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Colonization (series)
Encyclopedia
Colonization is a trilogy of books written by Harry Turtledove
. It is a continuation of the situation set up in the Worldwar
four-book series, projecting the situation between humanity and the Race
(the bipedal lizard
like invaders and settlers from Worldwar) nearly twenty years forward into the mid-1960s.
The Race has settled and plans to colonize nearly half the surface of the Earth. This half includes Africa
, Australia
, China
, southern Asia
, Central America
, and South America
. The United States
, Canada
, the Soviet Union
, the Greater German Reich
(Germany and the territories it occupied during World War II), Britain
, and Japan
are the only other powers when the Race's colonization fleet of eighty to one hundred million settlers arrives. Humanity and the Race still jockey for advantages over each other.
A follow-up novel to this series, Homeward Bound, was released in 2004.
has taken over half of the planet. With the exception of the Greater German Reich, the USSR, The Japanese Empire, The British Isles, the USA, and some nations allied to the major powers, mostly in the northern hemisphere
, the Race rules most of the Earth. The Race spend their time trying to adapt to conditions on Earth (e.g., the aliens release species from Home on Earth, causing environmental trouble
). The USSR supplies weapons to Mao Zedong
's Communist Party
, The Greater German Reich attacks Race-held Poland (and fails, resulting in the death of Führer
Ernst Kaltenbrunner
, his top officials, the nuclear destruction of much of Greater Germany, and the removal of Nazi space installations). The German capital is relocated to Flensburg
and Walter Dornberger
becomes the new Führer
. The United States is led by President Earl Warren
. The Soviet Union is ruled by Ex-Foreign Commissar Vyacheslav Molotov
.
By the end of Colonization: Aftershocks, the United States and Reich already has spacecraft floating among the asteroid belt. The Americans have also launched two human starships. The Soviet Union, United States, and Germany established a moon base and U.S. and Germany put a man on Mars, but Germany was first.
called the Colonization series one of the best of Turtledove's works.
Harry Turtledove
Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.- Life :...
. It is a continuation of the situation set up in the Worldwar
Worldwar
Worldwar is a series of novels by Harry Turtledove whose premise is an alien invasion of Earth in the middle of World War II. The military invasion begins on or around May 30, 1942, but the aliens, who call themselves the Race, reached Earth orbit in December 1941...
four-book series, projecting the situation between humanity and the Race
The Race (Worldwar)
The Race refers to the fictional alien invaders of Harry Turtledove's Worldwar tetralogy, Colonization trilogy and Homeward Bound...
(the bipedal lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
like invaders and settlers from Worldwar) nearly twenty years forward into the mid-1960s.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, southern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the Greater German Reich
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
(Germany and the territories it occupied during World War II), Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
are the only other powers when the Race's colonization fleet of eighty to one hundred million settlers arrives. Humanity and the Race still jockey for advantages over each other.
Novels
Books of the Colonization trilogy are:- Colonization: Second ContactColonization: Second ContactColonization: Second Contact is an alternate history and science fiction novel by Harry Turtledove. It is the first novel of the Colonization series, as well as the fifth installment in the Worldwar series.-Plot:...
(1999) - Colonization: Down to EarthColonization: Down to EarthColonization: Down to Earth is an alternate history and science fiction novel by Harry Turtledove. It is the second novel of the Colonization series, as well as the sixth installment in the extended Worldwar series...
(2000) - Colonization: AftershocksColonization: AftershocksColonization: Aftershocks is an alternate history and science fiction novel by Harry Turtledove. It is the third and final novel of the Colonization series, as well as the seventh installment in the extended Worldwar series.-Plot:...
(2001)
A follow-up novel to this series, Homeward Bound, was released in 2004.
Situation
The RaceThe Race (Worldwar)
The Race refers to the fictional alien invaders of Harry Turtledove's Worldwar tetralogy, Colonization trilogy and Homeward Bound...
has taken over half of the planet. With the exception of the Greater German Reich, the USSR, The Japanese Empire, The British Isles, the USA, and some nations allied to the major powers, mostly in the northern hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
, the Race rules most of the Earth. The Race spend their time trying to adapt to conditions on Earth (e.g., the aliens release species from Home on Earth, causing environmental trouble
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
). The USSR supplies weapons to Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
's Communist Party
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, The Greater German Reich attacks Race-held Poland (and fails, resulting in the death of Führer
Führer
Führer , alternatively spelled Fuehrer in both English and German when the umlaut is not available, is a German title meaning leader or guide now most associated with Adolf Hitler, who modelled it on Benito Mussolini's title il Duce, as well as with Georg von Schönerer, whose followers also...
Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Ernst Kaltenbrunner was an Austrian-born senior official of Nazi Germany during World War II. Between January 1943 and May 1945, he held the offices of Chief of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt , President of Interpol and, as a Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei und Waffen-SS, he was the...
, his top officials, the nuclear destruction of much of Greater Germany, and the removal of Nazi space installations). The German capital is relocated to Flensburg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
and Walter Dornberger
Walter Dornberger
Major-General Dr Walter Robert Dornberger was a German Army artillery officer whose career spanned World Wars I and II. He was a leader of Germany's V-2 rocket program and other projects at the Peenemünde Army Research Center....
becomes the new Führer
Führer
Führer , alternatively spelled Fuehrer in both English and German when the umlaut is not available, is a German title meaning leader or guide now most associated with Adolf Hitler, who modelled it on Benito Mussolini's title il Duce, as well as with Georg von Schönerer, whose followers also...
. The United States is led by President Earl Warren
Earl Warren
Earl Warren was the 14th Chief Justice of the United States.He is known for the sweeping decisions of the Warren Court, which ended school segregation and transformed many areas of American law, especially regarding the rights of the accused, ending public-school-sponsored prayer, and requiring...
. The Soviet Union is ruled by Ex-Foreign Commissar Vyacheslav Molotov
Vyacheslav Molotov
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was a Soviet politician and diplomat, an Old Bolshevik and a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s, when he rose to power as a protégé of Joseph Stalin, to 1957, when he was dismissed from the Presidium of the Central Committee by Nikita Khrushchev...
.
Technology
The Race's initial invasion has benefited the technology of humanity. With the end to the second round of fighting, alien technology is being rapidly absorbed by humanity. Although the Race remains superior in technology, they are swiftly losing ground as human technology advances.By the end of Colonization: Aftershocks, the United States and Reich already has spacecraft floating among the asteroid belt. The Americans have also launched two human starships. The Soviet Union, United States, and Germany established a moon base and U.S. and Germany put a man on Mars, but Germany was first.
Literary criticism and reception
A writer from the Irish IndependentIrish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
called the Colonization series one of the best of Turtledove's works.