Grantville Gazette IV

The Grantville Gazette IV (Main article: The Grantville Gazettes) is the sixth collaborative mixed-work set in the ' in what is best regarded as a canonical sub-series of the popular Alternate history that began with the February 2000 publication of the hardcover novel by author-historian Eric Flint. Overall it is the fifth anthology in the atypical series which consists of a mish-mash of main novels and anthologies produced under popular demand after publication of the initial novel which was written as a stand-alone work. This particular sub-series, the various Grantville Gazettes include encyclopedia grade fact articles by members of the 1632 Research Committee which cover the technological issues faced in fitting 21st century knowledge and base technology to the 17th century setting of the Milieu. The internet forum Baen's Bar hosts the 1632verse oriented sub-forums 1632 Tech and 1632 Slush and both forums figure prominently in the background of these works as is covered in the The Grantville Gazettes main article. The series as a whole, and this sub-series in particular are an example of internet-age collaborative writing in the literary field.
The 1632 series in brief
Eric Flint's novel concept was simple—take a small American town typical of his youth limited in population, stockpiled goods, and manufacturing capabilities— swap them across time and space with an equal volume of real estate in emerging Early Modern Europe in a critical formative time (during the religious strife of the Thirty Years' War)— and extrapolate what a new history might result as the American ("up-timer") capabilities and ideas of democracy, labor, religion, equality of the sexes, etcetera mix with "down-time" European attitudes dominated by established State churches, religion, authoritarianism, and class structures and a nascent university structure. The Gazettes and much of the main series as it has developed, are the results of the nearly quarter of a million posts to the webboard chat forum 1632 Tech Manual on publisher Baen Books website Baen's Bar seriously exploring that premise.
This particular sub-series, the various Grantville Gazettes include encyclopedia grade fact articles by members of the 1632 Research Committee which cover the technological issues faced in fitting 21st century knowledge and base technology to the 17th century setting of the parallel universe milieu. The internet forum Baen's Bar hosts the 1632verse oriented sub-forums 1632 Tech and 1632 Slush and both forums figure prominently in the background of these works as is covered in the The Grantville Gazettes and 1632 Editorial Board main articles. The series as a whole, and this sub-series in particular are an example of internet-age collaborative writing in the literary field.
Consequently, the Gazettes are mixed-works which include many fact articles initially published in online e-zine format, all set in the ' created by the departure point established in the February 2000 hardcover novel 1632 by author-historian Eric Flint, who serves as editor of the overall mass of works, or co-author of the series. In one volume at least, he managed both roles at once.
About the Gazettes
The bi-monthly Grantville Gazettes nowadays are published with clockwork regularity; all edited by assistant editor and vetted by Eric Flint who maintains editorial control over the canon for the series on the . They began quite differently with Flint as sole Editor, as well as keeper of the canon, and were very much an experiment on several levels explaining somewhat their early irregular appearance, that can best be described as "sporadic and haphazard".
After the initial explosive interest in Flint's first idea was to open the universe to other experienced writers to ride the wave of popular interest and internet buzz, for he had no plans for a sequel and other projects drawing on his time. That solicitation of stories included an invitation to fans of 1632, and generated far too much good "fan" fiction for a single anthology. In the event, best selling author David Weber was also attracted by the opened universe, and contracted with Flint to co-author five novels in the series. The release of any short fiction was held up by Jim Baen while was written and rushed into production.
Currently, Mrs. Goodlett, in conjunction with the 1632 Editorial Board, nowadays selects groups of stories from those formally submitted on the web forum 1632 Slush put together each volume with regard to length and diversity and the select the various 1632 Research Committees generated period oriented fact articles and essays which also characterize the gazettes, and distance them from the Ring of Fire anthologies. The e-ARC version of followed the hardcover 1633 sequel and antedated the e-ARC release of by nine months (February 2003 vs. November, 2003), as did (August 2003). Flint then reviews the assembled collection of stories and alternates, and approves them as canon or not. Those he sets aside sometimes find themselves promoted to a prominent place in the series (see and ), or might just be held for canonically compatible developments to be revealed before they are given publication. Others are simply rejected as non-canonical despite the Editorial Boards selection. The Editorial Board and Research Committee members are all volunteers being regular participants to the Baen's Bar web fora 1632 Tech Manual, 1632 Slush, and 1632 Slush Comments.
The earliest Gazettes are technically rated as fan fiction, which means the authors do not qualify as members in the Science Fiction Writers Association, which requires three stories be published in an accredited publication before a writer is eligible—this changed with when the publication became qualified as a SFWA publication and began paying better than usual pro-rates. The gazettes idea began because there was so much good fan fiction submitted for , which includes half the stories written by established authors. Flint had in fact, solicited input for ideas from fans before setting out to field research the flagship novel in 1999, so fans were involved in discussing the development of the neohistory from the outset. Subsequently, Flint, an experienced editor, suggested the idea of an online magazine to generate some income flow for the work to publisher Jim Baen using a similar concept to that used for Baen's Webscriptions monthly release. Baen, agreed to the experiment, and the Gazettes began as a serialized e-zine produced only sporadically, the segments of which were collected into an then electronic volume marketed as an e-book.
A subsequent experiment by Baen and Flint was to release the e-book version with an additional story by Flint in print as a mass market paperback. The experiment was successful, and and followed, with under contract as the last sale from Flint to Jim Baen shortly before his death.
In addition to fiction, the Gazettes include fact articles (based on the work output of the informal group, the 1632 research committee, written by one or more of its members) and stories which are initially vetted through a tough peer review on the Baen's Bar sub-forum 1632 Slush, typically requiring several rewrites then are subsequently nominated by the "EdBoard", whereupon Flint chooses the stories for inclusion in the Canon and for each volume based in part how it leads into or integrates with the ongoing main storyline 'threads' in the various novels.
Grantville Gazette Volume IV-Splash
In Paula Goodlett and Gorg Huff’s “Poor Little Rich Girls,” we follow the continuing adventures of the teenage tycoons begun by Huff in “The Sewing Circle” (Gazette #1) and “Other People’s Money” (Gazette #3). The focus in this story, however, is on the younger siblings—the so-called Barbie Consortium—and their down-timer associates and enemies.
Jose Clavell’s “Magdeburg Marines” depict the early days of a reborn U.S. Marine Corps adapting to new circumstances.
Ernest Lutz's and John Zeek's "Elizabeth", depicts the experimentation and formation of the first tactical narrow-gauge railway units (known in 1632 shorthand as TACRAIL) starting with the First Railway Company (Provisional). At the end of the story, this unit became the 141st Railway Battalion. TACRAIL units provide transportation and logistics support using the World War I era narrow gauge railways and tramways as a model. The US Military Railway Band aka "The Glenn Miller USAAF Band of the Thirty Years War" is also mentioned.
David Carrico’s “Heavy Metal Music” continues the story of the interaction between up-time and down-time musicians that he began in last issue’s “The Sound of Music.”
In other stories:
—A German craftsman blackballed by guild masters gets a new start in Karen Bergstralh’s “One Man’s Junk.”
—Grantville has to deal with the tragic accidental deaths of several high school graduates in Kerryn Offord’s “The Class of ’34.”
—In Virginia DeMarce’s “’Til We Meet Again,” a widowed up-timer responds to her husband’s death by joining the faculty in the newly-established women’s college in Quedlinburg.
—Julie Sims’ ex-boyfriend finds a new romance in Russ Rittgers’ “Chip’s Christmas Gift.”
—in Dan Robinson’s “Dice’s Drawings,” an American retiree finds a new life and maybe a new love in seventeenth century Germany.
The fourth volume of the Gazette also contains factual articles dealing with the development of an oil industry, advances in textile and garment manufacture, possible uses of biodiesel technology, and differing views on the prospects of creating a machine gun using the resources and technology available after the Ring of Fire.
Synopses
E-book Preface
Print version Preface
*This gazette was the last book purchased by Jim Baen from Eric Flint, and is in production at Baen's Books; scheduled for hardcover release in June 2008.

1632-verse Fiction
===="Poor Little Rich Girls"====
Building on the economic storyline begun in </I> and , and explore another economic theme centered in the main, on even younger protagonists, dubbed the "" some of them family members of the Sewing Circle teens, and their financial impact on the Europe of 1631—1632.
===="Magdeburg Marines"====
===="Elizabeth"====
and
How can you supply an army without foraging off your own people? A mixed group of Germans and West Virginians led by a Cajun try to find a way. This story marks the start of the TacRail stories.
===="One Man’s Junk"====
gives a blackballed journeyman blacksmith a new chance in Grantville.
===="The Class of ’34"====
===="’Til We Meet Again"====
recounts an accident that marks a breaking-away point for a widow.
===="Chip’s Christmas Gift"====
===="Dice’s Drawings"====

===="Heavy Metal Music"====
;or "Revolution in Three Flats", continues a serial begun in "The Sound of Music" in the anthology Grantville Gazette III.
's sometimes whimsical continuing serial (see ) is canonical about the cultural effects of Grantville on 17th century music featuring the maestro violist, who was deliberately and cruelly maimed by a rival in the Archdiocese of Mainz so that his string hand is crippled beyond rehabilitation and his up-time friend and ally Grantviller singer-musician are sought out by other German musicians seeking to learn uptimer knowledge, as well as to ensure Franz is all right, for he is beloved. Marla is put forth as an instructor to the group which has serious reservations about being taught by a woman, but are equally fascinated by the potential of the newfangled Piano technology and possibilities. Another sub-theme is the realization that because of the , many great composers and much music in Europe may never be written, and the group deliberately sets out to also preserve this future-past heritage for the paradoxical neohistorical world. The Franz and Magda stories are some of the most popular and well written in the early Gazettes, and this one is characteristic of their quality, both in the writing skill and emotions invoked in the telling of the tales. This storyline achieves a climax of sorts, and the characters take on major importance in and .
Non-Fiction
; Fact Essays from 1632 Research Committee members:
===="Drillers In Doublets"====
===="How To Keep Your Old John Deere Plowing"====
: ... "Diesel Fuel Alternatives For Grantville 1631-1639"
===="How to build a Machine gun in 1634"====
:with available technology: Two alternate views by the Grantville firearms roundtable
;First alternative :by , and
;Second alternative, :by
===="A Looming Challenge"====
's essay A Looming Challenge deals with man-power requirements of a technological society that is tied to the land by animal powered agriculture. It really deals with the duel challenges of mass production of cloth, of which the spinning of thread and weaving of cloth (not to mention the sewing of clothes as was touched upon in ), demands a large percentage of the labor force in the Europe of the day. Ms. Poggiani's research is into how hard it would be for the up-timers, who are far removed from the clothing industries strongholds whether north or south, to successively overcome the several hurdles and develop the key inventions needed to mass produce spun graded threads, weaving machinery, and so forth.
References and notes

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See Also

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