Talk:Belisarius series

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Flint, Eric. "Islands". Summary: Novella set in the Belisarius series timeline. Published: In The Warmasters (ed. Jim Baen), Baen 2002 (0743435346), 2004 (0743471857). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.232.94.33 (talk) 07:50, 5 April 2010 (UTC)Reply

Note: this novella was also published in radioplay format. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.29.113.225 (talk) 19:11, 8 December 2017 (UTC)Reply

This novella was later included in various early chapters of The Dance of Time. Cptbutton (talk) 10:42, 30 December 2020 (UTC)Reply

There are certain flagrant anachronisms which could be mentioned, if any source discusses them. For example, the use of the term "Hindi" for languages which linguists would probably refer to as "early northern Apabhramsa" or similar. Not sure what the speakers of those languages would have called them, but the use of the Persian-derived word "Hindi" would appear to be anachronistic by at least 500 years... AnonMoos (talk) 13:24, 5 September 2012 (UTC)Reply

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Again, I am sadly not seeing what makes this series notable. My BEFORE is finding nothing in academic sources; ISFDb lists only a single review for the first two books (https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pe.cgi?11506), Google is not giving me much. @Cunard, @Daranios... _{Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| reply here} 08:13, 19 May 2023 (UTC)Reply

×10^Piotrus Have you already checked out the sources listed as useful sources listed on top of this talk page? Daranios (talk) 08:27, 21 May 2023 (UTC)Reply

Hi Piotrus (talk · contribs). Here are some sources about the series:

1. Husband, Janet G.; Husband, Jonathan F. (2009). "Flint, Eric". Sequels: An Annotated Guide to Novels in Series. Chicago: American Library Association. pp. 280–281. ISBN 978-0-8389-0967-6. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Google Books.

   The book notes: "II. Another alternate history series, this time in conjunction with battle-SF maven David Drake (q.v.), postulates an alien invasion of the Earth in the 6th century CE. The largest obstacle to the domination of Earth by the Malwan Empire is the Byzantine Empire, led by the great general Belisarius, a historical character who plays a role in other fiction, including Robert Graves's (q.v.) historical fiction classic, Count Belisarius (Random House, 1938). The Warmasters (Baen, 2002), which anthologizes novellas by Drake, Flint, and David Weber, contains Flint's "The Island," which features Calopdius, a character from the Belisarius series. Eric Flint also collaborated with David Drake in one novel of Drake's General series (q.v.): The Tyrant (Baen, 2002)." The book then lists the six books in the Belisarius series with a summary of each.

2. Bricken, Rob (2013-01-21). "11 Preposterously Manly Fantasy Series". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21.

   The article notes: "7) The Belisarius Series. The star of David Drake and Eric Flint's series was a real Roman general, but rest assured these books are still fiction, Published by Baen Books (purveyors of hyper-manly sci-fi and fantasy stories everywhere), this series follows the military exploits and adventures of Belisarius, whose Eastern Roman Empire legions fight the Indian Malwa Empire, which happens to be controlled by an evil cyborg from the future. Oh, and Belisariius is helped by crystal people, also from the future. This makes it partially sci-fi, but the sixth century setting makes it feel like fantasy — at any rate, the manliness is unquestionable. Belisarius is a master of the battlefield but in action and in strategy, and he's equally skilled at playing politics or getting his hands dirty. It might not shock you to know that Belisarius' badass wife was previously a courtesan, just so you know she and Beli have lots of awesome sex, you know, when he's not busy saving the world."

3. Walton, Jo (2017-05-23). "Why is Genre Fiction Obsessed with Belisarius?". Tor.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21.

   The article notes: "David Drake and Eric Flint’s Belisarius series (1998-2006, I have only read the first two volumes) use this history in a weird way. They have divine revelation inform Belisarius that the empire is going to be invaded from India, who had gunpowder. Now it’s possible, I mean Alexander did it in the other direction, but I found the way it was done in these books astonishingly unconvincing. I am a really easy sell for this kind of thing, and I’d been looking forward to reading these books, but they kept failing me on the level of plausibility. They’re also not really relevant to my argument here, because they’re not using the story of Belisarius—they’re using the characters in a different story. Though I suppose that in itself testifies to the popularity of Belisarius."

4. Parnell, David Alan (2023). Belisarius & Antonina: Love and War in the Age of Justinian. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 199. ISBN 978-0-19-757470-6. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Google Books.

   The book provides two sentences of coverage about the subject. The book notes: "The Belisarius series, six books published between 1998 and 2006, is far removed from historical realism. In these novels, authors David Drake and Eric Flint present an alternate history tinged with science fiction which finds Belisarius uniting with Persians to fight an empire in Northern India that is being manipulated by divine alien beings."

5. An Oblique Approach review:
   1. D'Ammassa, Don (July–August 1998). "Review of: An Oblique Approach". Science Fiction Chronicle. No. 138. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
6. In the Heart of Darkness review:
   1. D'Ammassa, Don (October–November 1998). "Review of: An Oblique Approach". Science Fiction Chronicle. No. 199. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
7. Destiny's Shield reviews:
   1. "Destiny's Shield". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 246, no. 25. 1999-06-21. p. 61. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Gale.

      The review notes: "Following up An Oblique Approach and In the Heart of Darkness, Flint and Drake continue their primitive warfare series set in a Roman empire that has been changed by the arrival of a time traveler. ... The battle scenes and strategies are as expert as expected in a book with Drake's name on it, but the ending, though superficially winding up the series, has an inconclusive feel, as if there's at least one more episode to come."

   2. Corder, Charles (1999-11-07). "What if the Confederacy had won the Civil War?". The Clarion-Ledger. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.

      The review notes: "Shield of Destiny, the third novel in the Belisarius series, follows An Oblique Approach and In the Heart of Darkness. But Shield of Destiny is the weakest of the group. The concept behind the series, while a science fiction staple, is handled in intriguing fashion. Belisarius' tactics and tricks on the battlefield and off are always clever and entertaining. But the series seems to be running out of steam. An Oblique Approach was almost lyrical in spots. And the comedy scenes were actually funny. Shield of Destiny is often repetitious by comparison. And the stabs at comedy have become increasingly feeble and tiresome."

   3. Puckett, Lynne (2000-01-23). "Alternative history series worth reading". Billings Gazette. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.

      The article notes: "Opinion: Excellent book! This series has been a doozy, and this book is another! The authors are very consistent in their alternate history, and the actual historical basis they start from is very accurate, as any Byzantine historian could tell you. If you haven't read the first two, read them first, then read this one. It's a pip!"

8. Fortune's Stroke reviews:
   1. Green, Roland (2000-05-15). "Fortune's Stroke". Booklist. Vol. 96, no. 18. p. 1734. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Gale.

      The review notes: "Flint gets top billing for the fourth volume of his collaboration with Drake, an alternate-world saga centered on the sixth-century Byzantine soldier Count Belisarius. ... The book smacks enticingly of Flint's fine time-travel yarn 1632 [BKL Ja 1 & 15 00] as it carries on an intelligent romp for military sf lovers."

   2. Cassada, Jackie (2000-06-15). "Fortune's Stroke". Library Journal. Vol. 125, no. 11. p. 121. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Gale.

      The review notes: "Panoramic in scope, with a cast of memorable male and female characters, this imaginative saga should appeal to fans of alternative history. A good choice for most sf collections."

   3. "Fortune's Stroke". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 247, no. 20. 2000-05-15. p. 94. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Gale.

      The review notes: "This exuberant romp of an alternate-history novel is the fourth volume of a series (Destiny's Shield, etc.) in which two contending super-beings from the far future try to determine humanity's fate through changing the 6th century A.D. ... ile Aide has developed a raunchy sense of humor from too much association with biological humans. Readers shouldn't take all this too seriously (and those new to the series would do well to read the earlier volumes before tackling this one), but should sit back and chortle while admiring the authors' alternate-technological ingenuity."

9. The Tide of Victory reviews:
   1. Cassada, Jackie (July 2001). "The Tide of Victory". Library Journal. Vol. 126, no. 12. p. 131. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Gale.

      This is a short book review. The review notes: "Guided by a crystalline entity from the future, General Belisarius's Roman armies continue their campaign into the land of Indus ..."

   2. Green, Roland (2001-05-15). "The Tide of Victory". Booklist. Vol. 97, no. 18. p. 1738. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Gale.

      The review notes: "The fifth volume of the big, exuberant Belisarius saga is appropriately titled, for in it the alliance of Romans, Persians, and Ethiopians takes to sea to bring war to the coasts of the Malwa empire. ... Meanwhile, the saga continues to be a feast for any military sf reader with a sense of humor."

   3. "The Tide of Victory". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 248, no. 23. 2001-06-04. p. 62. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21 – via Gale.

      The review notes: "High spirits and ingenuity mark the fifth volume in the Belisarius series from veteran Drake (Foreign Legions) and relative newcomer Flint (The Philosophical Strangler), who have devised an intriguing premise and developed it intelligently. ... Overall, though, the fascination of seeing familiar tactics applied in unfamiliar situations makes this novel a winner."

10. The Dance of Time articles:
    1. "New in Paperback. Flint, Eric, & David Drake: The Dance of Time". Locus. 2007-07-25. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21.

       The article notes: "Alternate history novel, final book in the "Belisarius" sequence that began with An Oblique Approach in 1998, about the famous Roman general in 6th century India battling an empire led by a computer demon from the future."

    2. "Book Notes: Oklahoma authors to sign their latest tomes". Tulsa World. 2003-10-05. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21.

       The article provides a passing mention of the book. The article notes: "He has collaborated with David Drake on five novels in the Belisarius series and is working on the sixth, "The Dance of Time.""

11. Belisarius III: The Flames of Sunset article:
    1. "Belisarius III: The Flames of Sunset". California Bookwatch. Vol. 4, no. 11. Midwest Book Review. November 2009. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21.

       The article notes: "Belisarius III: The Flames of Sunset offers two books in one: The Tide of Victory and The Dance of Time, covering the Malwa Empire and the world of the future that reaches into the past with a monster. The Malwa and their evil struggle with the worlds of the past in this fine and complex read, highly recommended for any science fiction collection."

Cunard (talk) 09:37, 21 May 2023 (UTC)Reply

@Cunard @Daranios Thank you. I've added a section on 'reception and analysis', but overall, the coverage of the series is very limited. Arguably, there are enough reviews for volumes 3-6 to make the stand-alone notable (but not yet for volumes 1-2), and summarizing those reviews here would be a good justfication for keeping the series article up. I am not going to nominate it for AfD, but until someone finds the time to improve it, I think this can be tagged with {{sources exist}}. _{Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| reply here} 09:32, 23 May 2023 (UTC)Reply