Quote:
Originally Posted by Over
I've started to read 1632, and I think it's a little bit too "american".  A bunch of guys, all possessing guns in their trucks, get together after a strange event that teleports them to the XVII century. Soon they find those RAPIST MURDERERS, who happen to be GERMANS on top of it! That's an excuse/motive enough to start killin'. Yee-haw! BANG! Mob justice! |
Yes, you are correct in your facts, but I do see it different -- then again I am a U.S. American so maybe its my bias?
Anyway, I do agree that many (most? all?) Baen books involve military, guns, and shooting. Someone once defined proper science fiction as the exploration of an alternate reality given one 'miracle' event. In this case the miracle is the transposition in time. Scientifically, everything else is pretty accurate. Personally, I find it believable, but it does seem that they get inventions to occur a bit faster than normal -- I put this down to a war time mentality.
Your mention of Germans and Mob Justice are ones that I must disagree with. This implies that there may be a version of racial bias in this story. However, I would point out that in 1632 many of the ancestors of modern day Americans were Europeans. In subsequent books, the English don't come off any better. On the other hand, there were many locals who become heroes and admirable figures.
In regards to Mob Justice, well that wouldn't be out of line for some of the books that I enjoy, but I don't think it applies in this case. The transplanted folks had their own government. They acted in line with their own laws and beliefs. My rusty memory recalls some discussion of deputation in their first encounter. Furthermore, they didn't just randomly shoot people. They shot those who were actively attacking them. They didn't hunt down and lynch anyone -- they caught them in actual attack mode and defended themselves. And later they capture some of these murderers as part of a battle and actually convert them to the 'right way'.
I see the series as more of a clash between modern ways and medieval not between American and Europe.