If you never saw it, ‘Connections’ is an old BBC show that explores the way seemingly random events come together to create vast changes.
Also, for pure fun, try Poul Anderson’s fantasy novel “A Midsummer’s Tempest.” The conceit is that Shakespeare was a great historian and everything he wrote about, including MacBeth’s witches and the clocks chiming in Rome was 100% accurate.
Teddy Roosevelt has entered the chat.
I would say that there was plenty of ‘science’ showing that European men were endowed by nature to rule over the world. “Science” replaced "the divine right of kings’ which replaced ‘make the best warrior the leader.’
I’d put ‘The Expanse’ at the head of the line
Poul did a throwaway story that I’d love to see expanded into a series.
A group of time travelers from 4,000 AD travel back to Renaissance Italy. They run into an evil baron and his henchmen, including one very learned monk. A little torture and the Italians have their own time machine. They set up a base in 10,000 BC and raid across time. They know that the Time Patrol can only use things in the historical record, so as long as they keep a low profile they’ll never get caught.
I always try to go by publication.
Someone put it this way [they were talking specifically about the Conan stories]. If you meet someone and get to chatting you don’t tell your story in chronological order. Maybe the first story you tell is about what happened at work, or your most recent vacation. After you’ve known them a while you talk about grade school.
That’s my opinion.
Here are some old school paperback writers you might not have heard of. I present them in no particular order, just off the top of my head. I found them all on wire racks in drug stores, lo these many years ago…
Robert Beck aka Iceberg Slim. If you ever wondered why there were so many rappers with ‘Ice’ in their name, it’s because Iceberg Slim was the author most widely read in the US prison system. I particularly liked ‘Trick Baby’ the story of a Black conman who could pass for White.
Donald Westlake aka Richard Stark. The other most widely read prion writer. Stark’s ‘The Hunter’ has been filmed about a dozen times. His crooks are unemotional professionals.
Tanith Lee. The Goddess-empress of the hot read. ‘Night’s Master’ has Satan as the hero. Every night he flies from his palace to seduce and/or terrorize mankind.
Enjoy.
‘War Of The Wing-Men’ is a good one to start with.
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
iirc, it was in "War Of The Wing Men’ where a princess has been traveling through the galaxy looking for a human male to sire her child. She ends up picking a fat, boorish space trader over the hero-type because the trader actually knows how to get things done.
I think Dick was writing to be read in a particular time and place. Take Dashiell Hammett. ‘Red Harvest’ works a century later. there are some references that are dated [wearing a red tie] but overall you can give the novel to a modern person without a great deal of explanation needed. ‘The Thin Man’ requires a ton of annotation to be understood.
imho.
What boggles my mind is that there have been about fifty movies based on Philip K. Dick and zero based on Poul Anderson.
Anderson has galactic empires, roguish heroes, dozens of alien species, strong females, etc etc.
For the first six months of his term they slept in different cities. She refused to leave NY for young Barron’s sake. I don’t usually bring minors into politics, but i just realized that Trump’s own son was apparently fine with not living in the same house as Daddy.
The funniest thing here is Melania actually looking at Cadet Bonespurs.
Melania would jump for joy if Donnie pulled the trigger and divorced her. The pre-nup would kick in and she’d be free.
They didn’t just have separate bedrooms in the White House; they slept on different floors.
https://www.businessinsider.com/melania-trump-separate-room-separate-floor-white-house-2019-12
Put yourself back in the day. No TV or internet. Public spectacles were pretty much the only entertainment. Any kind of parade was a big deal. Ever heard the phrase ‘get on the band wagon?’ On election days the political parties used to have wagons with a band and beer that would drive around town to get people to the polls.
Now look at some old Nazi documentaries. Those masses of people throwing their arms out like that? That looks great.
https://youtu.be/3_VeIf1M0M4
10 minute documentary on Hitler’s best propagandist