Eric Flint
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Eric Flint (born California, USA, 1947) is an American science fiction and fantasy author and editor. Some of his main works are alternate history science fiction, but he also writes humorous fantasy adventures.
Flint has a Master's Degree in history specializing in West African history. He left his doctoral program over political issues and supported himself from that time until age 50 as a laborer, machinist and labor organizer. A long-time leftist political activist, Flint worked as a member of the Socialist Workers Party. After winning the 1993 Writers of the Future contest, he published his first novel in 1997 and moved to full time writing in 1999. Additionally, he has been editing the works of several classic SF authors, repackaging their short stories into collections and fix-up novels. Although some of his edits have engendered some controversy, the resulting story collections have been commercially successful and have succeeded in returning out-of-print authors to print.
As of 2004 he lives with his wife Lucille (also an ex-labor organizer) in East Chicago, Indiana.
[edit] Electronic publishing
Eric Flint is noted as the editor of the Baen Free Library which was an experiment in electronic publishing (e-books in multiple unencrypted formats) where Flint and Jim Baen convinced authors1 to post entirely unprotected free copies of various works for download over the internet. Begun as an experiment to see if this increases the sales of their paper or (for-pay) electronic editions, Baen First Librarian, Flint published semi-periodically during its first two years a series of essays part blog and part letters to the editor tracking the experiment and championing the practice.
Financially, it seems to be working out for publisher Baen Books, as they have embraced e-book publication for all their works. Usually eighty to a hundred titles are available in the Baen Free Library at any given time. In most cases, the works involved are the early volumes in continuing series, appetite whetters, where readers might be likely to purchase later works in the same series.
All new Baen Books can also be purchased as e-books in the same unencrypted formats as the free library through Baen WebScriptions. As an added wrinkle one can purchase a monthly collection of five bundled works in the release stage of publication at Baen's. Once the bundle reaches four months from its scheduled release date in print, about half of the work is serialized and available to readers purchasing the advanced peek. A month later, the next quarter, followed by the last quarter, available about a month on average ahead of any printed work. The last delivery contains the copyedited e-book version of the book.
One can also purchase electronic Advanced Reader Copies (or eARCs) which are not a part of the forgoing monthly bundle, but are individually available for purchase. These followed a successful experiment with an online eMagazine, called the Grantville Gazette (More below—see 1632 series). The eARCs is an unproofed manuscript and is guaranteed to be full of typos and errors. It is pretty much raw from the author's word processor; however, they are fully available even before the first part of the monthly bundles. eARCs do not include the final proofed version. For the final version you would have to buy the single or monthly bundle for that book
Flint is also helming Jim Baen's Universe, an e-zine that is launching in June of 2006.
[edit] Published works
[edit] Belisarius series
(with David Drake) An alternate history series in which an AI is sent back in time to defeat a plot by others of its kind intent on the molding of humanity.
- An Oblique Approach (1998)
- In the Heart of Darkness (1998)
- Destiny's Shield (1999)
- Fortune's Stroke (2000)
- The Tide of Victory (2001)
- The Dance of Time (2006)
[edit] Assiti Shards series
The Assiti Shards refers to a literary mechanism and can be read about in detail on the section 'title link' immediately preceding. Flint had two other milieu's planned utilizing the mechanism, but because of demand for works in the 1632 universe, he temporarily shelved them through the period 2001—2005. They are now in production. A 1632 style work titled 1781 (novel) and a more traditional science fiction work which will include Shakespeare as a character, By Any Other Name are now in the long production process at Baen's Books (A book takes nine to twelve months after the author completes it to reach print at Baen's Books.) and should reach print by early 2007. A fourth Assiti effect tale, Timespike is under contract; the long awaited 1632/1633 novels (Main 1632 storyline thread sequel, 1634: The Baltic War, is being worked on by the authors Weber and Flint and is (firmly) scheduled for publication in May 2007. (last update: 4 May 2006.)
Baen's in the late winter of 2005–2006 started listing all the books under the umbrella series title Assiti Shards series, for the only published series thus far, so 1632 (numbering 13 works and climbing rapidly) under the pseudo misnomer Assiti Shards series, of which there are (will be) four milieus planned, not just the original. As of early May 2006, the series name of the 1632 books is under reconsideration; for the moment, in this venue, we use the term 1632 series, and other books in the series can be reached via that main article or by naviagating using the category of the same name on the page bottom.
[edit] The 1632 series
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- Once also known on the internet as the 163x series, Baen for a time called the Ring of Fire series, and it is as frequently called the 1632 Universe or 1632verse; however it is named, it is a best selling success with the 14th published work due in June 2006, awaiting a better marketing name. An alternate history series in which the inhabitants of a small town in the USA find themselves transported back to Central Germany ... in the late spring (May) of 1631 with no way back. The first book title results because while the tale builds in 1631, the climax occurs when events in the Thirty Years' War nearly overrun the town in 1632.
- 1632, (2000) See:1632 (Novel) which started the phenomenal buzz, growth, and subsequent history. Primary characters and setting are in fictional Grantville, WV now part of Thuringia.
- 1633 (2002) with David Weber, See: 1633 (novel) which is co-sequel (when written) with the following Ring of Fire anthology.
- Ring of Fire (Jan 2004, 1st of many 1632 canonical anthologies, currently supplemented by the Grantville Gazettes. For a while the title of this work was used as the series name.)
- 1634: The Galileo Affair (April 2004) with Andrew Dennis; this work takes stories from four Ring of Fire short stories and launches the second major storyline (called a 'thread' by Flint) in the milieu.
- 1634: The Ram Rebellion April 2006 with author-historian and key 1632 Research Committee member Virginia DeMarce. Together with stories from Ring of Fire and several Grantville Gazettes, this work launches the third major storyline thread in the novel which will be set primarily in Austria, though this book spends much time in Grantville, WV.
- (Note: Two to three additional Novels are planned in 1634 alone, including another with David Weber)
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- 1634: The Baltic War with David Weber; writing by Weber scheduled for May 2007
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- The Grantville Gazettes began as an experimental (eMagazine) collated as an anthology featuring primarily fan fiction and non-fiction background essays similar to encyclopedia articles. These fact articles, which include reference sections, were developed by the various sub-committees of the very informal 1632 Research Committee and the input (feedback and criticisms) received on the internet web-forum 1632 Tech Manual which is part of Baen's Bar. These essays and the feedback were pertinent to the developing milieu along with input from other established authors — a massive case of collaborative fiction writing—the foundation for which was in turn in part being developed on Baen's Bar by those same fans commenting, manning the committees, doing research much like contributing to a wiki, and then submitting the results to Peer review and criticism on 1632 Comments or 1632 Tech Manual. This is an ongoing process, as is the mining of said research and the primarily fan writing which is still on going.
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- The self-funding eMagazine Gazettes were edited by Eric Flint up through issue six (VI), who along and a volunteer Editorial Board, many who have been assisting him closely in designing the development of the milieu, building and running the canonical website 1632.org and the many research topics leading to decisions within the whole collaboration. While now using his assistant and direct employee Paula Goodlett as an assistant editor, Flint retains full editorial control of the 1632 milieu and all its intellectual property rights.
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- The Grantville Gazette anthologies are also published by Baen, beginning with an initial publication as a serialized eMagazine over three months, followed by an e-book release (downloadable in various electronic formats) at Webscription.net, but a mass market trade paperback edition of the first issue was published as an experiment in November of 2004. The first printing sold out, and reprintings followed. The second issue was released in a Hardcover Edition in early March 2006, and also sold well. The third print Gazette is in the publication production process at Baen's.
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- Grantville Gazette I, Issue 1 (Electronic edition Nov 2003, paper edition November 2004, both published under the title The Grantville Gazette)
- Grantville Gazette II, Issue 2 (Electronic edition Mar 2004, hardcover edition March 2006 )
- Grantville Gazette III, Issue 3 (Electronic edition October 2004 )
- Grantville Gazette IV, Issue 4 (Electronic edition mid April 2005 )
- Grantville Gazette V, Issue 5 (Electronic edition August 2005)
- Grantville Gazette VI, Issue 6 (Electronic edition March 2006)
- Grantville Gazette VII, Issue 7 (Electronic edition April 2006)
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[edit] Other Assiti Shards universes
Other "Assiti Shards" universes which share only the time travel mechanism, but not the setting of the 1632 universe include two planned novels:
- By Any Other Name (Publication date unknown) — being co-authored by Sarah Hoyt.
- Timespike (Publication date unknown) — being co-authored by Marilyn Kosmatka.
[edit] Heirs of Alexandria series
(with Dave Freer and Mercedes Lackey) Set in an alternate "Venetian Empire" in which magic thrives. (Note, a significant amount of text, and a couple of major characters in this work are adapted from stories written by Lackey in the Merovingen Nights shared universe series. That series was started by C. J. Cherryh in her novel Angel with the Sword.)
- The Shadow of the Lion (2002)
- This Rough Magic (2003)
- A Mankind Witch (July 2005)
[edit] Joe's World series
- The Philosophical Strangler (2001)
- Forward the Mage (2002 with Richard Roach)
[edit] Rats, Bats and Vats series
- Rats, Bats and Vats (2000 with Dave Freer)
- The Rats, The Bats and The Ugly (Sept. 2004 with Dave Freer)
[edit] Further collaborations
- Honor Harrington series stories/novels (with David Weber)
- Changer of Worlds (2001, anthology)
- Crown of Slaves (2003)
- The Course of Empire (2003 with K. D. Wentworth)
- Pyramid Scheme (2001 with Dave Freer)
- The Wizard of Karres (2004 with Freer and Lackey; a sequel to Schmitz's Witches)
- Boundary (March 2006 with Ryk E. Spoor)
[edit] Solo novels
- Mother of Demons (1997)
[edit] Trail of Glory series
- Rivers of War (May 2005)
- 1824: The Arkansas War (forthcoming 2006)
[edit] Short fiction
- In the Honor Harrington Universe
- From the Highlands (short novel), in More than Honor #3: Changer of Worlds with David Weber 2001
- Fanatic (novella) in The Service of the Sword, 2003
- Other Stories
- The Islands (novella) in Warmasters, an anthology, 2002
- Entropy and the Strangler (short story), in Writers of the Future Volume IX, edited by Dave Wolverton September 1993
- The Thief and the Roller Derby Queen (short story), in 'The Chick is in the Mail', edited by Esther Friesner, 2000
- The Truth about the Gotterdammerung (short story), in 'Turn the Other Chick', edited by Esther Friesner, 2004
- Carthago Delenda Est (novella), in Foreign Legions, edited by David Drake, 2001
[edit] Classic SF reissues edited by Eric Flint
- Works of Christopher Anvil
- Pandora's Legions (2002)
- Interstellar Patrol (2003)
- Interstellar Patrol II: The Federation of Humanity (2005)
- Works of Randall Garrett
- Lord Darcy (2002)
- Works of Tom Godwin
- The Cold Equations and Other Stories (2003)
- Works of Keith Laumer
- Retief (2002)
- Odyssey (2002)
- Keith Laumer: The Lighter Side (2002)
- Future Imperfect (2003)
- A Plague of Demons (2003)
- Legions of Space (2004)
- Imperium (2005)
- Works of Murray Leinster
- Med Ship: The Complete Stories (2002)
- Planets of Adventure (2003)
- A Logic Named Joe (2005)
- Works of Howard L. Myers
- The Creatures of Man (2003, with Guy Gordon)
- Works of James H. Schmitz (Co-edited with Guy Gordon)
- Telzey Amberdon (2000)
- TnT: Telzey & Trigger Together (2000)
- Trigger & Friends (2001)
- The Hub: Dangerous Territory (2001)
- Agent of Vega & Other Stories (2001)
- The Witches of Karres (2003)
- The Eternal Frontiers (2002)
