Axis of Time
The Axis of Time trilogy is a series of novels written by Australian journalist and author John Birmingham. A US-led task force off Indonesia in 2021 finds itself sent back to 1942, just prior to the Battle of Midway. The novels deal with a rapidly altered version of World War II, and to a lesser extent the social changes that result amongst the Allied powers.
- World War 2.1: Weapons of Choice (2004)
- World War 2.2: Designated Targets (2005)
- World War 2.3: Final Impact (2007)
Trivia
The premise of the trilogy is very similar to that of a 1980 movie starring Kirk Douglas, The Final Countdown, which features a 1980s US Carrier being taken back to just before the raid on Pearl Harbor. Birmingham said in this interview that he hadn't seen this movie. It more closely resembles the premise of the manga Zipang! (Future Shock), where a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Kongo-class Aegis destroyer, Mirai, is sent back in time to the Battle of Midway.
Birmoverse
Birmoverse is the 'official' name for the universe of the Axis of Time universe. Fan-written Birmoverse stories could formerly be found on Cheesburger Gothic, but they have since been shunted off to a dedicated website, The Mini-Burger. Birmoverse was suggested by a nameless visitor to the Cheeseburger
Easter eggs
Birmingham names several minor characters after contemporary nonfictional people:
- Paul Brasch, Brisbane comedian. Appeared as Major Paul Brasch, a major character.
- Piers Akerman and Andrew Bolt, right-wing Australian columnists. Appeared as SAS demolitionists.
- Dale Brown, Tom Clancy, Stephen Euin Cobb, and Garth Nix - thriller writers appearing as counterboarding specialists aboard USS Leyte Gulf.
- Eric Flint (alternative history author) appeared as a Secret Service agent. The fictional town of Grantville, West Virginia, from his 1632 series is referred to as Dan Black's home town.
- William R. Forstchen (sci-fi/alternative history author) referred to as a fringe 'professor' who wrote an underground bio of J. Edgar Hoover.
- Bill O'Reilly and Jerry Springer are mentioned as both being United States senators in the 21st Century.
- Matthew Reilly (Australian action/sci-fi author) appears as a lieutenant on the USS Leyte Gulf. Redshirted.
- S.M. Stirling (sci-fi/alternative history author), appeared as a Secret Service agent. His Draka series is referenced when one of the characters remarks that, with all the events of the past year, he would not be surprised to hear of a new race of super-Nazis arising in South Africa.
- Harry Turtledove, one of the most prominent alternate history authors, appears as "Commander Turteltaub", an aide to FDR. The President at one point asks him whether the space lizards have invaded yet, a reference to the Worldwar series.
- Mike Judge Creator of Beavis & Butt-Head, King of the Hill and Office Space, Commanding officer of a ship.
- James H. Cobb, Robert Dessaix, and Jean-Paul Sartre are namesakes for naval ships.
- Phillip McGregor (co-author of Space Opera (FGU), Rigger Black Book #1 (FGU) and many other roleplaying games and supplements) appears as the Pilot of one of the Dakota gunships used to decimate German Paratroops taking part in Operation Sea Dragon, a thank you for helping provide the author with some historical background material as part of a discussion on the book on the soc.history.what-if usenet newsgroup.
- Lieutenant Colonel Nancy Viviani - Logistics officer of the Marine battalion in the 21C forces. Most likely Professor Nancy Viviani, formerly of Australian National University, also Griffith, a well-known expert in International Relations.
- Tim Horan and Peter Fitzsimons (former rugby union players and in 'fitzys' case also journalist and author) appear as Australian military personnel
- Contributors of Birmingham's blog, Cheeseburger Gothic, have also scored cameos (Master Chief Madoc, USMC Force Recon Gunnery Sargent Adam Denny and Lt Lobes for example)
Birmingham names at least one place (USSR Demidenko facility) after contemporary writer Helen Darville, an Australian journalist and writer. In 1993, Darville won The Australian/Vogel Literary Award for her book The Hand that Signed the Paper. Darville had written the novel under the pseudonym Helen Demidenko.