Colonization: Aftershocks Book

Alternative history is Harry Turtledove's recurring SF theme, and in Colonisation: Aftershocks he continues to build on the "Worldwar" tetralogy that began with the high concept of alien invasion changing the course of World War II. The "Colonisation" sequence takes up the story in the 1960s, with the frustrated alien Lizards' conquest forces still struggling for control of Earth as their civilian colony ships arrive. By book 3, Aftershocks, the Greater German Reich has finally been nuked to a standstill, Chinese Maoists still revolt against Lizard rule, Japan has atomic weapons, the Soviets are playing devious games under President Molotov, and the US has gained a foothold in space. There's a soap-operatic tangle of plot strands, with established characters both human and alien meeting in ever-changing combinations, much blackmail and smuggling of ginger (to Lizards, a powerfully addictive drug), and flashes of everyday job-hunting, friendship and romance. Big questions loom: which country attacked the colony ships and must pay heavily for it? Where is the one nuclear weapon captured by Jews 20 years ago? Will the Lizards cut their losses by reducing Earth to radioactive wasteland? And just what is the US doing so secretly in the asteroid belt? Little jokes appear amid the suspense--for example, the Warren Commission has nothing to do with Kennedy's assassination but is a Lizard team investigating the shocking actions of this world's US President Warren. The ironies grow less striking as we move further from real-world history, but it's a solidly enjoyable SF read. Further sequels are expected. --David LangfordRead More