deeden

This is a single post from deeden.co.uk made during the period May 2002 to October 2007. During the grand redesign of 2008 I decided to make a break with the past and consign the old entries to history. This entry is from January 2005 and lives here forevermore.

Best New Reading of 2004 : The WorldWar Series

Number 8 in the series is actually a series of 4 books. (Hey it’s my list, I can stretch the definitions all I want). The series is the WorldWar series by Harry Turtledove, comprising In the Balance, Tilting the Balance, Upsetting the Balance and Striking the Balance.

The (admittedly strange) premise is that an alien invasion arrives at Earth in the early 1940s and invades while the Second World War is taking place. It’s ridiculous, there’s no denying that, but it’s strangely compelling. I only intended on reading the first book initially, then I decided that I’d stop after the second and read one of the other books from my unread pile. However the moment I finished the second book I went hunting through the shelves for the third.

The series has a number of interweaving plots, involving most of the planet as well as a few focussing on the aliens. The books work well in that some of the aliens are likeable and some of the humans repugnant, making a more interesting story than just a simple goodie/baddie tale. There are also some conflicts within the humans, with different groups using the invaders against their own enemies. I also like the fact that many of the characters that the story focusses on die, generally suddenly and unexpectedly. This makes it a better read as you can be surprised by events.

I admit it’s a strange choice, but I don’t care. I thoroughly enjoyed the series; it provided me with some wonderful escapist reading. I’ve also been delighted to discover that the series does continue on after the 4 books, with another series already out. I’m off to buy them now.