm

120. Need to update this page again, especially since you end with 2007 possible work finished at the end of your listing/discussion. Please bring it up to date. Also, am missing the amount of releases in the 16xx series. The last Grantville Gazette release was good, but would really like to see more releases of other 16xx releases closer together, rather than one or even two, every year. Having more released in a year, really kept the story alive and easier to follow, cohesive. Maybe I’m just too much of a 16xx groupie. Thanks.

     Comment by Kirby — November 4, 2009 @ 1:13 am

121. Just reading the Bavarian Crisis and I’m pulling out what little hair I have left. The maps in all the 16xx series are wretched but the maps in TBC reach a pinnacle of wretchedity. The plotting is needlessly convoluted (contorted and n-dimensionally twisted doesn’t even begin to describe it.) The plethora of poorly drawn characters really detract from the novel. Between flipping to the front to look for a town that isn’t there and flipping to the back to find out the identity of this character who has been suddenly thrust at me I am getting finger cramps and double running duck fits. A frustrating read in an otherwise brilliant series. Cummon man, you can do better than this!

     Comment by Fangloss — November 25, 2009 @ 7:32 am

122. Any idea when snippets for A Mighty Fortress might start? I think i saw on Amazon the release date is in April 2010 Thx

     Comment by jason — December 16, 2009 @ 2:46 pm

123. Just finished Time Spike and if any novel screams for a follow up this is one. I would hope to hear that a sequel is in the works as it was almost a one sitting book and that is good thing. For a person that read about 15 to 20 books a week I am getting desperate to read entertaining novels and this was exceptional. Thank you!

     Comment by CArl — December 24, 2009 @ 8:11 pm

124. I have enjoyed your work for many years. While I read meny series ( 1824, 1632, Honor Harrington, ect ), I have been waiting for the continuing story started in 1812 and 1824 When is the next installment and will there be more? Thank you for many hours of great reading.

     Comment by Barksdale Hales — December 25, 2009 @ 4:04 pm

125. Eric:

     I know you have a lot of obligations but I was wondering when you will get back to the Rivrs of War series. It’s been a long time since the last one. The next time you are feeling burned out with your current projects you can go back to the Rivers of War.

     Anything new on the publishing date of 1635: The Eastern Front ?

     Thank you for a lot of enjoyable reading.

     Comment by John R. Johnson — January 14, 2010 @ 2:54 pm

126. Hello Mr. Flint
     I am very fond of Karres, I hope you continue the series.
     Equally I love the 1632 series.
     Thank you

     Comment by Ingrid Schijven — February 19, 2010 @ 12:57 pm

127. Mr. Flint,

     I am currently under a lot of stress going to bed as early as 7 o’clock to make the days go faster until next Joes Wolrd series book, which lead me to this question is Sword on Canvas the next title or is it a Desperate and Despicable Dwarf? there seems to be a disagreement between the forthcoming and the bibliography,

     thanks

     Comment by Blogging — February 21, 2010 @ 7:46 am

128. Mr. Flint, I am nearly 60 years old and am worried that you will still be publishing works about the ROF Or as I call them the 30 years war redone and I will be passed on to higher realms and not able to enjoy them,And this thought makes me sad, do you have any idea how many more years you will need to bring this to fruition? Thank you for so many hours of entertainment.
     Yours in history, WCM

     Comment by Wm. McMurray — February 22, 2010 @ 11:18 pm

129. Dear Eric Flint,

     I think averaging as many books as you do each year is not only prolific but a sign of a dedicated talent. I look forward to ANY of your books and thank you for your influence as my children and a number of my friends have renewed their interest in History and Geography under the influence of the Ring of Fire and 1630′s series. Thanks again, Denise in Australia

     Comment by Denise O'Hare — April 8, 2010 @ 5:31 am

130. When will next Rivers of War novel be out? Am Texican, how a successful Nations and a world in which Calhoun gets his would change history of my little corner of world truly gets my imagination going.

     Comment by Albert Perez — April 9, 2010 @ 12:03 pm

131. Greetings
     The 16**series just sucks me in, my `favo waste of time`, no less…
     Eric, you and David Weber is…um…DANGEROUS together.Why some asks? Cos you are Bad enough for my spare time each on his own, Together your a natural force of nature. Doesnt matter if its the Honorverse or the 16** series- i swallow those books _ hook line and sinker. Thanks for a good time reading goodies.
     Yours / Lars

     Comment by Lars — April 14, 2010 @ 7:59 am

132. Hi Eric,
     I am a firm fan of both the 1630′s novals and the arkansas wars story. I was just wandering when there would be a sequal to 1824 the arkansas war?

     Comment by nicholus — April 22, 2010 @ 12:26 pm

133. Hello Eric,
     I really loved the The Crucible of Empire and it’s prequel. Any plans for a sequel soon?

     Comment by Ove — July 7, 2010 @ 10:09 am

134. No one seems to have mentioned that the Swedes had a colony on the Delaware, northern Delaware and southern New Jersey beginning in the 1630′s. Eventually it was taken over by the Dutch,but plenty of traces remain today. In the 1630′s series, the Dutch, now United Provinces have a lot less navy, and the Swedes will command the seas as soon as Admiral Simpson builds a sea-going navy. Steam Frigates? Protected Cruisers? Considering that the New England colonies are unlikely to welcome the french, a possible alliance with Sweden to frustrate Richelieu? The Netherlanders are likely to consider their colonies in the Antilles and Brazil more important than New Amsterdam, as most European powers did until after Napoleon. Some of your readers complain about the complexity of some books in the series, but I would be interested in a new thread.

     Would David Weber have any thoughts on how to rule the seas with the resources available in your series?

     Comment by dave o — July 22, 2010 @ 6:08 pm

135. I was wondering if their are any plans for a Sequel to ‘Threshold’, Boundary 3? I know Threshold itself just came out, but it was left with so much open I am hoping to have it resolved, or more correctly, have some answers and even more situations to be left open.

     Comment by Phelan — August 11, 2010 @ 6:08 pm

136. I will go along with Phelan. I was somewhat disappointed with THRESHOLD as it had little new about the aliens but was mainly concerned with inter-human squabbles over alien artifacts and the techno/military details of fighting each other. Please get back to exploration and discovery in the next one!

     Comment by Summertime — August 16, 2010 @ 10:28 pm

137. I absolutely love the 163X series. I’m just hoping we don’t get too many threads that prevent the series from moving forward and instead just tread water while trying to get each thread caught up. I also love the Gazette and like the fact you are including elements from those short stories into the larger series.

     Comment by Ken — August 19, 2010 @ 3:40 pm

138. I was just wondering Eric what is the end game for the 1630′s series? Will this become an open eneded series with numerous offshoots and spurs or do you have a definitive conclusion in mind?

     Comment by Terry — August 21, 2010 @ 2:14 am

139. response to comment 134 (Dave O):

     The Dutch colony at Zwanandael (Lewes, Delaware) is mentioned in my story, “Stretching Out, part One: Second Starts” (online Grantville Gazette 11). You can see the first half of the story (including part of the Zwanandael scene) here:
     http://www.grantvillegazette.com/articles/Stretching_Out__Part_One__Second_Starts

     The Swedish colony (Fort Christina) in Delaware was founded in early 1638, old time line, by Peter Minuit (a former governor of the Dutch New Netherland). I would expect that it will be “butterflied away” by all the historical changes attributable to the RoF.

     Peter Minuit is mentioned in my story The Painter’s Gambit, which appeared online in Grantville Gazette 8, and in hardcover in Grantville Gazette V.

     Comment by Iver — August 29, 2010 @ 10:35 pm

140. I’ve read Bavarian Crisis & Baltic War, and there mentioned about new province of Upper Rhenish that being created by invasion of Nils Brahe. But I already try to re-read all of 1632 series books except Tangled Web & the Gazettes. Is the detail of invasion detailed in any 1632 book(or maybe Gazette)? I think this invasion by Nils Brahe should have detailed in its own, not just mentioned in the passing. Its very infuriating to the readers!

     Comment by Hong Xianfu — September 14, 2010 @ 7:03 am

141. Also in response to comment 134.

     The North West Passage serial in the Gazette has a number of threads starting on New World sites, including the Dutch in New Amsterdam, the French settling around what would have been Charleston, SC, Lord Baltimore’s colony being ‘moved’ from Maryland (you’ll have to stay tuned for what happens to them), and new settlements by the DANISH Hudson’s Bay Co. in Newfoundland and places north

     Comment by Herb Sakalaucks — September 23, 2010 @ 4:03 pm

142. Eric
     I’m a big fan of the 1632 series. But I’m getting lost. How about a chart ala Robert Heinlein’s Future History?
     best regards
     Stacy

     Comment by Stacy Brian Bartley — October 12, 2010 @ 1:40 am

143. Dear Loyal Minions,
     Will you be updating the Forthcoming section this year?
     I only ask because nearly everything listed on it above the Other Works in Progress banner is now out!
     So how are those progressing?

     Comment by hank — October 14, 2010 @ 1:38 pm

144. Re: Forthcoming updated
     Thank you. Now I know just what I’m waiting impatiently for.

     Comment by hank — October 27, 2010 @ 12:43 pm

145. ok…been reading the books from the beginning…re-reading….. and have been reading the above comments …. in comment 59 Bret Hooper uses the following abbreviations I can only assume the “cool kids” are hip to. Since *I* want to be a cool kid too (fat chance) could someone explain the meaning of:
     4TRR
     5CL
     4TBW

     and any other “Hip Cool Kids” abreviations I should know to apply…thanks guys!

     Comment by Deuce The Two Cats — December 18, 2010 @ 10:48 am

146. 4TRR = 1634 The Ram Rebellion
     5CL = 1635 Cannon Law
     4TBW = 1634 The Baltic War

     Comment by Tyler — December 20, 2010 @ 12:33 am

147. I’ve just finished reading Time Spike and agree with CArl (comment 123) that it leaves a lot of loose ends that cry out “sequel”. Is one likely to appear at any stage?

     Comment by Steve — January 1, 2011 @ 4:56 am

148. I’m wondering when the next novel in the “Pyramid” series co-authored by Eric flint and Dave Freer is coming out? I wonder which mythworld will be visited next however I would like to see Prof. Lukacs and company revisit the Greek mythworld as for one thing Circe wants to seeh er niece Medea again and get some replacement landrace pigs to replace Salinas the pig , also I think she’d be quite pleased with Medea marrying Sgt. Cruz.

     Comment by Tweeky — January 13, 2011 @ 2:24 am

149. There’s a short story set in the Great War in which one of the protagonists had an ancestor who worked for years upon two projects’ a giant maze and a novel. After the ancestor died his family searched for the maze but found no trace of it.

     As for the novel, what was found was unpublishable; the main character dies in the first chapter but is alive in the second, there is no continuity of action, no connection between what is done in one section and in others.

     In the short story itself a person explains to a descendant of the writer that the maze is the writing, the writing is the maze; the author sought to write out every possible decision, action, inaction and what would come of that. For instance the main character dies from an infection in the first ‘chapter’ and also does not die; so the writer writes what happens because the protagonist dies and what happens because he lives; so on and so forth.

     I mention this because although that is not exactly what is happening in the 1632 universe it’s related; one action leads to this, which changes that; which affects the other; all those books published, about to be published, being written and to be written. all the actions, decisions and consequences, all affecting this and that, resulting in that and this; the 1632 Maze in creation!

     Comment by tim — January 19, 2011 @ 11:35 pm

150. Dear Eric
     I have just finished wading through Torch of Freedom. It was a real effort. There were so many stops for explanations and to explicate the least bit of action, that even skipping a great deal,I found I had lost what the thread and interest. I was ready to offer myself as an editor. This was the first of your books that this had ever happened and I realize David Weber has this problem with going on and on. I am getting near 80 so understand how it happens. He has never been as bad as this. I read most of what you both write. I still enjoy Queen of Demons

     Comment by Helen Keever — February 5, 2011 @ 6:17 pm

151. Will there be any more in the timespike universe???

     Comment by Kevin Clark — February 10, 2011 @ 7:30 pm

152. Will there ever be audio versions of the 1632 series?

     Comment by William Chapin — February 19, 2011 @ 12:34 pm

153. Just finishing the second re-read of the Rivers of War, and am waiting eagerly for the next installment. I know the 163x books are good sellers, they aren’t as interesting to me as the American re-history books are.

     Comment by Marc — February 23, 2011 @ 11:01 pm

154. What will be up next in the snippet file? I bought the electronic version of the Saxon Uprising so am waiting for the next one.

     Comment by Ken — March 2, 2011 @ 3:54 pm

155. Any plans for another Karres book ?

     Comment by Andy — March 3, 2011 @ 12:34 pm

156. I’m looking for some info about a follow-up to 1635: The Cannon Law. Is there one planned? A cross-post from Baens Bar on Aug 2009 in #110, mentions you saying 1636: THE GRAND DUKE OF BURGUNDY would intersect with material you and Dennis would be writing about France, Italy and Spain. Since the Cannon Law was published in 2006 and the post is dated 2009, I suspect the material mentioned may resolve Franks incarceration and reveal other interesting changes, but I haven’t seen anything in the past few years mentioning the further development of this thread. Do you still have plans for a follow-on to the Cannon Law or have your plans changed.

     Comment by Kelly Keehan — March 11, 2011 @ 7:01 pm

157. Although the alternate history is great and very successful (who am I to question multiple Times’ Best Sellers??), are there any plans to try to reveal, review, or otherwise address the cause, the aliens, or the people BEHIND the actual Ring of Fire? Also, were there any other people or towns affected by that phenomenon or one like it?

     Comment by Rich — March 23, 2011 @ 11:39 am

158. I’m a long time fan of James H. Schmitz. I read his stuff back in the mid 60′s. The settings of his stores had a special quality. I see you have a list an anthology of his work on your project list.

     You’ve also extended his Witches of Karres novel. It was exceedingly funny and entertaining. I hope you continue with that story line with Dave Freer. I consider the Sorceress of Karres the better of the two. I’d like to see how Goth and the Captain make out.

     Keith Laumer and his Bolo series was a favorite of mine as well.

     I’ll have to look into your 1632 series. That period of time was exceptionally eventful and make a great backdrop for a story.

     Comment by Richard — April 4, 2011 @ 11:05 pm

159. Hello Eric,
     Out of all your works, the Crucible of Empire and its prequel have always struck me as the most intriguing. The whole idea as well put in the prequel, of a Greece being conquered by Rome perhaps by force of arms, but not in spirit. Rather, Greek ideas conquered Rome. Thus of course I was wondering if you had any plans for a third novel…

     Comment by Kevin — May 6, 2011 @ 4:33 am

160. Thank you for writing so many excellent books.

     Upcoming books sounds very promising, I just hope you have time to write them soon. How about the next book in the 1632 series spine, the one after 1636: Saxon uprising. With Mike Stearns as main character?

     Comment by Tiina — May 20, 2011 @ 2:40 pm

161. Is there ever going to be a sequel to the Arkansas War? I love the 16xx series, don’t get me wrong, but I really wish that there would be concrete news one way of the other for the 18xx series.

     Comment by Katie — June 4, 2011 @ 10:28 pm

162. Katie, there are *plans* for a sequel and Eric has a contract with Baen to write it.

     The problem is that Eric’s “plate is full” right now.

     I doubt that even Eric knows when he’ll be able to write the sequel (or sequels).

     Comment by Drak Bibliophile — June 4, 2011 @ 10:50 pm

163. Eric: You mentioned at a panel discussion that the Russian thread from the Gazette was being considered for a rewrite as a novel. Is that still true? Any progress?

     Comment by richpri — June 28, 2011 @ 4:44 pm

164. According to Locus, there’ll be no mainline 1632 books until after March 2012. I’m getting older, and I don’t want to wait that long. Grantville Gazette is nice, but not nearly enough.

     Comment by dave o — July 14, 2011 @ 2:50 pm

165. When will next Sam Houston/Rivers of War novel come out? Love Ring of Fire series, but really want to see what happens next in Sam Houston’s alternate life.

     Comment by Albert Perez — August 20, 2011 @ 3:43 pm

166. Will there be new books in the Heirs of Alexandria series? I love the series and woulld hate to wait 6 years like with the interal between book 2 and 3.

     Comment by martin roach — September 10, 2011 @ 12:33 pm

167. I’m thrilled to see a new thread based on the New World! You have Adolphus make a reference to wanting Florida. How about gold in California? What about England selling it’s new world land to France/Richelieu? One thing I’m wondering is if that series could have each book include 5-10 year chunks. It might not work with your Europe thread, but I’d like to see books (old and new world) that jump a generation per volume or so.

     Comment by Phil Corr — September 13, 2011 @ 3:09 pm

168. Drak, you commented that Eric’s “plate is full” right now. A cursory check of forthcoming books lists nothing upcoming from Eric for quite a while, e.g. the foreseeable future. Eric’s site lists projects, as does this site. Even titles are listed, some have been “forthcoming” for some years, now. I can find no publication dates announced for any of these long listed titles. Not even tentative ones.

     Baen Books has for sometime now failed to list anything to be published, by anyone, after January 2012, which is now only 4 months away. Frankly, I’m getting quite worried by this. I sense dark times ahead for the publishing business in general. I am also getting to the age where long term projects are beginning to assume a certain irrelevancy, if you take my meaning. I am also a total Luddite in regards to E-readers, and E-pubs.

     If you could; could you dredge up an actual list of upcoming titles and publishing dates to ease the fevered brows of we dedicated readers and long-standing fans. I’m sure we all would be very grateful.

     Comment by Gil Norton — September 26, 2011 @ 12:40 pm

169. Relax, Gil. Baen is doing fine, and so am I. The recent big increase in ebook sales has helped us, not hurt us, because Baen has always been aggressive about electronic publishing and so have I. In fact, by now electronic sales have pretty much made up the loss that was caused by the collapse of the mass market paperback market, which started 15 years ago and wasn’t caused by ebook sales.

     I don’t know why Baen hasn’t listed publications beyond January on their web site, but I know they’ve got their schedule blocked out for most of next year. The next book I have coming out (by which I mean a new title, not a reissue) is 1636: THE KREMLIN GAMES. That’s a 1632 series novel I wrote with Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett. It’s scheduled to come out next September. Two more 1632 series books will be coming out soon afterward, 1635: THE PAPAL STAKES (the direct sequel to CANNON LAW, which I’m writing with Chuck Gannon) and 1636: SYMPHONY FOR THE DEVIL. That’s a murder mystery novel that I’m co-authoring with David Carrico that takes place contemporaneously with SAXON UPRISING.

     Ryk Spoor and I recently turned in the manuscript for PORTAL, the sequence to THRESHOLD. I will soon be turning in the manuscript for BURDENS OF THE DEAD, which I’m co-authoring with Misty Lackey and Dave Freer. That’s a parallel novel to MUCH FALL OF BLOOD and is part of the Heirs of Alexandria series that started with SHADOW OF THE LION.

     I’ve started work on the sequel to TORCH OF FREEDOM. The working title David Weber and I have come up with for that book is CAULDRON OF GHOSTS (although that may change). Once that book is finished I’ll be writing a novel with Mike Resnick titled THE GODS OF SAGITTARIUS, after which I’ll finish the long-delayed A DESPERATE AND DESPICABLE DWARF. Then I’ll write my next solo 1632 novel, the direct sequel to SAXON UPRISING.

     In the meantime, several of my co-authors are working on first drafts of other novels. Andrew Dennis is working on 1635 (or maybe 1636): A PARCEL OF ROGUES. Walter Hunt is working on another 1632 novel, set in North America. Kathy Wentworth is working on SPAN OF EMPIRE, which is the sequel to CRUCIBLE OF EMPIRE.

     Like I said, relax.

     Eric

     Comment by Eric Flint — September 26, 2011 @ 10:44 pm

170. Many thanks for your reply. I appreciate you taking the time to re-assure an aging, and increasingly cynical old man. I’m pretty sure the cynicism is part and parcel with the advancing years thing.

     I feel much better for having the info, and I think I speak for many legions of your fans who’ve come to rely on you, and your colleagues, for a large portion of our entertainment. I mean, it’s not as though there’s anything on television, or in the movies that will engage us at all. (Another part of the age deal, I fear.)

     So, thanks again. I think I’ll just go…relax

     Gil

     Comment by Gil Norton — September 27, 2011 @ 5:55 pm

171. Eric i’m wondering if you and Dave Freer have started writing the third book in the “Pyramid” series yet? What will it be called and what new mythworld will be involved (sumerian, Babylonian, Persian, Celtic, etc.) will the protagonists be visiting the Greek mythworld again? Will Circe get to meet her new nephew-in-law. Now that Bitar and Smitar have met Jormundgand and are thoroughly bitten and smitten will we hear the slitherings or pitter-patter of baby serpents. Will Jorgy and Fenris visit Earth and frighten the locals in Scandanavia, will Thor establish a new chapter of AA in Valhalla and will he get a divorce from from his wife? How much time had elapsed between the end of “Pyramid Schemes” and the beginning of “Pyramid Power”?

     Tweeky.

     Comment by Tweeky — October 1, 2011 @ 4:30 pm

172. This was post on Baen’s Bar. I offers a little more on the upcoming books.

     John R. Johnson

     Snerking the Plots
     Dragon Con, Atlanta Georgia
     5 September 2011
     10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

     Panelists at the table:
     Eric Flint, Gorg Huff, Paula Goodlett (Kremlin Games), Chuck Gannon (Papal Stakes)

     Present and occasionally commenting: Rick Boatright, Iver Cooper, Mark Huston, Walt Boyes, David Carrico, Tim Roesch, Karen Evans, Kevin Evans [did I miss anyone]

     Virginia DeMarce taking notes.

     NOTE: The “Points East” panel was on an earlier day.
     Per Eric Flint: Much to the future distress of many of the Barflies, the Ottomans are going to take Vienna and the Austro-Hungarian royal family is going to flee.
     What’s more, the Ottomans are going to keep Vienna for quite some time.
     From a plot standpoint, this is to pin down a lot of the USE’s military power for the forseeable future so they can’t go interfering all over the map of the rest of Europe.
     A nice ongoing war in the background is always useful.

     Per Gorg and Paula: Kremlin Games is heavily re-written from the early stories that appeared in the electronic GG. Bernie’s character has been beefed up; Prince Vladimir’s surname has been changed because “Yaroslav” wasn’t a Russian name at the time, etc. There will be a sense of familiarity to readers who have read the stories, but it won’t be the same. The book, as canon, supersedes what came out in the GG.

     A little on the Mughals, Japan, China, elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

     “Snerking the Plots” session, Monday a.m.:

     Paula Goodlett: There’s about 5 million words in the 1632-verse canon; we’re adding more every year.
     Iver Cooper: That count is only through GG#32, so there’s almost a half million more words now.

     Eric Flint: What this session is. It’s where he will lay out what’s going to happen in the series. If people have questions about what’s going to happen, this is where we’ll tell you. If spoilers upset you, leave. You’re sworn to silence; snerk collars at high power. In the “Snerking the Plots” session, we don’t hold anything back (presuming that we’ve already figured it out).

     Sketch of where the series is now going.
     GGVI next; coming out in January 2012; all those stories are written except Eric’s; all but his have come out electronically previously. He’s going back to what’s happening with the British exiles in Amsterdam, focusing around Prince Rupert of the Palatinate and his older sister Elizabeth. Some background in the Palatinate. Karl Ludwig isn’t going to figure much. Elizabeth probably will. OTL “Rupert of the Rhine” was Royalist leader in the first English Civil War; cavalry leader. Then went on to be a very good inventor; artist. He’s going to become the new king of England. One of Eric’s major pet peeves is against assassination. An attempt backfires and ends up with the opposite result of what the assassins intended.

     Next book September 2012; 1636: The Kremlin Games. Paula & Gorg wrote; Flint had them rewrite; then he edited it. It’s finished and has been turned in. This book covers more time than others. Covers five years on what’s been happening in Russia since 1631. Toward the end, Mikhail Romanoff is under house arrest by a cabal of noblemen who are not happy with what’s been happening. The “dacha” people including up-timer Bernie Zeppi rescue him, get in a big blimp. They are last seen headed for the far east of Russia.

     Then with Chuck Gannon: 1635: The Papal Stakes. Direct sequel to 1635: The Cannon Law. Covers a period of about three months. Harry Lefferts on his way to spring Frank and Giovanna out of prison. Pope and ecumenism. Can’t cover much more time than that because the last book left Giovanna pregnant and a pregnancy can only advance so far before it becomes impossible to haul the mother-to-be out of durance vile through something like a small window. The rescue this time won’t be an easy romp for Harry and the wrecking crew; he loses people.

     Then 1636: The Wars on the Rhine. Long-overdue anthology. Kim Mackey, Anette Pedersen, Virginia DeMarce. Eric still has to write his story; will do that some time the spring of next year (2012).

     Then Eric has to write a direct solo sequel to Saxon Uprising; Mike Stearns goes to beat the hell out of Maximilian of Bavaria. Just about the point Mike has Mad Max on the ropes and the USE troops are besieging Munich, the Ottomans invade Austria. The Ottomans will actually take Vienna. this requires pulling Stearns out of Bavaria. The USE cuts a deal with Maximilian, who goes into exile; his brother Albrecht comes back from Bohemia as regent for his sons who become the Bavarian reigning dukes.

     NOTE ADDED BY VIRGINIA ON TUESDAY: Somewhere in here, the panel omitted any mention of David Carrico’s 1636: Symphony for the Devil with Eric Flint.
     WEDNESDAY: As a remedy, David reports:
     It’s very much a side-show novel, so it almost never gets remembered in the snerking discussions.
     Time-wise it parallels Saxon Uprising. Schedule-wise, it will probably fall in the second tier of novels, along with Drums Along the Mohawk and Iver’s book.

     Further in the future:

     Toni has agreed that Chuck & Eric will do two more books. One, a direct sequel to Papal Stakes, will shift back to Sharon Nichols and Ruy and the conflict between the two papacies.

     The other, which they’ll do first, will be in the Caribbean: 163x: Commander Cantrell in the West Indies. Desire to develop a better supply of oil than they have; try to get it out of Trinidad. Eric wanted east Texas originally; Eddie goes with small flotilla; his young Danish wife goes with him; prepare for a big expedition under Simpson. Problem is that before Simpson can come out, the Ottomans invade Austria. That changes the entire equation and Simpson has to take his fleet into the Mediterranean.

     That will be a book with David Weber: 163X: Admiral Simpson in the Mediterranean. We’ll come up with a title later.

     Also associated with the Ottoman invasion, 163x: Viennese Waltz with Gorg and Paula – following up on the Sewing Circle stories. Barbie Consortium. Peace made between USE and Austria; basically all but one of the girls to to Vienna for a wedding; originally intended to be a romantic comedy. Occurred to Eric that a conversation with Stanley/Pantaleimon Roberts, suggested having the Ottomans actually take the city. So the romantic comedy gets sort of grimmer.

     Eric has to finish 163x: The Anaconda Project (story series started in the GG) before Gorg and Paula can do a direct sequel to Kremlin Games. The politics are going to get very complicated.

     163x: The Wild, Wild East (Eric Flint with Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett). Sequel to Kremlin Games.

     Someone from the audience asks about Poland.
     Eric Flint replies: Poland’s going to be allied with the Ottomans. “Why?” Eric asks. Because, for plot purposes, he needs to keep Torstensson and his army tied up with the Poles so he can write a lot of adventures for Mike Stearns.

     Someone from the audience asks: what about the Cossacks?

     Gorg – at this time, they are vicious, nasty, Libertarians. If you’re tough enough to live with us, you can be free.
     Eric – think of them as Hell’s Angels on horseback. There were also the “registered Cossacks” – recognized by the Polish/Lithuanian Commonwealth. Tension between them (the upper class of Cossacks) and the others. They’re not always going to go the same direction. This will come up most in Anaconda Project.

     Chuck Gannon – there’s potential for a Casablanca in this. A really interesting city at this time is Ragusa. Had cut, sort of, an independent deal, on and off, essentially Dubrovnik today. Deals with both the Ottomans and the Venetians; exchange and economic independence. Bourse absolutely infested with spies and double agents, etc.

     Eric – the wild south and east was really pretty wild territory. East Europe was pretty thinly populated compared to central and western Europe.

     The axis of the series Mike/Rebecca/Gretchen/Jeff is moved now to eastern/southeastern Europe. Has a couple possibilities for Gretchen but not entirely sure yet. Mike will be continuing to fight these wars, at least for a while.

     Also coming: two books about the new world. First, the one that Iver Cooper is putting together. 163x: Perilous Passages (Eric doesn’t like the working title and will think of something else); how the Japanese end up settling California.

     The Japan book (solo by Iver, sort of the way that Tangled Web was solo by Virginia) will come out before the Trinidad story. A lot of dickering involved is involved in scheduling the order in which the books appear. Baen only has so many slots per month; once something gets locked in, it’s hard to change because of the way Simon and Schuster works.

     Eric is also doing a book with Walter Hunt in North America (former USA). 163x: Drums along the Mohawk, a working title meant to be a joke except that it got leaked to Locus and Locus published it. That won’t be the title.

     New idea floated at Dragon Con – an anthology of stories set in the new world. Herb Sakalaucks’ story; more from Iver, etc. No contract on this one yet.

     Beyond that, Eric doesn’t know yet. The New World will be a mosaic with people coming in from different directions.

     Switching to another theme. Starting in 1637: French Civil War. What happens essentially is that Monsieur Gaston (one of the nastiest pieces of work you’ll ever run across) pulls off a coup d’etat in Paris; murders Richelieu & Louis XIII. But by then, Louis XIV has been born (legitimate heir; actual father is Mazarin). Some explanation (official story in French history books), explaining just why, storm, begotten. Heir conceived that night. Lots of reasons to be skeptical of it. In the series (Eric and Andrew Dennis picked it because it was the most dramatically interesting) and sort of makes Louis XIII a good guy; close to Richelieu. Goes along with the scheme that Richelieu concocts that Mazarin and the queen have an affair. The queen, Mazarin, and the baby escape from Paris, aided by Harry Lefferts (who is a somewhat darker character; or if “darker” isn’t quite the right word, at least more serious character) by now. There’s a “legitimist” heir backed by Turenne and his army. Then it intersects with the Catalans and Portuguese revolting against Spain. The Catalans basically offer to become part of France under the legitmists.

     Combined French and Spanish civil war
     Sharon Nichols and Ruy will reappear in important roles in the Catalan events.

     DeMarce – as a sideline, Henri de Rohan’s daughter marries August von Bismarck (out of Brandenburg, direct ancestor of the Great Chancellor. Here he converts to Calvinism; becomes in the 1632-verse the great defender of the Huguenot cause in France).

     Eric and Chuck – going back to the New World theme for a bit, there will be major impact of the revolts in Spain on the New World. Fundamentally, the viceroys are going to have to become semi-autonomous; the reliability of the flotilla will become iffy.

     Turenne will win the French Civil War and establish the baby Louis XIV; Monsieur Gaston and his followers will sail across and set themselves up in the French colonies in the New World.

     Iver–observation, dealing with New World. Nature of Gaston’s deal – numbers limited in a way that meant that they wouldn’t have the same advantages as the English did in the OTL. Not as great a disparity of power between them and the Indians.
     Eric thinks it would be interested to see what would happen in the New World without the large English emigration.

     Chuck – impact of the League of Ostend, treaty by Charles II.

     Virginia – question about Eric’s prior idea that the North American colonies will become a bastion of reaction?

     Eric – the settlements in the New World are actually establishments on the run, so to speak, and would like them powerful enough.
     Will be bigger Dutch emigration, deal between the Prince of Orange and Don Fernando. Suits a lot of people, but not the hard-core Counter-Remonstrants.

     Walt – you’ve cut off, basically, any chance that the triangle trade will start.

     Chuck – suppress and eliminate in regard to the slave trade.

     Eric – has been an overstatement of the disease factors (the whole issue of what happened to New World populations; Numbers from Nowhere).

     Question from the audience: What are the prospects of Polish political reform?
     Eric. Oh, they’re quite good. What’s going to happen quite soon is that Stanislaw Koniecpolski is going to get assassinated. He’s too competent and therefore an obstacle to Eric’s plots; Eric has to get rid of him. Different factions are going to emerge: royal faction around Wladislaw that wants to go absolutist and squash the absolute magnates. Then a faction around the magnates themselves (the ones who instigate Koniecpolski’s assassination because he’s likely to support the king). Everybody’s agreed that Something Must Be Done, but don’t agree what it is. The third is the revolutionaries who want to establish a Polish Republic. The two Opalinski brothers and Jakob (in Anaconda) and Jozef; a really serious revolutionary movement will come out of this. They have to have enough sense to cut loose the Ukraine – to break the power of the magnates. In the meantime, Bohemia will keep expanding eastward, although Wallenstein is going to die fairly soon. Pappenheim, Roth, etc. become a regency council for his infant son. There are going to be a lot of changes in Poland, really big ones.

     Tim–question. What about the effect of the Poles’ knowing that there was a future pope from Poland.

     Eric – a split in the Catholic Church is coming. Also Jesuits split; The Polish and Spanish Jesuits go with Borja; the Polish Catholic church will go its own way. The whole religious aspect to this is going to get very complicated.

     Question from the audience: Where’s the English thread going?

     Rick Boatright – wants to toss out the name “Cromwell” to see what Eric will say. Concern about getting Gayle Mason back for radio purposes.

     Eric – That’s another story we’ve got to take up; the characters who stay in England. He was planning to co-write it with Andrew Dennis, but Andrew has some really severe medical issues. It he can’t, Eric has been talking with Mark Huston. If Andrew can’t finish it, then Mark and Eric will do it. The escapees from the Tower get into Scotland; get embroiled in a really big faction fight. Politically, there’s a faction that wants Scotland to become part of the USE; Cromwell will make his escape. In the meantime, Laud and Wentworth, etc. are in exile in Amsterdam. They’re shooting for a “Glorious Revolution” throwing Charles and his kids off the throne; put Rupert in his place (see above) as a 17th century constitutional monarch. That is, not a 20th century constitutional monarch. Rupert will have power and use it, but constitutional more like England in the 18th century.

     Eric wants to figure out some way that Cromwell and Darryl McCarthy land in Ireland in order to defend the Irish.

     Iver – how will the Ottoman empire and its allies in North Africa react to the Spanish Civil War? Will they see this as an opportunity to go back into Spain?

     Eric – no, the Ottomans will have their hands full. Tacitly, Spain and Charles I will be supporting them. Gaston will be all in favor of the Ottomans (anything to keep the USE off their backs).
     Rift in the Habsburgs; Spanish branch will not support the Austrian/Netherlands branches.

     Question from the audience re: Ireland. How will it all come out?

     Eric – I don’t know, yet.

     Chuck – read some of the stories in RoF III; there will be more in Papal Stakes. Two surviving families of the earls are starting to show up.

     Eric. Will figure in the Caribbean, too. The Irish will appear, but Ireland as such not yet.

     Welsh – Karen Evans asked.
     Eric – Ye gods, I don’t know.

     Karen Evans – Spanish in the New World. By when are they about on their own?

     Eric – by 1637, all the powers that played a real role in the New World are distracted. USE has little interest in the New World, except for stopping the slave trade. Maybe 1638.

     Question. When’s the next Rivers of War going to happen? Contracts for two more books; will go from there. As for when, it will be a little while. Has a new Honor Harrington book to write with David Weber. Sequel to Torch of Freedom, though hard to describe it that way.

     Comment by John R. Johnson — October 7, 2011 @ 11:16 pm

173. Great news on the status of the various 163x novels but i’d still like to know how the writing of Dave Freer’s and Eric Flints sequel to “Pyramid Power” is going?

     Comment by Tweeky — October 10, 2011 @ 7:38 pm

174. I read the comments with interest. Thanks to my in progress (non fiction) book (i.e. “Escape”)was was not able to attend the meeting in August. I still would really like to see the Manche Chol Maya be involved in the Grantville universe but for the next few months am still too busy getting out my own book. Larry Feldman

     Comment by L H Feldman — November 1, 2011 @ 7:24 am

175. Glad to hear Baen Books has contracted Mr. Flint to continue the Rivers of War series. while I enjoy the numerous novels and short stories in the 1632verse, is it too much to ask that there be a brief respite to pursue the 3rd RoW novel? Just asking. Thank you.

     Comment by Raymond Stelzer — November 17, 2011 @ 9:35 am

176. The Trail of Glory.
     Love the 1632, but just triped over the Trail of Glory books, will you be adding any more to that line?

     love you writing and thanks for keeping me entertained:-)

     Comment by D.F. Richardson — November 18, 2011 @ 1:27 am

177. Please don’t get distracted from the 1632+ books. There was a time when three or four came out a year and it was great. Now 1 or 2 at the most. Please send more out, sticking to the present timeline and working up past the papal “cannon” one. I like the RWSeries and the timeline one, but I like the 1632+ series the best and long for more.

     Comment by Timothy Kirby — November 24, 2011 @ 1:04 am

178. Hi, Mr. Flint et al., Just want to say that I’m thrilled with the 16XX novels and can never wait for the next one in the series. Can’t wait to see what happens with the one Stone boy and his wife in Italy. Can’t wait for the England incident to continue. These are the best. Very fun and interesting, as well. Thanks and happy holidays. Sue

     Comment by Susan Longtin — November 25, 2011 @ 4:37 pm

179. I loved the 1632 series. Most of them I didn’t want to put them down but I also didn’t want to read them too fast because I didn’t want them to end. I can’t wait for more in the series. I have also read R o W series and Time Spike. I wish there could be a TV series on the 1632 series the follows the books exactly.

     Comment by abilene drifter — November 25, 2011 @ 6:55 pm

180. What (if anything) is transpiring in the “Heirs of Alexandria” universe?

     Comment by jpjones — November 29, 2011 @ 12:17 pm

181. Hi,
     i´m a loyal fan of the first hour from Germany.
     Is there any chance that the books are translated and published in Germany?
     I would think there is a large audience, since it´s mostly playing in Germany.

     thankks for all the wonderfull books

     Comment by Michael Janda — December 7, 2011 @ 5:33 pm

182. Hello, Eric

     I was wondering if you will continue to be involved in the “Crown of Slaves” and “Torch of Freedom” series of books with David Weber? I love the Victor Cachet character!

     Thanks
     – Bob Gottlieb

     Comment by Robert Gottlieb — January 1, 2012 @ 9:02 pm

183. I would say movies for the 1632+ books, beginning at the beginning. Not TV series.I read all the Stargate books (the Original Author’s ones). Only the first was put to a movie. Then they came out with Stargate SG-1. It changed what was in the movie to match it’s own ideas and then departed there from, leaving the other books to float out in limbo. I have since begun to really like the various TV series: SG-1, Atlantis, Ect. But am still very mad that SG-1 didn’t continue what the Author’s books said after the first one. So having stated this, that has nothing to do with your books, Mr. Flint, I would love to see them in movie format, with You keeping a very close eye on them to see that they follow your books exactly. I think that this would be awesome.

     Comment by Timothy Kirby — January 8, 2012 @ 12:37 am

184. I think your books are great. Now for my three questions.

     1. Is there going to be a French civil war?

     2. Will the Catholic Church have some type of schism?

     3. And how long do you think it will take for a 16xx book about the war thats going to happen between the Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary to be published?

     Comment by Avi Rimor — January 9, 2012 @ 2:47 am

185. Avi… Please read comment 172 above…

     Comment by Rick — January 18, 2012 @ 3:26 pm

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