David Drake

Defining authors of the genre include: Robert A. Heinlein, author of Starship Troopers, among other books. David Drake, author of the Hammer's Slammers series and other works; Jerry Pournelle, author of A Spaceship for the King, Falkenberg's Legion and the Janissaries series; John Ringo, author of the Legacy of the Aldenata, Empire of Man, and The Council Wars series; S. M. Stirling, author of The General series, and the Draka series; David Weber, ...

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Military science fiction, Military science fiction - Characteristics, Military science fiction - History, Military science fiction - Viewpoint, Military science fiction - Authors, Military science fiction - Military Examples, Military science fiction - Books, Military science fiction - Movie TV and Anime, Military science fiction - Games

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Arthur first appears in Welsh literature. In a surviving early Welsh poem, The Gododdin (ca. 594 AD), the poet Aneirin (ca. 535-600 AD) writes of one of his subjects that "he fed black ravens on the ramparts, although he was no Arthur." However, this poem (as it currently exists) is full of interpolations, and it is not possible to decide if this passage is an interpolation from a later period. The following poems attributed to Taliesin are possibly from a similarly early date: The Chair of the Sovereign, which refers to "Arthu ...

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King Arthur, King Arthur - The Arthur of history, King Arthur - Earliest traditions of Arthur, King Arthur - The Arthurian romance, King Arthur - Arthur's swords, King Arthur - Arthur in various media, King Arthur - Literature, King Arthur - Plays, King Arthur - Opera, King Arthur - Film, King Arthur - Television, King Arthur - Other media, King Arthur - Hidden Versions of the Arthur Legend in Other Works, King Arthur - Bibliography

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While this usage of the term "lich" is particular to Dungeons & Dragons and other modern fantasy fiction, the underlying idea of eluding death by means of arcane study and black magic is not. It can be traced to Middle Eastern folklore, and the method of achieving immortality by placing one's soul in a jar (which is usually hidden in some vast fortress) is suggestive of the burial practices of Egypt. This would make the Lich a very-far-from-its-roots mythologization of Egyptian pharaohs. It should be noted that the Ancient Egyptia ...

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Lich, Lich - Liches in fantasy fiction, Lich - Historical background, Lich - Music

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Perhaps the first works of modern Military SF were H. Beam Piper's Uller Uprising (1952) (based on the events of the Sepoy Mutiny) and the same author's Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen (1965). Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers (1959) is another pivotal early work of Military SF, and mostly responsible for spreading this sub-genre's popularity to young readers of the time. The start of Military SF as a recognized sub-genre might be placed at the publication of Combat SF (ISBN 0441115314, edited by Gordo ...

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Military science fiction, Military science fiction - Characteristics, Military science fiction - History, Military science fiction - Viewpoint, Military science fiction - Authors, Military science fiction - Military Examples, Military science fiction - Books, Military science fiction - Movie TV and Anime, Military science fiction - Games

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There are certain elements which are common to all alternate histories, whether they deal with history on the micro-level (personal alternate histories) or the macro-level (world-changing events). These elements include A point of change from the history of our world prior to the time at which the author is writing A change which would alter history as it is known An examination of the ramifications of that change Alternate histories do not Need to be set in the past Need to show the point of divergence Need to ...

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Alternative history fiction, Alternative history fiction - History of alternate history fiction, Alternative history fiction - Antiquity, Alternative history fiction - 19th century, Alternative history fiction - Early 20th century, Alternative history fiction - Cross-time stories, Alternative history fiction - Introducing the paratime patrol, Alternative history fiction - Development of more sophisticated framings, Alternative history fiction - The Connecticut Yankee wins at last!, Alternative history fiction - Major U.S. writers explore alternate histories, Alternative history fiction - Contemporary alternate history in popular literature including the s-f genre, Alternative history fiction - Alternate history in the contemporary fantasy genre, Alternative history fiction - Elements of Alternate History, Alternative history fiction - The boundaries of alternative history, Alternative history fiction - Alternative history in other media, Alternative history fiction - Points of divergence, Alternative history fiction - Counterfactual and virtual history, Alternative history fiction - Sidewise Award for Alternate History, Alternative history fiction - Published alternative histories, Alternative history fiction - Online alternative histories

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The population of the Malwa region was about 18.9 million in 2001, with a population density of a moderate 231/km². The annual birth rate in the region was 31.6 per 1000, and the death rate 10.3. The infant mortality rate was 93.8, slightly higher than the overall rate for the Madhya Pradesh state. There are numerous tribes in the region, such as the Bhils—and their allied groups, the Bhilalas, Barelas and Patelias—and the Meenas, who all differ to a remarkable degree from the regional population in their dialects and social life. They ...

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Malwa, Malwa - History, Malwa - Geography, Malwa - Demographics, Malwa - Economy, Malwa - Culture, Malwa - Tourism, Malwa - Notes

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The Malwa region occupies a plateau in western Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan (between 21°10′N 73°45′E and 25°10′N 79°14′E) [7], with Gujarat in the west. To the south and east is the Vindhya Range and to the north is the Bundelkhand upland. The plateau is an extension of the Deccan Traps, formed between 60 and 68 million years ago[8]See also:

Malwa, Malwa - History, Malwa - Geography, Malwa - Demographics, Malwa - Economy, Malwa - Culture, Malwa - Tourism, Malwa - Notes

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The region is one of the world's major opium producers. It was this crop that resulted in close connections between the economies of Malwa, the western Indian ports and China, bringing international capitalism to the region in the 18th and 19th centuries. Malwa opium was a challenge to the monopoly of the East India Company, which was supplying Bengal opium to China. This led the British company to impose many restrictions on the production and trade of the drug; eventually, opium trading was pushed underground. When smuggling became rife, t ...

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Malwa, Malwa - History, Malwa - Geography, Malwa - Demographics, Malwa - Economy, Malwa - Culture, Malwa - Tourism, Malwa - Notes

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The culture of Malwa has been significantly influenced by Gujarati and Rajasthani culture, because of their geographic proximity. Marathi influence is also visible, because Malwa was the recent rule by the Marathas. The main language of Malwa is Malvi, although Hindi is widely spoken in the cities. This Indo-European language is subclassified as Indo-Aryan. The language is sometimes referred to as Malavi or Ujjaini. Malvi is part of the Rajasthani branch of languages; Nimadi is spoken in the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh and i ...

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Malwa, Malwa - History, Malwa - Geography, Malwa - Demographics, Malwa - Economy, Malwa - Culture, Malwa - Tourism, Malwa - Notes

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It is known that mercenaries have been hired to fight in the conflicts in former Yugoslavia. Many of these were ex-Eastern Bloc soldiers who had no employment opportunities after the fall of the Soviet Union. Mercenary - Private military company PMC. Private military companies are companies that provide logistics, manpower, and other expenditures for a military force. Their contractors are civil ...

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Mercenary, Mercenary - Mercenaries and the laws of war, Mercenary - Gurkhas and French Foreign Legionnaires, Mercenary - Mercenaries and domestic law, Mercenary - Mercenary operations, Mercenary - Private military company PMC, Mercenary - Mercenaries in Africa, Mercenary - 20th century, Mercenary - Ancient Egypt, Mercenary - Mercenaries in European history, Mercenary - Mercenaries in the classic era, Mercenary - Mercenaries in medieval warfare, Mercenary - Mercenaries in the modern age, Mercenary - Mercenaries in popular culture, Mercenary - Notes

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The main tourist destinations in Malwa are places of historical or religious significance. The river Shipra and the city of Ujjain have been regarded as sacred for thousands of years. The Mahakal Temple of Ujjain is one of the 12 jyotirlingas. Ujjain has over 100 other ancient temples, including Harsidhhi, Chintaman Ganesh, Gadh Kalika, Kaal Bhairava and Mangalnath. The Kalideh Palace, on the outskirts of the city, is a fine example of ancient Indian architecture. The Bhartrihari caves are associated ...

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Malwa, Malwa - History, Malwa - Geography, Malwa - Demographics, Malwa - Economy, Malwa - Culture, Malwa - Tourism, Malwa - Notes

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De Camp enjoyed debunking doubtful history and claims of the supernatural, and to describe how ancient civilizations produced structures and architecture thought by some to be beyond the technologies of their time, such as the Pyramids of Ancient Egypt. Works in this area include Citadels of Mystery and The Ancient Engineers. Among his many other wide-ranging non-fiction works were Lost Continents, The Great Monkey Trial (about the Scopes Trial), The Ragged Edge Of Science, Energy and Power, Heroe ...

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L. Sprague de Camp, L. Sprague de Camp - Life, L. Sprague de Camp - Works Fiction, L. Sprague de Camp - Works Nonfiction, L. Sprague de Camp - Awards, L. Sprague de Camp - Bibliography, L. Sprague de Camp - Science Fiction, L. Sprague de Camp - Fantasy, L. Sprague de Camp - Historical Novels, L. Sprague de Camp - Nonfiction

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De Camp's first published story was "The Isolinguals" in the September 1937 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. He went on to write numerous novels, short stories and non-fiction works in his long career. De Camp was a materialist who wrote works examining society, history, technology and myth. His science fiction is marked by a concern for linguistics and historical forces. His most highly regarded works in the genre are his time-travel stories, including Lest Darkness Fall (1939), The Wheels of If (1940), and < ...

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L. Sprague de Camp, L. Sprague de Camp - Life, L. Sprague de Camp - Works Fiction, L. Sprague de Camp - Works Nonfiction, L. Sprague de Camp - Awards, L. Sprague de Camp - Bibliography, L. Sprague de Camp - Science Fiction, L. Sprague de Camp - Fantasy, L. Sprague de Camp - Historical Novels, L. Sprague de Camp - Nonfiction

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Belisarius was probably born in Germane or Germania, a city that once stood on the site of present day Sapareva Banya in south-west Bulgaria. Some suggest that he was of Romanized Slavic ancestry, on the grounds that his name is somewhat similar to the Slavic "Beli Tsar" ("White Prince"), but most contemporary historians disregard this theory as the word tsar was first used in the 10th century, well after Belisarius' death. He became a Byzantine soldier as a young man, serving in the bodyguard of the Emperor Justin I. Fo ...

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Belisarius, Belisarius - Early life and career, Belisarius - Campaigns against the Vandals, Belisarius - Campaigns against the Ostrogoths, Belisarius - His later life and campaigns, Belisarius - The legend of Belisarius as a blind beggar, Belisarius - Belisarius in fiction, Belisarius - Named after him

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The possible historicity of the Arthur of legend has long been debated by scholars. One school of thought believes Arthur to have lived sometime in the late 5th century to early 6th century, to have been of Romano-British origin, and to have fought against the pagan Saxons. His power base was probably in either Wales, Cornwall, or the west of what would become England. However, controversy over the centre of his power and the extent and kind of power he wielded continues to this day. Some members of this school, most notably Geoffrey ...

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King Arthur, King Arthur - The Arthur of history, King Arthur - Earliest traditions of Arthur, King Arthur - The Arthurian romance, King Arthur - Arthur's swords, King Arthur - Arthur in various media, King Arthur - Literature, King Arthur - Plays, King Arthur - Opera, King Arthur - Film, King Arthur - Television, King Arthur - Other media, King Arthur - Bibliography

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For his efforts, Belisarius was rewarded by Justinian with the command of a great land and sea expedition against the kingdom of the Vandals, mounted in 533-534. The Byzantines had both political, religious, and strategic reasons for mounting such a campaign. The pro-Byzantine Vandal king Hilderic had been deposed and murdered by the usurper Gelimer, giving Justinian a legal pretext for mounting an expedition. Furthermore, the Arian Vandals had periodically persecuted the Chalcedonian Christians within their kingdom, many of whom made their ...

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Belisarius, Belisarius - Early life and career, Belisarius - Campaigns against the Vandals, Belisarius - Campaigns against the Ostrogoths, Belisarius - His later life and campaigns, Belisarius - The legend of Belisarius as a blind beggar, Belisarius - Belisarius in fiction, Belisarius - Named after him

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Justinian now resolved to restore as much of the Western Roman Empire as he could. In 535, he commissioned Belisarius to attack the Ostrogoths. Again, he chose well, as Belisarius quickly captured Sicily and then crossed into Italy proper, where he captured Naples and Rome in 536. The following year, he successfully defended Rome against the Goths and moved north to take Mediolanum (Milan) and the Ostrogoth capital of Ravenna in 540, where the Goth king Witiges was captured. Shortly prior to the taking of Ravenna, the Ostrogoths offered to m ...

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Belisarius, Belisarius - Early life and career, Belisarius - Campaigns against the Vandals, Belisarius - Campaigns against the Ostrogoths, Belisarius - His later life and campaigns, Belisarius - The legend of Belisarius as a blind beggar, Belisarius - Belisarius in fiction, Belisarius - Named after him

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According to a story that gained popularity during the Middle Ages, Justinian is said to have ordered Belisarius' eyes to be put out, and reduced him to the status of homeless beggar condemned to asking passers-by to "give an obolus to Belisarius" (date obolum Belisario), before pardoning him. Most modern scholars believe the story to be apocryphal, though Philip Henry Stanhope, 5th Earl of Stanhope, a 19th century British philologist who wrote Life of Belisarius--the only exhaustive biography of the great general--believed the ...

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Belisarius, Belisarius - Early life and career, Belisarius - Campaigns against the Vandals, Belisarius - Campaigns against the Ostrogoths, Belisarius - His later life and campaigns, Belisarius - The legend of Belisarius as a blind beggar, Belisarius - Belisarius in fiction, Belisarius - Named after him

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The retirement of Belisarius came to an end in 559, when an army of Slavs and Bulgars crossed the Danube River to invade Byzantine territory for the first time and threatened Constantinople itself. Justinian recalled Belisarius to command the Byzantine army against the Bulgar invasion. In his last, successful, campaign, Belisarius defeated the Bulgars and drove them back across the river. In 562, Belisarius stood trial in Constantinople on a charge of corruption. The charge was likely trumped-up, and modern research suggests that his ...

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Belisarius, Belisarius - Early life and career, Belisarius - Campaigns against the Vandals, Belisarius - Campaigns against the Ostrogoths, Belisarius - His later life and campaigns, Belisarius - The legend of Belisarius as a blind beggar, Belisarius - Belisarius in fiction, Belisarius - Named after him

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Mercenary - 20th century. In the 20th century, mercenaries have been mostly involved in conflicts on the continent of Africa. There have been a number of unsavory incidents in the brushfire wars of Africa, some involving recruitment of naïve European and American men "looking for adventure" and thrusting them into combat situations where they would not survive to get paid. Many of the adventurers in Africa who have been described as mercenaries were in fact ideologically motivated to support particular governm ...

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Mercenary, Mercenary - Mercenaries and the laws of war, Mercenary - Gurkhas and French Foreign Legionnaires, Mercenary - Mercenaries and domestic law, Mercenary - Mercenary operations, Mercenary - Private military company PMC, Mercenary - Mercenaries in Africa, Mercenary - 20th century, Mercenary - Ancient Egypt, Mercenary - Mercenaries in European history, Mercenary - Mercenaries in the classic era, Mercenary - Mercenaries in medieval warfare, Mercenary - Mercenaries in the modern age, Mercenary - Mercenaries in popular culture, Mercenary - Notes

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Mercenary - Mercenaries in the classic era. Many Greek mercenaries fought for the Persian Empire during the early classic era. For example: Xerxes I, king of Persia, who invaded Greece in 484 BC employed Greek mercenaries. The best remembered is Demaratus, for his warning to Xerxes not to underestimate the Spartans before the Battle of Thermopylae. In Anabasis, Xenophon recounts how Cyrus the Younger hired a large army of Greek mercenaries (the "Ten Thousand") in 401 BC to seize t ...

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Mercenary, Mercenary - Mercenaries and the laws of war, Mercenary - Gurkhas and French Foreign Legionnaires, Mercenary - Mercenaries and domestic law, Mercenary - Mercenary operations, Mercenary - Private military company PMC, Mercenary - Mercenaries in Africa, Mercenary - 20th century, Mercenary - Ancient Egypt, Mercenary - Mercenaries in European history, Mercenary - Mercenaries in the classic era, Mercenary - Mercenaries in medieval warfare, Mercenary - Mercenaries in the modern age, Mercenary - Mercenaries in popular culture, Mercenary - Notes

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This leads to readers encountering stories which read as though they were alternate history, but which are not. An example would be Robert A. Heinlein's The Man Who Sold the Moon. Written in the 1940s, it posits that the first moon launch is run by a private organization rather than a government agency in the 1960s. New readers encountering the book may well presume that this is alternative history since it is clearly a counter-factual depiction of the first moon launch, now almost 40 years in the past. However, when written ...

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Alternative history fiction, Alternative history fiction - History of alternate history fiction, Alternative history fiction - Antiquity, Alternative history fiction - 19th century, Alternative history fiction - Early 20th century, Alternative history fiction - Cross-time stories, Alternative history fiction - Introducing the paratime patrol, Alternative history fiction - Development of more sophisticated framings, Alternative history fiction - The Connecticut Yankee wins at last!, Alternative history fiction - Major U.S. writers explore alternate histories, Alternative history fiction - Contemporary alternate history in popular literature including the s-f genre, Alternative history fiction - Alternate history in the contemporary fantasy genre, Alternative history fiction - Elements of Alternate History, Alternative history fiction - The boundaries of alternative history, Alternative history fiction - Alternative history in other media, Alternative history fiction - Points of divergence, Alternative history fiction - Counterfactual and virtual history, Alternative history fiction - Sidewise Award for Alternate History, Alternative history fiction - Published alternative histories, Alternative history fiction - Online alternative histories

Read more here: » Alternative history fiction: Encyclopedia II - Alternative history fiction - The boundaries of alternative history