Book: The Two Georges
Authors: Richard Dreyfuss, Harry Turtledove
ISBN: 0-340-62826-X
The Two Georges by Richard Dreyfuss and Harry Turtledove is a science fiction tale of an alternate past. Richard Dreyfuss is an actor, and Harry Turtledove is now well known for his alternate history novels.
The book is set in the late 20th century, in a history in which the Thirteen Colonies never left the British Empire, because the American Revolutionary War never happened, as the circumstances that led to it were resolved peacefully. The Two Georges of the title is actually a painting, of the historic agreement between King George II and George Washington. As a consequence, the British Empire rules much of the world still, even more than it did at its height, and the industrial jewel in the crown is the North American Union.
There are some well known people who are in rather different roles in this book. In truth, given how different the history of the novel is, it is unlikely that they would have even been born, but it is still fascinating to see people in these different, and not always flattering, roles. Certain peoples have also come out of it a lot better than they actually did.
Technology as a whole has not advanced as much as it has in actual history, presumably as a consequence of the United States never becoming a separate country. The world is generally slower in nature, as airships still have an important role in travel, and mass communication devices are still in their infancy.
The story is around the theft of the titular painting by the Sons of Liberty (a rather unpleasant bunch of racists in this alternate present who wish to return America to its rightful owners – which aren’t the actual natives) and the attempts of Royal American Mounted Police Colonel Thomas Bushell to recover it. Bushell takes us through large portions of the NAU, which highlights the differences between his present and hours, such as the capital city of Victoria or the quasi-autonomous Six Nations.
The world depicted is by no means perfect, although the sheer lack of gun crime is an interesting difference. Some social changes have not happened as fast, whilst others have exceeded the speed that they happened in the real world. The Two Georges presents an interesting alternate world that should appeal to fans of such.
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