Book Review: Island in the Sea of Time by S.M. Stirling

Sometimes, I will listen to an audiobook, absolutely love it, and I will know it is a book I have to review. That way, I can share it with other people. Of course, sometimes life gets in the way, or I have to put it off for other reasons. But, sooner or later, I usually get around to it. That brings us to the book we'll be reviewing today. We're taking a look at Island in the Sea of Time by S.M. Stirling.

Island in the Sea of Time begins on 1998 AD on the island of Nantucket. It's a sleepy little island off the coast of Massachusetts, but also a popular tourist destination. Everyone is looking forward to what the new year will bring. Then, without warning, the sky is completely filled with a strange red light. The people of Nantucket notice some strange things once the sky returns to normal. The cities on the mainland have been replaced by unbroken forest, there are no radio signals, and the stars in the are totally different. Before long everyone reaches a startling conclusion: they've been sent back in time to the Bronze Age. Specifically, they're now in the year 1250 BC.

Like it or not, the people of Nantucket are going to change the past no matter what they do. Will they choose to create a better world; one free from the mistakes of the old? Or will a hostile flag of conquest fly across the Bronze Age world?

I'd known about this book for a while. It's kind of hard not to if you're into alternate history. The online alternate history has its own slang and acronyms for various tropes. One of these is named ISOT, which, of course, is short for Island in the Sea of Time. It refers to any land or individuals, from as small as a single person to as large as a whole country, getting transported to a different time, usually somewhere in the past. You then try to imagine what happens from there, much as this book series does.

I'm glad I finally got around to checking this series out. It was as excellent as I thought it would be, and it quite well researched as well. Obviously, with all the competing theorizes about life in the Bronze Age, there's no way that Stirling could possibly be faithful to them all. That having been said, the ones that he does decide to go with are extremely well researched. Moreover, Stirling had to, in essence, create many of the cultures feature in this series completely out of whole cloth. This is by necessity due to lack of surviving written records. For example, we know that Tartessos probably existed, that it was located in Southern Spain, and some people think it inspired Plato's account of Atlantis...and that's pretty much it. Stirling had to create basically everything about Tartessos and its culture from scratch. Oh, but don't worry, he succeeded with flying colors.

I briefly became obsessed with all thing Bronze Age after reading the Island in the Sea of Time trilogy. I fully blame that on Stirling excellent writing skills. I also wish to visit Nantucket someday. Many of the places mentioned in the series are indeed real places that you can visit. Stirling has posted pictures of several trips he took to Nantucket on Facebook, and it looks absolutely gorgeous. Nantucket has some of the best preserved pre-Civil War architecture in America.

A brief side note on terminology. The series as a whole is often referred to as Island in the Sea of Time, after the first book. This is how I prefer to refer to it. However, you will sometimes see it referred to as the Nantucket trilogy or the Islander trilogy. Just thought I should let you know. 

A significant chunk of the novel is dedicated to the Islanders working to make Nantucket self-sufficient and laying the foundations of their new nation. I was worried that this might drag on too long, and we wouldn't get very much alternate history goodness. Fortunately, I'm pleased to report that this is not the case. In fact, I found these segments to be quite engrossing and entertaining. I suppose that is a testament to Stirling's talent as a writer.

I also liked that there was conflict some conflict, of varying scale, because not everyone was on-board with the new state of affairs. There's one scene where an accountant flips-out because he's been assigned to help clear land for farm plots. He rails at how unfair it is that he's being force to perform manual labor. It's understandable why he'd feel that way; I'd probably feel similar. Still, Nantucket needs manpower and laborers, not accountants. Especially since they're also having to rebuild the economy from scratch. At this point, they're using work chits as a currency of sorts. Basically, you work a job for a set among of time, and get a certain number of chits to spend on whatever you wish. Money from the old universe is considered worthless. It is a basic economic truth that money has no intrinsic value beyond that which we imbue upon it. Of course, after a year or so, once things get settled, Nantucket transitions to an actual official currency of its own.

I also liked how the characters have to deal with the loss of stupid incidental stuff you probably wouldn't think about. You have various characters think on how much they'd give for something as simple as hamburger or a club sandwich. The loss of coffee is another big blow to everyone's collective moral. Sure, there are some coffee plants on the island, but they're bred to look pretty, not for their flavor. Wild coffee plants were mostly confined to the Ethiopian highlands in 1250 BC. For me, I think the biggest blow would be the loss of seamless socks. I have very sensitive skin, and socks with seams drive me completely insane. The lack, or least rationing, of air conditioning would also be a major downer. Not having any tea would also be unfortunate.

It's also mentioned that Internet addicts are taking it rough, but at least they're getting involved in community theatre and music groups. This book was written in 1998, when the Internet was still in its infancy. If the book had been written today, pretty much everyone on Nantucket would be dealing with major Internet withdrawal. Think about it; streaming services, YouTube, online video games, all the various information websites, Amazon, and search engines all just went poof. Oh, and your favorite review blog, by which I mean this one, would also be gone. Social media would also be gone, but that might not be such a bad thing...I say despite how much I use it to promote this blog. Relatedly, it's mentioned that of the teachers on the island took to living together; because living alone gets lonely when you don't have entertainment at your fingertips.

Now I think we should discuss the characters. I should mention that it wasn't just Nantucket that was sent back in time, but also the surrounding waters. This is important because the Eagle, and her crew, came along for the ride. It's a Coast Guard training ship that is made out of metal, but also uses sails. It has engines and motors, but it is capable of running purely on sail power. It was originally built by Nazi Germany, but was capture by America during World War II and converted into a Coast Guard ship. Oh, and did I mention that the Eagle is a real ship that actually exists? The crew are all fictional, but the ship itself is very real. In fact, I've actually heard that they keep a copy of the Island in the Sea of Time trilogy aboard the Eagle.

The Eagle is captained by Marion Alston. She's a no-nonsense woman of action and a master sailor. She had wanted to be a sailor her entire life, but the Navy didn't allow women to join. So, she joined the Coast Guard, because they actually allow women to join. She also previously trained in sword fighting with katanas, which comes in handy when she needs to train the Coast Guard in hand-to-hand combat. She one of the few prominent black people on Nantucket, but that doesn't stop her from rising to position of considerable authority within the new government of Nantucket. She's also a lesbian, but while some of the more conservative residents of Nantucket grumble about this, most people don't care, especially after all she's done for Nantucket.

One of the first things Nantucket realizes is that they need food for the winter. Corn was really only being grown by the Olmec in 1250 BC, so that rules out trading with Native Americans. So, the Eagle is sent on an expedition to England to trade for grain and livestock. At this point, the native people of England are in the process being displaced by the proto-Celtic Indo-European tribes. The ingenious people are England are known as the Fiernan Bohulugi, which roughly translates to People of the Soil, or Earth Folk. They're the ones who built Stonehenge. They don't have a written language, but they have extremely advanced knowledge of astronomy, and the movements of the stars and planets. Oh, and no written language means they have to do the calculations entirely in their heads, so they're pretty good at advanced math as well.

They're a matriarchal society, and their religion is based around the worship of a goddess named Moon Woman, who is said to be the mother of the stars. From what snippets we hear, their religion is vaguely similar to Buddhism, if a bit fatalistic at times, and is mostly peaceful.

The people attacking the Earth Folk are known as the Iraiina, which means Noble Ones, but the Earth Folk called them the Sun People, because they worship a sun god as their primary deity. In contrast to the Earth Folk, the Sun People are patriarchal, highly aggressive, and expansionist. Most of their other deities seem to be based upon various Celtic gods, which makes sense, given that the Iraiina are presented as the forerunners of the Celtic peoples.

As I've previously stated, we know basically nothing about Bronze Age England and its peoples. As such, Stirling had to invent pretty much everything about the Earth Folk and Sun People all on his own. Despite this, they both felt like fully fleshed out and vibrant cultures. In fact, on time I took a linguistics class, and we talked about the history of the English Language. The professor mentioned that we know basically nothing about the first inhabitants of England. I thought about the Earth Folk, and then I felt sad when I remembered that the Earth Folk were merely figments of SM Stirling's imagination. It is the mark of a truly great author when you feel sad that the people they invented aren't real.

Also, as I've stated, with all the competing theories about life in the Bronze Age, Island in the Sea of Time can't stay accurate forever. In fact, on Facebook, SM Stirling recently shared a link to a study suggesting the way he portrayed Bronze Age England got things backwards. However, he was not distraught by this. Quite the opposite, he was actually very excited about it, because it means we are learning more about the ancient past. That's a really good attitude to have with these sorts of things.

So, when the Eagle arrives to trade with the Sun People, Marion is gifted an enslaved Earth Folk woman named Swindapa Kurlelo. Understandably, Marion immediately grants Swindapa her freedom, and Swindapa accompanies Marion back to Nantucket. Once Swindapa adjusts to life in Nantucket she develops a romantic relationship with Marion. They couldn't be more different. Swindapa is barely nineteen, is almost always cheerful, likes to do cartwheels down the street just because, and obviously, is a white girl from Bronze Age England. Marion is stoic, in her late thirties/early forties, and is a black American woman from the modern day. Despite all of this, the two become a genuinely loving and devoted couple. An interracial, inter-temporal, lesbian couple with an age gap; they're breaking all sort of barriers.

Of course, there's a dark implication here. Swindapa's life as a prisoner of the Sun People was completely abysmal. There were times when she hoped that death would claim her and put an end to it all. The implication is, in the original timeline, this is exactly what happened. If nothing else, Nantucket can be assured that Swindapa and her people are better off because of them.

Marion is in charge of Nantucket's military, but the civic affairs run by former police chief Jared Cofflin. He likes to lead by example and out his money where his mouth is. During the early days after the Event, he took part in fishing and whaling expeditions. He's the leader of Nantucket, but he's subject to the laws like everyone else. While not opposed to using force where necessary, he tends to prefer to seek peaceful solutions for Nantucket's problems. He isn't college educated, but he isn't dumb, and can be rather thoughtful and insightful at times.

Both of these points are demonstrated during Nantucket's first major crisis. One of the pastors on the island is convinced, and convinces his parishioners, that Satan sent Nantucket back in time to prevent the birth of Jesus. As such, they try to burn everything on the island down. Thankfully, the crazed parishioners are quickly stopped, though the fire does burn down the arsenal. Many people want the arsonists hanged, but Jared suggest they instead be sent in temporary exile to the island of Inagua to collect salt. They will be watched over by Nantucket's resident priest Father Gomez, who will hopefully rehabilitate them. Cooler heads prevail, and everyone votes for Jared's proposal. He reasons, in his internal monologue, that their beliefs were wrong, because God exists outside of space and time. He also reasons that Nantucket is changing things simply by being in the past.

Interestingly, several of the other Christians on Nantucket share this thinking. They reason that God will know if/when to send Jesus to the new world Nantucket has found itself in. As such, missionary trips are organized to proselytize to the Sun People. The hope is that converting to Christianity will make them less violent. Yeah, I'm not so sure about that. Considering how much violence Christianity has inspired over the years, I can see many ways converting the Sun People could backfire. If anything, it might make them more violent, because now they can declare holy wars on the Earth Folk. Or they can justify attacking the Earth Folk by claiming them to be godless blasphemers. Still, I will say that the concept of spreading a religion before the birth of its founding is interesting from a storytelling perspective. Granted, this is never a major focus of the series, but it is still interesting.

Nantucket probably would have had a much harder time making allies in the Bronze Age if not for Ian Arnstein and Doreen Rosenthal. Ian is a professor of Classical Greek History and Culture. He is a native of California, loves puns, and was visiting Nantucket when it got transported to the Bronze Age. Sharp-eyed readers will note that he bares more than a passing resemblance to fellow alternate history writer, and good friend of S.M. Stirling, Harry Turtledove. Stirling has confirmed that this is indeed deliberate.

Doreen is an astronomer who was doing research at Nantucket's observatory. She determined that Nantucket had been sent to the Bronze Age by examining the positions of the stars. She also accompanied one of the first expeditions to the mainland. Unfortunately, she had the sniffles, and accidentally gave it to the local Native American population. The Native Americans, having no immunity to such things, were completely decimated by this common cold. This is very similar to what happened in our world when Europeans made contact with the Native Americans. I'm not sure it could have really been avoided. Still, it is rather odd that Doreen, and Nantucket in general, never seem to dwell on this for very long. Granted, they have more pressing issue at the moment, but it is odd that it doesn't even get a passing consideration later on.

Doreen and Ian joke that, being two of the limited number of Jews on Nantucket, they're the only option each other has. Of course, they do actually fall in love in get married. Hmm, we've got Marion and Swindapa, Ian and Doreen, and Jared marries town librarian Martha. Stirling sure seems to enjoy pairing up characters into odd couples that still work.

Of course, what is a series like Island in the Sea of Time without a villain? William Walker is the primary antagonist of the series. He starts off as a member of the Coast Guard, but soon develops ambitions of carving out his own empire in England. Walker is a cold, calculating sociopath. He shares his name with a 19th Century historical figure who was famous for filibustering. In those days, the term meant invading other countries and setting yourself up as dictator. Stirling has confirmed that William Walker from Island in the Sea of Time was indeed modeled on the historical William Walker. Well get into this in the later books, but if you know about the life of the historical Walker, then you can guess about how things will go for the ISOT Walker.

Walker finds several allies for his cause, including a merchant from Tartessos named Isketerol. He was part of a trading expedition that was in England when the Eagle arrived. The Tartessians are master sailors, and the best shipwrights in the Mediterranean. In fact, they actually figured out that the Earth is round by studying the way that the horizon works. Though, that particular fact is mostly known amongst ship captains and their crews. Nantucket initially hoped that they could court Tartessos as a potential trading partner using Isketerol. Once on Nantucket, however, Isketerol perused some encyclopedias at the Atheneum. It is the main library on Nantucket and is built in the style of an Ancient Greek temple. From this, Isketerol realizes that the Nantucketers really are from the future by seeing pictures of the Great Pyramid and the Gates of Mycenae in ruins.

As you can imagine, he is horrified to discover that almost no information about Tartessos survived in the future. He is determined to prevent Tartessos from meeting the same fate. He concludes that Nantucket will be the biggest threat to Tartessos, and allies with Walker to get his hands on future technology and knowledge. Though, he really only views Walker as a means to an end. Amusingly, Walker pretty much views Isketerol the same way. Hmm, so Isketerol betrayed Nantucket. His name sounds a bit like Iscariot, as in Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Also, I think that's supposed to be Isketerol on the cover of the book.

Rounding out the main antagonists, at least for this book, is Pamela Lisketter. The term social justice warrior hadn't been invented yet when Island in the Sea of Time was written, but Lisketter fits the stereotype to a T. She is an outspoken bleeding-heart progressive, very pushy with her views, gets offended at the drop of a hat, and isn't nearly as knowledgeable as she claims. For example, when Nantucket is considering starting whaling expeditions to supplement the food supply, she objects on the grounds that whales are endangered. This ignores that fact that whales were most certainly not endangered during the Bronze Age. You can practically hear the other characters rolling their eyes. It is somewhat fitting that Nantucket returned to whaling. Whaling was Nantucket's primary industry during the 19th Century.

Lisketter also criticizes Nantucket for trading with the Sun People. This ignores how desperately Nantucket needed the food, and how they allied with the Earth Folk as soon as they understood the political situation in England better. On an unrelated note, I loved the scene where the inhabitants of Nantucket see a flock of passenger pigeons for the first time. Their flocks were truly a sight to behold back before they went extinct. And there were be also sort of other amazing animals, that were driven extinct in our world, still alive during the Bronze Age. To name just a few, there were moas in New Zealand, thylacines in Australia, quaggas in South Africa, dodos in Mauritius, and Falkland Wolves in... well, the Falkland Islands.

Lisketter and her followers decide they need to save the Olmec, lest they be subject to colonialism. They enlist help from the great humanitarian himself, William Walker. You know, that white dude who is subjecting ingenious people to his colonial rule? Really, he just need a distraction for one of his plans, and Lisketter was just the useful idiot for the job. Oh, but it gets better. Turns out the Olmec didn't want to be saved. Most of Lisketter's followers are either eaten or used as human sacrifice. I'm rather reminded of those stories of missionaries who went to islands in the South Pacific, ran afoul of local customs, and wound up as the main course for dinner.

Oh, but Lisketter got the worst punishment of all. Well, the Olmec probably considered it an honor. She had green eyes, almost the exact color of jaguar eyes. The Olmec apparently have a creation myth about a woman having sex with a jaguar, and giving birth to a god. I should mention that this appears to be Stirling's own invention, in reference to the half-man half-jaguar often featured in Olmec art. So, Lisketter is forced to reenact the myth with a live jaguar, which somehow doesn't maul her. Then, she has to do it again with the village chief, who is wearing a jaguar skin robe. Needless to say, she practically begs for the sweet release of death by the time all is said and done.

Oh, and someone in her expedition spread mumps to the Olmec. One of the side effects of mumps is sterility, so congratulations Lisketter, you just whipped out the Olmec, along with all the Mesoamerican civilizations descended from them! Though, was that all Olmec, or just that settlement? In the next book we see Olmec merchants in Nantucket, suggesting that the other Olmec settlements are doing just fine. Now, the portrayal of the Olmec fell into several stereotypes about Mesoamerican civilizations. Normally, I'd be very annoyed by that. On the other hand, seeing Lisketter's followers get ripped limb-from-limb was incredibly cathartic, not to mention absolutely hilarious. I think I'll let it slide just this once.

Okay, this review has dragged on for long than I intended, and I think we need to wrap things up. There are a few other things I could add, but I'll save them for next time. Before we go, I will say there is an audiobook version. It is narrated by Todd McLaren. He's narrated a few audiobooks for both S.M. Stirling and Harry Turtledove, and he is always excellent to have as narrator.

Well, I think we'll call it a wrap for now. Island in the Sea of Time is an excellent first novel in an amazing time travel alternate history trilogy. I can't believe I waited so long to give it a try. Don't make my mistake, read/listen today. You will be glad that you did. And don't worry, my reviews of Against the Tide of Years and On the Oceans of Eternity will be here before you know it. Think I might review 1632 by Eric Flint as a compare and contrast as well.

Well, that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

Book Review: The League of Seven by Alan Gratz

I've said before that it is often true that good things come to those who wait. This is especially true in the case of audiobooks. So, today we're going to take a look at an alternate history audiobook that was more than worth the wait. We're taking a look at The League of Seven by Alan Gratz.

The League of Seven takes place in a world here Lovecraftian monstrosities, known as the Mangleborn, arose in 1775. The Mangleborn feed off of electricity, and will awaken when electricity is harnessed in sufficient quantities. The Americas were relatively unscathed, but they were cut-off from the Old World. The Thirteen Colonies founds themselves cold and hungry, but then salvation arrived. The Iroquois Confederacy agreed to adopt the colonists as the Yankee tribe, and thus, the United Nations of America was born. Over the years, the United Nations forged alliances with other tribes and expanded their territory, but mostly stayed east of the Mississippi River.

By the year 1875, the United Nations is a prosperous nation where whites and Native Americans live as equals, and is home to countless steam-powered marvels. Archie Dent is a young boy whose parents work for the Septemberist Society. They're an organization dedicated to the League of Seven. A group of seven heroes always form to take down the Mangleborn whenever they rise. Unfortunately, the Mangleborn have infiltrated Septemberist Headquarters. Before long, Archie is on the run with his trusty robot butler Mr. Rivets. They're soon joined by a Scottish boy named Fergus and a Seminole girl named Hachi. Archie and company have to find a way to take down the Mangleborn before it's too late.

As you might know, before I started this blog, I got my start writing for the Alternate History Weekly Update. It was a truly great blog, and one of the places I looked to for inspiration when I started The Audiophile. It's a shame it had go, but that was a big motivation for me to really kick my own blog into gear. Anyway, one day Alan Gratz stopped by to talk about a new novel he would be publishing soon called The League of Seven. I loved the setting that combined steampunk tech and adventures as well as Native American cultures. Oh, and the maps, I loved the maps too. Personally, I'm a bit sad that an updated version of Alan's full color map, complete with little mini flags, wasn't used. I mean, I get that black and white is more economical, and the map in the book doesn't look bad. Still, that full color map is awesome. Here, I'll include it and the revised official map blow it.

They're mostly the same baring a few minor differences. The most noticeable is that, in the revised map, there is a former Japanese colony called Beikoku in the Pacific Northwest. Interestingly, the book makes mention of something called the Seattle Alliance, whose location is now occupied by Beikoku. Perhaps a holdover from an earlier draft of the book? Anyway, Alternate History Weekly Update founder Matt Mitrovich did a review of the book, which only made me want it more. Alas, there was no audiobook. I patiently waited for this to change, until one day, when my patience was rewarded. So, now here we are

This book was exactly what I expected. I expected it to be an absolute blast, and it was. I loved the way it blended steampunk tech and alternate American History. In particular, I loved the focus on Native American peoples. You don't really see Native Americans too much in alternate history, or historical fiction for that matter. Actually, come to think of it, Native Americans also tend to get left out of the historical record in general; though recent scholarship is working to fix that. There's a lot of untapped potential in alternate history featuring Native Americans; particularly, in stories where Native Americans successfully resisted European colonialism, or else didn't get totally screwed over. As such, I'm glad to see that The League of Seven is working to fix that.

At times I got the impression that Native Americans comprised the major of the United Nations of America; or at least, where in equal name to the white population. In fact, since 1775, some parts of America have gone from majority white to almost entirely Native American. For example, Atlanta, now known as Standing Peach Tree, is primarily populated by the Cherokee and Muskogee. I suppose it does makes sense, given that there haven't been any immigrants from Europe since 1775. The Southeast had a fairly large Native American population prior to the Trail of Tears, which never happened in the world of The League of Seven.

New Jersey retained most of its colonial names, but is pretty entirely Iroquois as of 1875. They build their houses out of brick and stone, but in a way that evokes the longhouses of old. Wait a minute, what happened to the Lenape? They were the original inhabitants of New Jersey before white, and in this case Iroquois, settlers moved in. So, where did they go? It could be an oversight on Alan Gratz's part. On the other hand, at one point, Archie is going through his family's belongings and finds an aether pistol used in the Pawnee War. So, perhaps the expansion of the United Nations wasn't as peaceful as we're led to believe. We do see that there is growing tension between the Cherokee and Muskogee, though this is hinted to be caused, at least in part, by the Mangleborn. I thought that was actually good. Native Americans weren't a united block, they had tensions and rivalries just like everyone else.

So, just what is this League of Seven? Well, like I said, they're a team of seven heroes that forms every time the Mangleborn awake. They're roster is a veritable who's-who of famous members from World Mythology and Folklore. The most famous iteration of the league is the Ancient League. They consisted of Daedalus, Heracles, Atalanta, Ma'at, Anansi, Wayland Smith, and with Theseus as the leader. Wayland Smith is the only one I didn’t recognize from mythology. Apparently, he was a smith in Norse and Germanic Mythology,  and is the one who developed the aether pistol. Ma'at is the name for the Ancient Egyptian concept of balance and order, but there was also a goddess by that name, who acted as the personification of the concept.

It would seem that, in the world of The League of Seven, all myths and legends are true, but not all myths are and accurate account of what actually happened. The stories from mythology we know are just the cover stories, because the truth was too terrifying for the general public to know. For example, Theseus didn't fight a Minotaur in a labyrinth. He actually fought a shape-shifting Mangleborn capable for producing powerful illusions.

The Septemberist have identified a group who they believe to have the potential to be the new League of Seven. Well, maybe they did before the Mangleborn infiltrated headquarters. You know you're reading an alternate history novel when you've got Fredrick Douglas and Robert E. Lee on the same team. The novel makes a point of mentioning that Lee is wearing the blue uniform of the United Nations military. It appears that the United Nations had no equivalent of American Civil War. That raises a good question. Did slavery still happen, or did robots make it redundant? Mr. Rivets has been serving the Dent family since at least the 1770s, so the world has had steampunk tech since at least the 18th Century. We spend plenty of time in the South later in the book, but none of the people we see are black. Hopefully the sequels will address this.

I love the little incidental bits of worldbuilding we get along the way. For example, lacrosse, rather than baseball or football, is the sport of choice in the United Nations. It makes sense, given that lacrosse was invented by the Iroquois. 

The alternate history of The League of Seven goes beyond the 18th Century. For example, the Roman Empire expanded into the New World and established colonies in North America. Atlanta, Georgia was the site of a Roman fort. However, these colonies were a major finical drain, and contributed to the downfall of the empire, along with barbarian invasions. Well, that's the cover story anyway. In reality, the real reason Rome fell was because they started building electrical power stations, and this attracted the Mangleborn.

Also, New York City is instead named New Rome. Is it a former Roman colony perhaps? Instead of the Statue of Liberty, a statue of Hiawatha, the founder of the Iroquois Confederacy, stands in New Rome's harbor. Going back even further, Atlantis, Mu, and Lemuria were all real places that actually existed. Atlantis was located in North America, and the Atlanteans were the ancestors of the Native Americans. This is also why there's so many technologically advanced Native American tribes; the technology they use is derived from leftover Atlantean tech. Like the Romans, Atlantis met its end due to building electrical power station and awakening the Mangleborn.

Okay, enough gushing about worldbuilding, let's talk about the characters. Archie wasn't a bad character, and overall, I did find him a good protagonist. That having been said, compared to cast of colorful characters featured through the book, he just came across as a bit bland by comparison. Of course, his primary job in this book was to introduce us to the world of The League of Seven. Perhaps he will get a bit more fleshed out in the sequels. There's more to discuss, but we'll save that for the spoilers section.

Fergus was born in the Carolinas, but apprenticed with an Iroquois man in New Jersey. They both worked at Thomas Edison's lab in Menlo Park; where they sought to unlock the secrets of electricity. However, as previously established, messing around with electricity is dangerous in the world of The League of Seven, and not just because you might shock yourself. Of course, Edison knows this perfectly well, given that he's working for the Mangleborn. Yeah, I didn't like that particular plot point, but more on it in a bit. As part of a ritual to summon Malacar Ahasherat, also known as the Swarm Queen, Edison has Fergus infused with blood from an electric squid. His body is covered in weird tattoos, but he gets the power to shoot electricity out of his hands. I guess it isn't impossible for Fergus to be Scottish, but I found it slightly odd, given that there haven't been any immigrants from Europe since 1775.

Hachi is a Seminole girl from Florida. She lost pretty much her entire tribe to one of Edison's previous attempts to summon Malacar Ahasherat. Did she mean her specific branch of the Seminole? She must have, because we see other Seminole at various points. Anyway, because of this she tends to be fairly reserved and stoic, but she does open up as the book goes on. She has a menagerie of miniature clockwork animals that help defend her. We later learn that she attended an all-girls boarding school in Georgia. They covered all the subjects that young ladies ought to be proficient in. This includes, but is not limited to, reading, writing, arithmetic, sword fighting, archery, and hand-to-hand combat. I loved the scenes set at Hachi's old school.

Okay, now let's switch gears and talk about some of the stuff I didn't like. As previously stated, Thomas Edison is a villain. Can't say I was too pleased about that, but then the book made it worse. At one point, Archie and the gang meet Nikola Tesla at an Atlantean power station beneath Niagara Falls. Tesla is presented as a noble hero working for the Septemberists. First of all, if there haven't be any immigrants since 1775, how his Tesla even there? Second, it really annoys me when people lionize Tesla. While it is true that he did some admirable work in electricity and radio, he also has quite a bit of black marks against him. Chief among them is his support of eugenics. Tesla supported the forced sterilization of the mentally ill, criminals, and racial minorities. Quite ironic, given that Tesla suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder and hypochondria, meaning he'd be subject to the very policies he championed.

And here's another bit of irony: Tesla briefly worked for Edison before striking out in his own. Thomas Edison gets an undeserved bad reputation. True, he was very strict with his patents, but that largely stemmed from how he got screwed over early in his career. True, he could be a jerk, especially later in life, but the energy market was a pretty cutthroat place. People like to blame Edison for Tesla never getting credit, but that fact remains that many of Tesla proposals, such as his plan to use massive Tesla coils to give free electricity to all of America, simply would not have worked. To be fair, not as much was known about the laws of physics as we know now. If anything, Tesla would have made a far more fitting villain. Say what you will about Edison, at least he didn't support eugenics or forced sterilization.

Then there was a scene where Fergus meets a Cherokee police officer. The officer tells him an "old Cherokee legend" about how there are two wolves inside each of us. Slight problem, that's not a Cherokee legend. In reality, the whole "two wolves inside you" story was actually invented the American televangelist Billy Graham. In fact, in the first few tellings, he claimed it was an Eskimo legend from Canada. He only changed it to Cherokee after the Canadian Inuit successfully sued him for libel. Whenever someone tells you about a "Native American" legend or myth, ask them what tribe it came from. If they can't name the specific tribe, then it probably isn't authentic. Of course, as we've seen here, being able to name a tribe is no guarantee of authenticity.

This is particularly frustrating as, up until that point, The League of Seven had done an excellent job depicting Native Americans. It didn't fall into lazy stereotypes or caricatures. This was also disappointing due to how infrequently Native Americans appear in alternate history, as I've previously mentioned. Granted, this was the only major error I could stop, and I certainly hope that future installments of the series won't make similar mistakes.

I realize that electricity summoning the Mangleborn was necessary for the story to happen. I realize this, but it still gave the story an oddly anti-science, anti-technology, and anti-progress feel to it. Quite ironic, given the frequent emphasis on how cool the steampunk tech is. Moreover, steampunk tech is shown to have a few drawbacks. For example, Mr. Rivets has a variety of skills and functions, but can only activate them when the relevant punch card is inserted into him. Oh, and he can't insert the cards on his own, he needs a human to do that. If you want him to pilot an airship you need the airship pilot card, treating injuries requires the surgeon card, cooking requires the chef card, and so on. Technically, he can do functions other than whatever card is currently in him, but he does so slowly and inefficiently. And if you happen to lose the punch cards, well, tough luck.

Okay, now we're getting into the spoilers. So, skip down a few paragraphs if you don't want any of that.

Last chance, you sure you want to continue?

Well, okay, if everyone who wants out is gone, let's get into it.

At one point, Archie and the gang go to the nation of Acadia, which is located in Quebec rather than the Maritime Provinces. I would think that Canada would be a more fitting name, but I digress. Anyway, they retrieve the fur coat of a Mi'kmaq cultural hero who was a member of a pervious iteration of the League of Seven. Think of the coat like the Nemean Lion skin Heracles wore. The Mi'kmaq hero was, according to legend, the son of a bear. In reality, however, he was a Manglespawn. Manglespawn are half-human and half-Mangleborn. Yeah, have fun with that mental image. Heracles was also a Manglespawn, rather than a demigod.

I mention this because, at one point, Archie survives falling from12,000 feet in the air. He was wearing the special coat, true, but that was still pretty impressive. It reminded me of that time Percy Jackson survived jumping off of the Gateway Arch and landing in the Mississippi River. Of course, that was because Percy is a demigod. It was then that the gears started turning. Archie thought of himself as the Theseus of the group, because he's the leader, but what if he's the Heracles? What if he was not entirely humans?

Well, come the end of the book, my suspicions were confirmed. Archie isn't completely human, because he is indeed a Manglespawn. The Septemeberists found him on a mission to the Amazon rainforest. The Dents wanted children, but had trouble conceiving, so they agreed to adopt Archie. He isn't biologically their son, but they still love Archie very much.

I mean, I saw that twist coming, but I was still a bit surprised. That's definitely going to play a big role in the future books in the series. Coming to terms with his nature is probably going to be a big part of Archie's character arc.

And you know I have to take a moment to talk about the audiobook. I initially wasn't sure if James Fouhey would be the right fit, but I soon found that I had nothing to worry about. He gave a solid performance, and from the looks for things, will continue to do so in the next audiobooks of the series.

And I can't wait to explore those next books. Sure, The League of Seven had a few issues, but overall, I was extremely pleased with it. It was an absolute joy from start to finish, and I can't wait to explore more this steampunk alternate America. Do yourself a favor a get a copy of The League of Seven today. Believe me, you will be glad that you did.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: The Creeping Hour

When I was a kid, I absolutely adored the Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine. Sure, maybe they could be a bit cheesy at times, but that's what made them fun. Plus, they were good introductory horror novels for kids. You just don't really see very much horror media aimed kids like that these days. Thankfully, I've found an audio drama that fills that niche. We're taking a look at The Creeping Hour.

The Creeping Hour is a horror anthology aimed at kids. It is hosted by The Creeps. They're three kids named Axe, Weta, and Toro. They turned into monsters after listening to too many scary stories. If you're not careful you may become a Creep yourself before the podcast is over. So, strap in your ribs, crumple you ears, and suck on something sour, because the time has come for The Creeping Hour.

I first learned of The Creeping Hour when it decided to take a look at the website for TRAX. They're a subsidiary of PRX focused on creating quality podcasts for listeners between the ages of nine and thirteen. I'd know about TRAX thanks to Timestorm and Live From Mount Olympus, and I was curious about what other shows they had to offer. I saw The Creeping Hour, it looked promising, and now here we are.

The Creeping Hour is created by Elie Lichtschein in collaboration with WGBH. If you've ever watched PBS or PBS Kids, chances are you've encountered WGBH's logo at some point. This is rather fitting, as I think of TRAX as what it would be like if PBS Kids made audio dramas. Molly of Denali doesn't count, because it was made to tie-in with the show. Usually, audio dramas from TRAX have at least some sort of education content to them. The Creeping Hour stands out due to being purely for entertainment.

Like I said, this is a horror podcast aimed at kids, so don't expect anything too intense. Think along the lines of Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark? However, being aimed at kids doesn't mean that that these aren't good stories. I quite enjoyed them. In fact, why don't we take a look at the individual stories?

Our first episode is titled "Meet the Creeps." We are formally introduced to our ghoulish hosts for the first time. Axe goes first with the story telling. She tells a story about two boys who sneak into an old house on a dare. The house belongs to an old man named Mr. Dirt Spy, because that's all he can say. They're sure they'll find something weird, but they're about to find more than they bargained for.

Overall, this was a reasonably good first episode. The production values are top-of-the-line, as is to be expected from TRAX. The acting is also quite good. In fact, I think I recognize one of the boys as the kid who played Mondo in Cupid and The Reaper. And yes, I have that and Becoming Mother Nature on the "to be reviewed" list. Anyway, there's a good sense of tension and spookiness before we finally get the big reveal. I thought that said reveal was well done. On the flip side, Mr. Dirt Spy's constant chanting got very irritating very quickly.

All of that having been said, I couldn't help but feel that The Creeping Hour was capable of doing better. I sensed strong potential, don't get me wrong, but perhaps this first episode isn't their best work. I'm going to discuss the big reveal, so jump down a few paragraphs if you don't want that spoiled.

Everyone who wants out gone? Then let's continue.

So, what's lurking in the house? A spider, a very big spider. That's what Mr. Dirt Spy has been trying to say: dir spi, or put another way, spider. All well and good, but I protest this slander of our eight-legged friends! They are wonders of nature, and help keep the insect population in-check. Besides, we all know that only naughty kids get eaten by the monster-sized ones. The story stops just before we find out the boys' fate, but that just makes it more effective. Horror often works best when you leave blank spaces for the audience's fertile imaginations to fill.

Also, I realized that the names of the Creeps are puns. Weta has mandibles and antennas like an insect, and shares her name with a type of cricket from New Zealand. Toro has horns and a nose ring like a bull. Axe seems to be the only one without an obvious theme. Though, I guess it works as a rocker name, and she is a rock star.

All in all, a reasonably solid first episode, but I sensed that The Creeping Hour was capable of doing better.

That brings us to episode two "Out of the Wind." Weta tells a story about a group of friends on a field trip. They're helping clean up a beach on a blustery overcast day. Before long, they discover some mysterious eggs, and decide to sneak them home on their backpacks. But what about that mysterious creature soaring through the clouds?

Okay, now we're talking. I rather enjoy overcast days when it's not too bright, but also not too dark. When the light is just right, it's a magical time where anything seems possible. A sort of time when mystery and adventure could be lurking in your own backyard. We never get a full description of the monsters, but what we do hear sounds fun. I like the idea of some sort of sky shark thing that only comes out on overcast days. Well, only comes out on overcast days as far as we know.

But we also gotta talk about Rashona. She really wants to be a scientist. She's determined to make discoveries and prove how fearless she is. To this end, upon discovering the mysterious eggs, she...immediately swallows several of them. I realize that kids don't always think things out, and the horror often relies on people doing stupid things, but really? Rashona, there's a difference between being brave and being stupid. In fact, most scientists would agree that sticking random objects in your mouth, especially when you don't know what they are, is incredibly dangerous. Although, this does lead to some amusing scenes later on in the story.

I thought it was a nice touch to have the monster attack the bus when everything was dark and rainy. When I was a kid, my classes always took charter buses whenever we went on out of town. It was actually pretty fun; the rides were always very relaxed and casual. Of course, if we ever drove once it got dark, then things could get boring. Hey, at least when it's day you have nice scenery to look at. It probably would have been scary, but having a monster attack would have spiced things up.

In a way, this episode was almost were rely nostalgic for me. It is also an excellent second episode, and really begins to show what The Creeping Hour is capable of.

Episode three is titled "Big Shoes." Toro tells the story of Andrew Korman. He loves to pick on Gary, a kid who wears big shoes because he has big feet. Andrew begins to wonder if maybe Gary might not be human. Perhaps, he might be a shedim. Andrew is sent to see the guidance counselor, Mrs. Chanticleer. Of course, Andrew will soon learn that a phone-call to his parents is the least of his concerns.

This show keeps getting better and better. I love it when I get to learn about creatures from folklore and mythology that I hadn't previously heard of. Shedim are creatures from Jewish Folklore. They're a type of demon, or at least, fill the role of demons. They look exactly like humans, except that they have large chicken feet, instead of human feet. Yes, there are more creatures in Jewish Folklore than just golems. It is really great to see lesser-known aspects of Jewish folklore brought to a wider audience. Admittedly, it was pretty obvious that Mrs. Chanticleer was the shedim. Chanticleer is a common name for roosters in fairy tales. It was obvious, but still effective. Sometimes times in horror, waiting for the other shoe to drop for the characters can be effective.

It sure was nice of Gary to save Andrew from Mrs. Chanticleer. Personally, if I was in his shoes, I'd have just let the bully get eaten. I guess that makes Gary a better person than I am. The only real issue is that it is said that Mrs. Chanticleer is from Sylvania. I looked it up, and I couldn't find anywhere of that name. I suppose it was supposed to be a fictional Central/Eastern European country.

Still, that's a minor quibble. I'd say this is the best episode of The Creeping Hour yet. So, how are they going to top this one?

The fourth episode is titled "Perfect Teeth." Weta tells the story of Mariana, a girl who needs to get braces. Thankfully, she won't have to wear them for long. Her orthodontist, Dr. Fossil, has discovered a revolutionary new metal called fossilonium. It is stronger and quicker to bond than most other metals, so Mariana will only have to wear her braces for a few weeks. However, Mariana's brother Pablo has noticed that she's acting awfully strange after getting her braces. It's as if the braces are changing more than just her teeth.

So, how does The Creeping Hour top the last episode? Quite well indeed. It's interesting, because this episode very much reminds me of an episode from the Canadian radio horror anthology Nightfall titled "The Dentist." Said episode was later adapted by the always excellent horror anthology audio drama Campfire Radio Theatre. It involves an evil dentist who is using a laser to lobotomize his patients, and then sells their cranial fluids as a youth serum. Obviously, this results in some pretty significant personality changes in the patients. So, in many ways, you can see "Perfect Teeth" as a kid-friendly version of "The Dentist." Hey, I'm not complaining. "The Dentist" was one of my favorite episodes of both Campfire Radio Theatre and Nightfall.

Horror often derives from social anxieties, and this episode is no different. Just as "Big Shoes" taps into the fear of bullying, this story draws upon feelings of forced conformity. When you're a kid, it often feels like every adult is trying their hardest to cram you into a mold. Braces are also something many kids have to deal with sooner or later. Now, I should say most orthodontist are lovely people, but it doesn't make brace hurt any less. Hey, if you ever feel bad about having braces, take solace that at least you aren't me. I had to have braces twice! Second time was to correct the impact of faulty headgear, and I had to have jaw surgery as part of that correction.

An episode that manages to surpass its predecessor and more. I'd even go so far as to declare it possibly the best of the bunch.

Episode five is titled "The Beat." Axe tells the story of a boy named Ben. He is attending a Halloween party hosted by his friend Aiden. Ben is incredibly nervous and easily spooked, but his crush Esme will be there, so he's trying to put on a brave face. But he'll have to find answers to several questions if he wants to make it through the night. Why is very wearing such strange white masks? And what's up with that strange beat coming out of the speakers?

And so, we've reached the final episode of The Creeping Hour. I found Ben very easy to relate to. I too was very nervous and easily spooked when I was kid. Well, if I'm being honest, I still am. I didn't go to many parties, but that's because I didn't actively seek them out, and I wasn't much of a social butterfly. It didn't help that I tend to be fairly sensitive to loud music. I must say that the titular beat is rather catchy. I found myself tapping along to it. Hmm, better watch out, the fourth wall might not be able to protect you from this one.

It's not that this was a bad episode. Far from it, I quite enjoy it. It's just that this was the last episode of the series, hopefully just for now, so I was a little bummed that The Creeping Hour was over already. I also felt that "The Beat didn't quite keep up the momentum that "Big Shoes" and "Perfect Teeth" started. Again, this isn't to say that "The Beat" was bad. As the final episode, it had a lot of pressure riding on it, since it is the note that the series ends on. Again, hopefully that's just for now. If it had been just another episode, then perhaps it's would feel like there was less pressure on it.

Now, I don't want to end on a bad note here. This was still a very good episode, and I very much enjoyed it.

And so that was all the episodes of The Creeping Hour. It's a little disappointing that we only got five episodes, but hey, quality over quantity. According to Elie, the five episodes that are out so far are the pilot season. They were written with the hopes that The Creeping Hour would get picked up as a full series. Here's hoping that it does sooner, rather than later. It's been over a year, true, but the COVID-19 pandemic messed with the schedules of a lot of audio dramas. So, I suppose that hope springs eternal. I really hope we get more episodes of The Creeping Hour someday.

And so that was The Creeping Hour. An excellent horror podcast that is aimed at kids, but that doesn't mean listeners of all ages can't join in the fun. Give it a listen if you haven’t already.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: The Iron Heel

The public domain is a wonderful source of inspiration for artists of all mediums. This collection of works who copyright has expired, or which were never copyrighted in the first place, is extremely fertile ground to remix, reinterpret, recontextualize, or just straight-up adapt, many great works from the past. In doing so, those works are kept alive, and help create new works of art. Where am I going with this? Why, to the audio drama we'll reviewing today, of course. We're taking a look at The Iron Heel.

The Iron Heel is an adaption of Jack London's classic novel of the same name. The framing device is set in the 27th Century. Several centuries have passed since the world became a socialist utopia. An archivist, along with a troop of singers, and a couple other curious individuals, are listening to a series of audio recordings from the earliest days of the revolution. It began all the way back in 1912. Capitalism and corporations had completely run amuck with little to no regulation from the government. The workers of America cried out, but their pleas landed on deaf ears.

It was a grim time to be sure, but the first embers of revolution were beginning to glow. It began in California with a simple worker named Ernest Everhard. He caught to eye of Avis Cunningham, the daughter of a wealthy university professor. Ernest convinces Avis of the righteousness of the socialist cause, and of the plight of the working class. It's a good thing too, for a storm is brewing on the horizon. An oligarchical cabal of businessmen, industrialists, and other robber barons are plotting to seize control of the government and reshape America in their image. In time they shall be known as The Iron Heel.

I first became aware of The Iron Heel, as in the audio drama, when series creator Edward Einhorn accounted it on the r/audiodrama subreddit. The audio drama is three episodes long, and was released in its entirety on, fittingly enough, May Day. For those who don't know, that's May 1st. Not too long about this, Edward contacted me to let me know about the show, and if I'd be interested in reviewing it. I'd previously reviewed his other audio drama, The Resistible Rise of J. R. Brinkley. I said yes, and now here we are.

Jack London often gets thought of primarily as a writer of adventure stories. This view tends to get reenforced, at least in America, by English class. It's here that you'll likely encounter Jack London via stories like Call of the Wild or "To Build a Fire". In truth, however, Jack London wrote several works of fiction which can be classified as science fiction or horror. He was also quite involved in the socialist movement and the labor movement. Jack London ran for mayor twice as a socialist candidate, and lost both times. Unsurprisingly, in later years, London's work proved incredibly popular in the Soviet Union and the rest of the Eastern Bloc. In fact, there's a lake in the Russian Far East named Jack London Lake, name in his honor.

The Iron Heel is notable for being one of the first modern dystopian novels, but also one of the first depictions of fascism in literature. It predates Nineteen Eighty-Four, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451. However, being the first does not necessarily mean being the best. It is generally agreed that a lot of the ideas and concepts brought up by The Iron Heel were better explored by later novels. The Iron Heel isn't exactly a page-turner; it suffers from pacing problems, and the plot often gets derailed so that London can pontificate about his socialist views. It's not exactly a novel that invites itself for adaptation.

As such, I must admit I was somewhat surprised when Edward Einhorn announced his coming adaption of The Iron Heel. Still, being familiar with Edward's work in the past, I was cautiously optimistic. I should mention that this is a very faithful adaption. Edward doesn't really add or subtract anything from the plot, nor does he throw in any twists or unexpected turns. The production takes the plot of The Iron Heel lock, stock, and barrel. The biggest difference is that the characters in the framing device will periodically sing various songs associated with labor movement, the socialist movement, or some other leftist social movement.

And what fine music it is. I'm a big fan of folk music, and I've actually listened to several of the songs featured in this audio drama. However, there were also plenty of new songs to discover. I particularly liked "Solidarity Forever." It's sung to the tune of "Battle Hymn of the Republic." It was a common practice among the socialist movement to take the tunes of popular contemplate songs, and rework the lyrics to be about socialism. This was hardly an unusual tactic. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, did something similar. He reworked popular drinking songs to be about Christianity and Bible stuff.

I also liked The Iron Heel's rendition of "Which Side Are You On?" The lyrics had to be rewritten out of necessity. The original song was written about the 1931 United Mine Workers Strike in Harlan County, Kentucky. Obviously, keeping the lyrics as they were wouldn't work. So, they were changed to be about the members of the resistance movement fearing that the unions have been infiltrated by agents of the Iron Heel. However, the spirit of the original song, and more importantly its tune, have been preserved.

However, one song that didn't do so well was the closing number "The Red Flag." It's sung to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree", but all the singers sound like they're about to fall asleep. To be fair, this is a problem with pretty much all version of "The Red Flag" that use the traditional tune. It's generally agreed that the lyrics are excellent, but the tune and tempo leave something to be desired. The socialist singer Billy Bragg certainly thoughts so, and created what I consider the definitive version of "The Red Flag." It's high energy, accompanied by flutes, drums, and electric guitar, and it sounds exactly like what a song of the revolution should sound like. If Edward and company couldn't have gotten the rights to the Billy Bragg cover, they could at least have taken a page, and made their version of "The Red Flag" more upbeat.

Another aspect of The Iron Heel I really liked is its structure. One of the biggest complaints I had about The Resistible Rise of J. R. Brinkley was that it felt very disjointed, and at times downright schizophrenic, due to its structure. Thankfully, that's not an issue here. Whereas Resistible Rise would switch between the play itself and Edward's interviews with various scholars, The Iron Heel stays 100 percent focused on the play. The end of each episode includes a brief excerpt from an interview Edward did with various experts specializing in the labor moment. The full interviews are available on The Iron Heel's webpage. This makes for a streamlined experience. The focus stays on the play, as it should be, and the interview excerpts never overstay their welcome. It is clear that Edward took what he learned from Resistible Rise, and used it to make The Iron Heel the best it could be.

So, how is the plot? Well, it has a few issues. As I've previously stated, the plot is lifted almost directly as-is from the original novel. Consequently, this means that the audio drama also imported the novel's pacing problems. There's also the somewhat awkward fact that the novel, and audio drama, begin in 1912, a year that has already happened. For example, at one point Germany launches a surprise attack on Hawaii. However, the international forces of the labor movements unite to prevent a war from happening. In our world, the forces of imperialism and capitalism proved more powerful, and thus World War I happened. To be fair, Jack London was hardly the only writer to make this mistake. Hmm, I guess this means that, in the world of The Iron Heel, Bluto from Animal House was right. The Germans really did bomb Pearl Harbor!

I guess this technically makes the audio drama alternate history, but I don't believe in using alternate history as a dumping ground for futures that failed to come true. Hence, why this review is released under The Audio File, no The Alt-Hist File. Still, can't help but feel that it was a missed opportunity to not play up the alternate history aspect. Edward and the gang could have incorporated actual historical figures into the narrative, and set them on alternate paths. Eugene V. Debs, the famous Socialist presidential candidate, would be a shoe-in for such a role. Or maybe have famous businessmen like Henry Ford and J.D. Rockefeller be part of the Iron Heel. Or have other famous historical figures make cameos. The possibilities are endless.

Okay, so how are the Iron Heel as villains? Yeah, they leave something to be desired. At the start, we are shown that things are bad for workers, but it doesn't seem any worse than typical Gilded Age abuses and excess. That's not to say that working conditions during the Gilded Age were light and fluffy. However, give that this audio drama is based on a dystopian novel, I was expecting something, well, more dystopian. I suppose that perhaps this is due to The Iron Heel being more conservative in its speculations, compared to novels such as Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World.

I will say I did like the scene where Ernest confronts some academics at a party. The academics make a big show of being socially aware they are, and how they care about the poor, but it's pretty clear that they mostly just use social causes as conversation starters. They also far more clueless about the plight of the working class than claim to be. In fact, speaking with Ernest is pretty much the first time they've actually talked to a working-class person. Wow, somethings really haven't changed.

Anyway, so the first two episode have a sense of rising tension. Not very much happens, and the Iron Heel itself hasn't even come to power. Then episode three happens and things reach...an anticlimactic conclusion. More tension builds, Ernest and Mavis take a trip to Chicago, where a fight breaks out and... that's pretty much it. We do get some snippets showing how things progressed for the resistance over the years. Apparently, the Iron Heel successfully crushed the revolution, and it took two or three more revolutions before the Iron Heel was finally overthrown. The in-universe explanation is that records from the first revolution are scarce and incomplete by the 27th Century. I should again emphasize that this is all absolutely faithful to the novel. It's faithful, but it doesn't make for the most riveting listening experience. Still, all of the actors gave very strong and compelling performances, so I never felt bored.

Then we get that dreadful ending song, which we've already discussed. I thought to myself "this is one of the whitest pieces of music I've ever listened to." Then a troubling question entered my mind: where are all the black people? There's no mention of black people or other racial minorities, not even in the framing segments. This, combined with the notable lack of black influences in the music, gave the impression that ethnic cleansing had occurred under the resistance. Unions have been some of the most racist organizations in America History. For example, California labor unions layer a huge role in getting the Chinese Exclusion Act passed. So, this got me thinking, how do we know the records are telling the truth?

The real reason the music sounded so white was, well, because most music used by the labor moment was written by white people. As previously mentioned, racial minorities who tried to get involved in unions were often accosted by people wearing white hoods, and waving baseball bats. Still, the wheels of speculations began to spin within my mind.

What if the Iron Heel wasn't as bad as the resistance claimed? Oh, it might have been bad, but what if their flaws and excess were blown out of proportion. Going even further, what if the Iron Heel didn't exist at all? What if it was a boogie man the "resistance" fabricated to justify overthrowing the established government? And what if the resistance wasn't actually heroic freedom fighters, but zealous fanatics trying to force socialism on the world by any means necessary? And what if Ernest and Mavis were just made up for propaganda purposes? And what if there's no black people because the whole thing is actually a left-wing version of The Turner Diaries?

Okay, this is getting seriously speculative, and I doubt any of this was Jack London's intention. Still, there is at least some evidence to suggest this could be the case. During the framing device, some characters question if the record of events is really how things occurred. The main researcher lady says that of course it is...because it has to be. Um, what? It sounds like she's taking it on faith, to an almost religious degree, or possibly has been drinking too much Flavor-Aid. Yes, contrary to popular belief, it was Flavor-Aid, not Kool-Aid, that was used at Jonestown. I guess what I'm saying is, the 27th Century segments made me wonder if the history of The Iron Heel had been written by the winners.

Okay, enough with the speculations. What are my overall thoughts on about The Iron Heel? In many ways, the deck was stacked against the audio drama from the start. It is, if nothing else, incredibly faithful to its source material. And yet that maybe have been its undoing, and perhaps it would have benefited from deviating from the original plot somewhat. Still, there's, mostly, plenty of lovely music to listen to. The cast also make the most of what they have to work with, and give stellar performances across the board.

This audio drama is also much better than any of the audiobook adaptions of The Iron Heel. I realize that doesn't should like much of a compliment. However, I am an audiobook connoisseur, so that is big praise coming from me. If nothing else, The Iron Heel is only three episodes long. Even if you don't like it, you won't have wasted much time. So, why not give it a listen and decide what you think for yourself?

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.