• "To Turn the Tide (1) (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling

    From Lynn McGuire@lynnmcguire5@gmail.com to rec.arts.sf.written on Sat Dec 27 18:39:27 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    "To Turn the Tide (1) (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling
    https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Tide-Make-Darkness-Light/dp/1668072637/

    Book number one of a two book science fiction series. I read the well
    printed and well bound trade paperback published by Baen in 2025 that I
    bought new from Amazon in 2025. I have ordered the second book in the
    series which will be released in trade paperback on May 5, 2026.

    This book is dedicated to "To Janet Cathryn Stirling, 1950 - 2021,
    dearest of all.".

    In 2032 AD, a history professor who is a retired USA Army officer, and
    his four graduate students fly to Vienna, Austria, to see the new
    machine for artifact verification that the Professor's scientist friend
    had built. However, the tensions between Russia and the European Union
    are at an extreme high.

    As the scientist is showing them his new machine and apologizing for his deception, a large nuclear weapon explodes in the skies above Vienna.
    In fact, hundreds of nuclear weapons are exploding across the European
    Union and Russia. Right before the nuclear bomb explodes above Vienna,
    the scientist activated his new machine, a working time machine. There
    was already a ton of materials ready in place for the journey back in
    time. During the nuclear explosion the machine activates, sending the scientist, the professor, the four graduate students, and the ton of
    materials back to 165 AD in the Roman province of Pannonia Superior.
    This is the first chapter in the book.

    I must admit that I enjoyed brushing up on my Latin while reading the
    book. Salve, salve ! Ave Imperator ! ! !

    My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,597 reviews)

    Lynn

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  • From ted@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan@tednolan to rec.arts.sf.written on Sun Dec 28 01:36:28 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    In article <10ipu82$3td23$1@dont-email.me>,
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
    "To Turn the Tide (1) (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling
    https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Tide-Make-Darkness-Light/dp/1668072637/

    Book number one of a two book science fiction series. I read the well >printed and well bound trade paperback published by Baen in 2025 that I >bought new from Amazon in 2025. I have ordered the second book in the >series which will be released in trade paperback on May 5, 2026.

    This book is dedicated to "To Janet Cathryn Stirling, 1950 - 2021,
    dearest of all.".

    In 2032 AD, a history professor who is a retired USA Army officer, and
    his four graduate students fly to Vienna, Austria, to see the new
    machine for artifact verification that the Professor's scientist friend
    had built. However, the tensions between Russia and the European Union
    are at an extreme high.

    As the scientist is showing them his new machine and apologizing for his >deception, a large nuclear weapon explodes in the skies above Vienna.
    In fact, hundreds of nuclear weapons are exploding across the European
    Union and Russia. Right before the nuclear bomb explodes above Vienna,
    the scientist activated his new machine, a working time machine. There
    was already a ton of materials ready in place for the journey back in
    time. During the nuclear explosion the machine activates, sending the >scientist, the professor, the four graduate students, and the ton of >materials back to 165 AD in the Roman province of Pannonia Superior.
    This is the first chapter in the book.

    I must admit that I enjoyed brushing up on my Latin while reading the
    book. Salve, salve ! Ave Imperator ! ! !


    I reviewed this a while back. I felt it wasn't up to the first
    ISOT book, but was quite enjoyable, and am happy to hear a sequel
    is coming, which I did not know.

    As you might guess from the series title, pretty much all the current-day
    cast have read de Camp, and Padway gets namechecked a number of times.

    It also dovetails nicely with a non-fiction history I reviewed recently:

    The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians
    by Peter Heather which I also quite enjoyed and recommend.
    --
    columbiaclosings.com
    What's not in Columbia anymore..
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Lynn McGuire@lynnmcguire5@gmail.com to rec.arts.sf.written on Sun Dec 28 00:39:21 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    On 12/27/2025 7:36 PM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
    In article <10ipu82$3td23$1@dont-email.me>,
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
    "To Turn the Tide (1) (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling
    https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Tide-Make-Darkness-Light/dp/1668072637/

    Book number one of a two book science fiction series. I read the well
    printed and well bound trade paperback published by Baen in 2025 that I
    bought new from Amazon in 2025. I have ordered the second book in the
    series which will be released in trade paperback on May 5, 2026.

    This book is dedicated to "To Janet Cathryn Stirling, 1950 - 2021,
    dearest of all.".

    In 2032 AD, a history professor who is a retired USA Army officer, and
    his four graduate students fly to Vienna, Austria, to see the new
    machine for artifact verification that the Professor's scientist friend
    had built. However, the tensions between Russia and the European Union
    are at an extreme high.

    As the scientist is showing them his new machine and apologizing for his
    deception, a large nuclear weapon explodes in the skies above Vienna.
    In fact, hundreds of nuclear weapons are exploding across the European
    Union and Russia. Right before the nuclear bomb explodes above Vienna,
    the scientist activated his new machine, a working time machine. There
    was already a ton of materials ready in place for the journey back in
    time. During the nuclear explosion the machine activates, sending the
    scientist, the professor, the four graduate students, and the ton of
    materials back to 165 AD in the Roman province of Pannonia Superior.
    This is the first chapter in the book.

    I must admit that I enjoyed brushing up on my Latin while reading the
    book. Salve, salve ! Ave Imperator ! ! !


    I reviewed this a while back. I felt it wasn't up to the first
    ISOT book, but was quite enjoyable, and am happy to hear a sequel
    is coming, which I did not know.

    As you might guess from the series title, pretty much all the current-day cast have read de Camp, and Padway gets namechecked a number of times.

    It also dovetails nicely with a non-fiction history I reviewed recently:

    The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians
    by Peter Heather which I also quite enjoyed and recommend.

    I have not read the "de Camp" book so this is new to me.
    https://www.amazon.com/Lest-Darkness-Fall-Sprague-Camp/dp/B000KU0AJQ/

    ISOT ?

    The second book is out in hardback and Kindle, I am waiting for trade paperback. I was told on Reddit that the third book will be released soon.

    Lynn

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  • From Christian Weisgerber@naddy@mips.inka.de to rec.arts.sf.written on Sun Dec 28 12:06:36 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    On 2025-12-28, Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

    "To Turn the Tide (1) (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling
    https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Tide-Make-Darkness-Light/dp/1668072637/

    I must admit that I enjoyed brushing up on my Latin while reading the
    book. Salve, salve ! Ave Imperator ! ! !

    Stirling has a bad track record in this regard. From my review of
    _Marching Through Georgia_:

    A minor point: why can't authors who throw in phrases in a language
    they don't know ask somebody who does to check? Stirling manages
    to misspell nearly every German word or phrase, and there's an
    expression or two that doesn't even remotely resemble German. The
    Russian looks suspicious, too.
    --
    Christian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.inka.de
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  • From Thomas Koenig@tkoenig@netcologne.de to rec.arts.sf.written on Sun Dec 28 13:24:02 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    Christian Weisgerber <naddy@mips.inka.de> schrieb:

    Stirling has a bad track record in this regard. From my review of
    _Marching Through Georgia_:

    A minor point: why can't authors who throw in phrases in a language
    they don't know ask somebody who does to check?

    Same for older films. I remember a Dr. Who episode quite a few
    years ago where they had somebody obviously not German trying
    to imitate a German accent, which went horribly wrong. But even
    worse was when they had her speaking German.

    Many English-speaking people misidentify an German accent in English,
    at least in my personal experience.

    Stirling manages
    to misspell nearly every German word or phrase, and there's an
    expression or two that doesn't even remotely resemble German. The
    Russian looks suspicious, too.

    These days, that should be easy using one of the automated
    translators.
    --
    This USENET posting was made without artificial intelligence,
    artificial impertinence, artificial arrogance, artificial stupidity,
    artificial flavorings or artificial colorants.
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Thomas Koenig@tkoenig@netcologne.de to rec.arts.sf.written on Sun Dec 28 15:14:28 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> schrieb:

    As the scientist is showing them his new machine and apologizing for his deception, a large nuclear weapon explodes in the skies above Vienna.

    They could have set that in the 1970s or 1980, when the Soviets
    were planning on nuking Vienna (capital of neutral Austria).

    I am currently reading "A Cardboard Castle?", which has quite a
    few plans along these lines. Fascinating, if extremely chilling,
    reading. The intransigence of the Romanians vs. the Soviet Union
    is almost funny to read (if one didn't know what kind of guy
    Ceau+Oescu was, and how his regime dealt with internal dissent).
    --
    This USENET posting was made without artificial intelligence,
    artificial impertinence, artificial arrogance, artificial stupidity,
    artificial flavorings or artificial colorants.
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Dimensional Traveler@dtravel@sonic.net to rec.arts.sf.written on Sun Dec 28 11:53:54 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    On 12/28/2025 4:06 AM, Christian Weisgerber wrote:
    On 2025-12-28, Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

    "To Turn the Tide (1) (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling
    https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Tide-Make-Darkness-Light/dp/1668072637/

    I must admit that I enjoyed brushing up on my Latin while reading the
    book. Salve, salve ! Ave Imperator ! ! !

    Stirling has a bad track record in this regard. From my review of
    _Marching Through Georgia_:

    A minor point: why can't authors who throw in phrases in a language
    they don't know ask somebody who does to check? Stirling manages
    to misspell nearly every German word or phrase, and there's an
    expression or two that doesn't even remotely resemble German. The
    Russian looks suspicious, too.

    Alternate Earth, alternate versions of German and Russian. :P
    --
    I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
    dirty old man.
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Robert Woodward@robertaw@drizzle.com to rec.arts.sf.written on Sun Dec 28 21:42:51 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    In article <10is1sg$g1om$1@dont-email.me>,
    Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

    On 12/28/2025 4:06 AM, Christian Weisgerber wrote:
    On 2025-12-28, Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

    "To Turn the Tide (1) (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling
    https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Tide-Make-Darkness-Light/dp/1668072637/ >>
    I must admit that I enjoyed brushing up on my Latin while reading the
    book. Salve, salve ! Ave Imperator ! ! !

    Stirling has a bad track record in this regard. From my review of _Marching Through Georgia_:

    A minor point: why can't authors who throw in phrases in a language
    they don't know ask somebody who does to check? Stirling manages
    to misspell nearly every German word or phrase, and there's an
    expression or two that doesn't even remotely resemble German. The
    Russian looks suspicious, too.

    Alternate Earth, alternate versions of German and Russian. :P

    Not with a PoD in the late 18th century. German (at least the High
    German dialects) had been a literary language for a couple of centuries
    by then and I suspect that Russian had been a literate language for
    awhile as well.
    --
    "We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
    Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_. rCo-----------------------------------------------------
    Robert Woodward robertaw@drizzle.com
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  • From ted@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan@tednolan to rec.arts.sf.written on Mon Dec 29 06:38:54 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    In article <10iqjar$27e6$1@dont-email.me>,
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
    On 12/27/2025 7:36 PM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
    In article <10ipu82$3td23$1@dont-email.me>,
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
    "To Turn the Tide (1) (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling
    https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Tide-Make-Darkness-Light/dp/1668072637/

    Book number one of a two book science fiction series. I read the well
    printed and well bound trade paperback published by Baen in 2025 that I
    bought new from Amazon in 2025. I have ordered the second book in the
    series which will be released in trade paperback on May 5, 2026.

    This book is dedicated to "To Janet Cathryn Stirling, 1950 - 2021,
    dearest of all.".

    In 2032 AD, a history professor who is a retired USA Army officer, and
    his four graduate students fly to Vienna, Austria, to see the new
    machine for artifact verification that the Professor's scientist friend
    had built. However, the tensions between Russia and the European Union
    are at an extreme high.

    As the scientist is showing them his new machine and apologizing for his >>> deception, a large nuclear weapon explodes in the skies above Vienna.
    In fact, hundreds of nuclear weapons are exploding across the European
    Union and Russia. Right before the nuclear bomb explodes above Vienna,
    the scientist activated his new machine, a working time machine. There
    was already a ton of materials ready in place for the journey back in
    time. During the nuclear explosion the machine activates, sending the
    scientist, the professor, the four graduate students, and the ton of
    materials back to 165 AD in the Roman province of Pannonia Superior.
    This is the first chapter in the book.

    I must admit that I enjoyed brushing up on my Latin while reading the
    book. Salve, salve ! Ave Imperator ! ! !


    I reviewed this a while back. I felt it wasn't up to the first
    ISOT book, but was quite enjoyable, and am happy to hear a sequel
    is coming, which I did not know.

    As you might guess from the series title, pretty much all the current-day
    cast have read de Camp, and Padway gets namechecked a number of times.

    It also dovetails nicely with a non-fiction history I reviewed recently:

    The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians
    by Peter Heather which I also quite enjoyed and recommend.

    I have not read the "de Camp" book so this is new to me.
    https://www.amazon.com/Lest-Darkness-Fall-Sprague-Camp/dp/B000KU0AJQ/


    It is a classic and probably de Camp's best work.

    ISOT ?

    Island In The Sea of Time


    The second book is out in hardback and Kindle, I am waiting for trade >paperback. I was told on Reddit that the third book will be released soon.


    Thanks, just kindled book 2.
    --
    columbiaclosings.com
    What's not in Columbia anymore..
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From ted@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan@tednolan to rec.arts.sf.written on Mon Dec 29 06:44:58 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    In article <10irhgk$aa9a$1@dont-email.me>,
    Thomas Koenig <tkoenig@netcologne.de> wrote:
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> schrieb:

    As the scientist is showing them his new machine and apologizing for his
    deception, a large nuclear weapon explodes in the skies above Vienna.

    They could have set that in the 1970s or 1980, when the Soviets
    were planning on nuking Vienna (capital of neutral Austria).


    Stirling has the main protag make something like that point:

    "That was Viennaa -- a medium-sized city in a European
    neutral country of no particular strategic or military importance."

    Paula blinked wet eyes, but drawing out deductions was a ground-in
    habit for all of them.

    "So if they bombed Vienna...where wouldn't they bomb?" she said.
    "La Paz, Bolivia? Maybe."
    --
    columbiaclosings.com
    What's not in Columbia anymore..
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Lynn McGuire@lynnmcguire5@gmail.com to rec.arts.sf.written on Mon Dec 29 01:07:07 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    On 12/27/2025 6:39 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:
    "To Turn the Tide (1) (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling
    -a-a https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Tide-Make-Darkness-Light/dp/1668072637/

    Book number one of a two book science fiction series.-a I read the well printed and well bound trade paperback published by Baen in 2025 that I bought new from Amazon in 2025.-a I have ordered the second book in the series which will be released in trade paperback on May 5, 2026.

    This book is dedicated to "To Janet Cathryn Stirling, 1950 - 2021,
    dearest of all.".

    In 2032 AD, a history professor who is a retired USA Army officer, and
    his four graduate students fly to Vienna, Austria, to see the new
    machine for artifact verification that the Professor's scientist friend
    had built.-a However, the tensions between Russia and the European Union
    are at an extreme high.

    As the scientist is showing them his new machine and apologizing for his deception, a large nuclear weapon explodes in the skies above Vienna. In fact, hundreds of nuclear weapons are exploding across the European
    Union and Russia.-a Right before the nuclear bomb explodes above Vienna,
    the scientist activated his new machine, a working time machine.-a There
    was already a ton of materials ready in place for the journey back in time.-a During the nuclear explosion the machine activates, sending the scientist, the professor, the four graduate students, and the ton of materials back to 165 AD in the Roman province of Pannonia Superior.
    This is the first chapter in the book.

    I must admit that I enjoyed brushing up on my Latin while reading the book.-a Salve, salve !-a Ave Imperator ! ! !

    My rating:-a 5 out of 5 stars
    Amazon rating:-a 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,597 reviews)

    Lynn

    BTW, there is an extreme version of this plot in "A Long Time Until Now
    (1) (Temporal Displacement)" by Michael Z Williamson:

    https://www.amazon.com/Long-Time-Until-Temporal-Displacement/dp/1476781729/

    Lynn

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  • From Lynn McGuire@lynnmcguire5@gmail.com to rec.arts.sf.written on Mon Dec 29 15:22:17 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    On 12/28/2025 1:53 PM, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
    On 12/28/2025 4:06 AM, Christian Weisgerber wrote:
    On 2025-12-28, Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

    "To Turn the Tide (1) (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling
    -a-a-a-a https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Tide-Make-Darkness-Light/dp/1668072637/

    I must admit that I enjoyed brushing up on my Latin while reading the
    book.-a Salve, salve !-a Ave Imperator ! ! !

    Stirling has a bad track record in this regard.-a From my review of
    _Marching Through Georgia_:

    -a-a A minor point: why can't authors who throw in phrases in a language
    -a-a they don't know ask somebody who does to check? Stirling manages
    -a-a to misspell nearly every German word or phrase, and there's an
    -a-a expression or two that doesn't even remotely resemble German. The
    -a-a Russian looks suspicious, too.

    Alternate Earth, alternate versions of German and Russian.-a :P

    +1

    Lynn

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  • From ram@ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de (Stefan Ram) to rec.arts.sf.written on Tue Dec 30 10:06:36 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote or quoted:
    On 12/28/2025 4:06 AM, Christian Weisgerber wrote:
    A minor point: why can't authors who throw in phrases in a language
    they don't know ask somebody who does to check? Stirling manages
    to misspell nearly every German word or phrase, and there's an
    expression or two that doesn't even remotely resemble German. The
    Russian looks suspicious, too.
    Alternate Earth, alternate versions of German and Russian. :P

    I'm reading a book on particle physics by David J. Griffiths.
    It's an excellent book and he's an excellent author, but he
    writes

    |With this ans|ntz, equation (5.4) can be written
    . . .

    (The correct spelling is "ansatz"). And at one point,

    |The time independent Schrodinger equation can now be solved
    . . .

    (The correct spelling is "Schr||dinger" and he normally uses
    it, except at this very spot). Still I recommend all his books
    on physics!


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