Worldwar: In the Balance
| Worldwar: In the Balance | |
|---|---|
| author | Harry Turtledove |
| language | English |
| genre | Science fiction / alternate world history |
| Original title | In the balance |
| publishing company | Del Rey |
| Release Date | January 1994 |
| Media type | Hardcover , paperback |
In the Balance is the first novel in the Worldwar tetralogy by the author Harry Turtledove . In 1942, reptilian aliens appear over the earth and begin a religiously motivated campaign of conquest that drastically changes the course of history.
The book is followed by Worldwar: Tilting the Balance .
content
The breed (Engl. The Race ) lives on a planet of the star Tau Ceti orbits and simply home calls. Even before her arrival on earth, she subjugated two planets: 12.058 BC Rabota V 2 and 3058 BC Halless 1.
Its expansion justifies the race with a natural right of its god-emperor to rule over the entire universe, so that a conquering fleet of the race sets out for earth after it was observed by one of its robot probes in 1141 and marked as a worthwhile target.
The members of the race are technologically far superior to mankind in 1942 (and partly also today), but their scientific progress is extremely slow, so that when their invasion fleet arrives under Fleetlord Atvar, they await sword-wielding savages in chain mail bump.
With a few exceptions - e.g. B. Hydrogen-powered engines, the ability to travel between solar systems - the race's technology is roughly the same as it was in 1994, when the book was first published.
When his probes then surprisingly observe the skirmishes of World War II with planes and tanks from space, Fleetlord Atvar decides to bring the people to their knees by igniting atomic warheads at high altitude , but these do not completely destroy the primitive electrical circuits of the people.
Almost all of South America and Africa can be conquered by the breed's troops in a coup after the invasion began on May 30, 1942, but their landings in Florida, Illinois, Idaho, New York, Poland, Spain, Ukraine, Mongolia and Siberia will be made difficult by the troops hardened during the war.
Atvar has various human commanders brought to his spaceship, including Vyacheslav Molotov . When the latter learns that the technologically advanced members of the race are being ruled by a monarch, he reacts in horror and notes that a revolution is inevitable, and he also mentions the murder of the tsarist family . Atvar, who is unable to imagine any other form of government than a monarchy, feels nothing but irrepressible hatred.
In an action carried out on the orders of the Fuhrer , the Germans succeeded in destroying the very same landing ship of the race with the Dora railway gun , which carried most of the nuclear warheads carried with it.
The radioactive metals scattered over a large area are hurriedly collected again by the soldiers of the race, but thus they attract the attention of the Germans and the Russians. After a hasty armistice, a command unit consisting of Germans and Russians, with the participation of Otto Skorzeny , succeeds in stealing parts of the radioactive ore from the clean-up teams.
However, the race is taking revenge on Germany by nuclear annihilation of Berlin. With the United States doggedly defending its nuclear program in Chicago against racial ground forces, Washington suffers the same fate; the US moves its capital to White Sulfur Springs . Contrary to what Lord Atvar expected because of the experiences with the peoples who were subjected in the past, the people do not give up after the annihilation of their capitals, but continue fighting all the more bitterly and full of hatred.
Armored forces under the command of Omar Bradley and George Patton manage to retake Indiana and Wisconsin towards the end of the novel.
Fleetlord Atvar is more and more annoyed by the unexpected difficulties that arise: it turns out that ginger has an even more violent effect on members of the race than cocaine on humans; the use of this drug spreads extremely quickly among the ranks of the invaders .
Reviews
In Publishers Weekly , the novel is as intelligent speculative novel called and the historical details are praised.
Dramatis personæ
- Mordechai Anielewicz
- Leslie Groves
- Vyacheslav Molotov
- Otto Skorzeny
- Heinrich Jäger: German tank commander
- Jens Larssen: Physicist involved in the Manhattan project
- Sam Yeager: Decatur Commodores baseball player
- Liu Han: A Chinese woman
- Yi Min: A Chinese pharmacist
- Fleetlord Atvar
Edition and issues
- 1994 USA Del Rey ISBN 0-345-38241-2 , published January 3, 1994
- 1995, USA, Del Rey ISBN 0-345-38852-6 , published February 1995
Translations
- Russian: "Флот вторжения" , 2003
Web links
- Worldwar: In the Balance - The first chapter online
- Worldwar: In the Balance - Review
- Worldwar: In the Balance - Review