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Table of Contents

The Story So Far . . . by Walt Boyes

1. One Woman’s Treasures by Sarah Hays

2. Two Drinks for Rothenburg by Chuck Thompson

3. Genzaburo’s Gamble by Sean Little

4. Up-Timers Must Burn by Joy Ward

5. The Stars Were Bright by Tim Sayeau

6. Industrial Alchemy, Part 6: Rare Earths and More by Iver P. Cooper

7. Notes From the Buffer Zone: Technological Change by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

8. Hot Off Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire Press! by Walt Boyes

9. Best of the Gazette 2020 by Walt Boyes and Bjorn Hasseler

10. Capclave 2021 Featuring: Eric Flint and the 2021 Ring of Fire Con by Bjorn Hasseler

This Issue’s Cover – 98

11. Understudy Overreach by Gustavo Bondoni

Introduction

Grantville Gazette 98 is about the call of the new. In Sarah Hays’ “One Woman’s Treasures,” Alyse Ballentine brings rodeo to the new timeline. The leaders of Rothenburg in Chuck Thompson’s “Two Drinks For Rothenburg” are extremely wary about Grantville and the changes it brings. On the other hand, a samurai reaches for the opportunity in “Genzaburo’s Gamble” by Sean Little. Others, like Brother Brenn in “Up-Timers Must Burn!” by Joy Ward, are adamantly opposed to the new. Still others, like Maria Anna in Tim Sayeau’s “The Stars Were Bright” are embrace aspects of the new enthusiastically.

In “Industrial Alchemy, Part 6: Rare Earths And More,” Iver Cooper discusses what the timeline can (and can’t) do with certain elements. Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about “Technological Change in Notes from The Buffer Zone. See what’s just been released and what’s coming out next in “Hot Off the Ring of Fire Press.” Find out which story readers chose as “Best of 2020” and read the report on “Ring of Fire Con 2021.” Finally, Gustavo Bondoni brings us “Understudy Overreach,” in which characters go charging out to get to the new first.

Cover Art by Garrett W. Vance. : “Satanic Up-time things must burn!” Inspired by Joy Ward’s gripping story Up-Timers Must Burn!

The Story So Far

Welcome once again to the roller coaster we call the 1632 Universe and the Grantville Gazette. We are going to dip into the minds and hearts of people like Alyse Ballentine, Georg Nusch and Kilian Albrecht, Yamazaki Genzaburo, and Brother Brenn, as well as Maria Anna von Habsburg, the Wheelbarrow Queen.

Alyse Ballantine lives for horsemanship, for the rodeo or charreada, depending on which side of the Rio Grande you were. We see her as she attracts kindred souls and rebuilds her life after her husband cleans her out and moves away. And we see her take in another stray, from the Spanish Riding School and bring the “airs above the ground” to Grantville. Read about it in “One Woman’s Treasures” by Sarah Hays.

Georg Nusch once did, or did not, drink a huge jack of beer as a sort of bet with Johann Tzerclaes, Count Tilly, to induce the field marshal to spare the city of Rothenburg from a sack. But because of his notoriety, he is sent to Grantville for help, along with Kilian Albrecht, who believes that Grantville is entirely demonically inspired. Read how it all comes out in “Two Drinks for Rothenburg” by Chuck Thompson.

Sean Little writes of Feudal Japan in “Genzaburo’s Gamble.” Yamasaki Genzaburo is one of the least of the samurai caste and is barely better than the peasants he lives among. But Genzaburo is ambitious and will fight for a better future.

The mysterious Brother Brenn begins by preaching that the up-timers are not only demonically inspired, but are actual demons. He believes that all the up-timers and all their works should burn. Joy Ward’s gripping story is “Up-timers Must Burn!”

Tim Sayeau gives us another of his whimsical stories, with a little bit of a bite, in “The Stars Were Bright.” The Wheelbarrow Queen, Maria Anna von Habsburg, Queen in the Netherlands just loves the up-time Swedish pop group ABBA and plays their songs to her husband, Fernando.

Iver P. Cooper gives us another installment of “Industrial Alchemy, Part 6” in our nonfiction section. It talks about how modern alloys are hard—and hard to make.

In Notes from the Buffer Zone, Kristine Kathryn Rusch gives us her column, this time on “Technological Change.” She uses taking Spanish at UNLV as an example of how technology changes process.

In the Universe Annex, Gustavo Boldoni gives us “Understudy Overreach” about what might happen if the second team of astronauts decides to just go do something different.

We hope you enjoy the ride. Now be sure to keep your feet and hands inside the car at all times as we head up the first incline.

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