Second Contact (Colonization, Book 1) - Hardcover

Turtledove, Harry

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0345430190 ISBN 13: 9780345430199

Publisher: Del Rey, 1999

Synopsis

In the acclaimed Worldwar tetralogy, set against the explosive backdrop of the Great War, master of alternate history Harry Turtledove wove a spellbinding saga of world powers locked in conflict against a deadly enemy from the stars. Now, with Colonization: Second Contact, Turtledove expands his magnificent epic into the volatile 1960s--when humanity must face its greatest challenge: alien colonization of planet Earth.

During the Worldwar, Washington, D.C., Tokyo, and dozens of other cities perished in the radioactive holocaust of nuclear battle. Twenty years later, a fitful peace reigned over the continents. Though Himmler controlled Germany and France, Molotov ruled Russia, and President Earl Warren tenuously governed the United States, the invaders lorded over most of the world--coexisting in an uneasy balance with humans. As both the alien and human races experience the rampant social turmoil of the sixties, they are fatefully influenced by the tremendous upheavals--and by each other.

Then amidst this strife comes a new phase of the alien invasion . . . the arrival of the colonization fleet--an enemy that seeks to sweep humankind aside on a global scale. The fleet's terrible goal is to colonize and seize control of every man, woman, and child on Earth. Yet as governments feverishly develop weaponry, a terrible truth emerges: This war will be fought not only on the ground but in the vacuum of space. The United States must summon all its technological genius--or face destruction.

Even in the face of this explosive threat, the great powers are unable to relinquish their hostilities and unite against this awesome and terrible power. For America, and for all the countries of the world, this is a war that must be won, a triumph that must be reached in the face of impossible odds. This time, the terrible price of defeat is extinction . . .

In this towering tale of struggle and tyranny, Harry Turtledove combines a lavish cast of twentieth-century leaders, their countries, and a terrifying threat of earth-shattering proportions. Packed with action, adventure, and sacrifice, Colonization: Second Contact is a masterpiece of the imagination.

About this title

Review:

Harry Turtledove pays tribute to pulp science fiction, combining a favorite plot--invasion by technologically superior aliens--with an alternate history of WWII and its aftermath. His Worldwar Series began the story when a fleet of lizard-like aliens arrived to conquer Earth in May 1942. It ended in 1945 with a negotiated peace between the Race, the nuclear powers (the Reich, the USSR, and the USA), and the much-weakened Britain and Japan.

Colonization: Second Contact continues the saga, but you need not read the previous series to enjoy it. When the colonists arrive in 1962, they're unprepared for a half-conquered world. After several of their ships are destroyed by a nuclear missile of mysterious origin, they accuse the conquest forces of incompetence. Muslims in the conquered Middle East are staging an Intifada, the Chinese Communists continue guerrilla warfare against the invaders, and everyone's smuggling ginger, which is powerfully addictive among the Race and has unanticipated effects on the female colonists.

Turtledove's cast of characters includes sharply drawn alien soldiers and civilians as well as a mix of convincing historical and fictional humans from all over the world. He covers all the sixties issues: generational conflict, the drug culture, racial inequality, the threat of atomic apocalypse, and the frustration of soldiers in an unwinnable war. If you enjoy alternate history and old B movies, this book's for you. --Nona Vero

From the Back Cover:

In the extraordinary Worldwar tetralogy, set against the backdrop of World War II, Harry Turtledove, the "Hugo-winning master of alternate SF" (Publishers Weekly), wove an explosive saga of world powers locked in conflict against an enemy from the stars. Now he expands his magnificent epic into the volatile 1960s, when the space race is in its infancy and humanity must face its greatest challenge: alien colonization of planet Earth.

Yet even in the shadow of this inexorable foe, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany are unable to relinquish their hostilities and unite against a massive new wave of extraterrestrials. For all the countries of the world, this is the greatest threat of all. This time, the terrible price of defeat will be the conquest of our world, and perhaps the extinction of the human race itself.

About this edition

• Publisher: Del Rey
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0345430190
• ISBN 13: 9780345430199
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 496