Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Berk
I just finish L.Sprague de Camp's Lest Darkness Fall. I really enjoyed it. Much more than 1632, Which I just finished as well (Courtesy of Baen free library). Not that 1632 isn't good, it is. Just that I think that De Camp nailed better the mindset of people at the time he was writing about (Rome's last days as an empire). I'm not an historian. But the way I see it - the people populating 1632 have very 20th century way of thinking.
I have two questions:
1. Considering it was released back in 1933 (I think) why isn't it in the public domain?
2. Can you recommend me some similar books???
Thanks a lot
Dave |
Well, here are my hit or miss recommendations
I'm sure you know of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain... This is more a satire of American (and specifically Yankee) attitudes than historically accurate.
David Drake wrote a sequel to Lest Darkness Fall called To Bring the Light, which I think might even be in the Baen Free Library or one of the Baen CDs. I've read it and don't remember anything about it more than the title, so it might not be up to Drake's usual standard.
Depending on what you liked about LDF, you might like the Enchanter books by DeCamp and Fletcher Pratt wherein the contemporary protagonists figure out the rules of magic and visit some magical worlds. I think its usually agreed that his collaborations with Pratt are better on average than Decamp's solo novels so you might enjoy it.
DeCamp also wrote The Glory that Was about some future travellers who end up in ancient Greece.
For a look in the opposite direction, try by Poul Anderson's High Crusade about some Edwardians who get get trapped on an alien ship and build an empire in the stars. Anderson seems to try hard to capture period attitudes IIRC.
Andre Norton's time agent books are excellent, and you can get a free taste from the Baen Free Library, which is even better. I have no idea about their historical accuracy but they are fun reads (and influential).
If you like the alternative history aspect, Harry Turtledove has written a whole bunch, but the only one which sticks with me is Agent of Byzantium, and that is really more of an adventure/intrigue tale.
H. Beam Piper wrote a series of stories about Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen about a police officer who is dropped in a roughly medieval society. I'm pretty sure that the magazine versions of these are available in Project Gutenberg and similar sources.
One problem with my list is that I've tried to stick to "classic" stories, so you may find them a bit cliched if you have read lots of modern science fiction.