Curious Notions - Crosstime Traffic 2 - Harry Turtledove Book Review

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Review Summary

Tor, Oct 2004, 23.95, 272 pp.
ISBN: 0765306948

Crosstime Agent Lawrence Gomes warns his son Paul, who recently graduated from high school, that this alternate earth they are entering is dangerous. The key pivotal point difference occurs when the Kaiser wins World War I and ultimately in 1956 defeated the Americans. Now almost two centuries later, Germany still rules this world with advanced technology, and if they learn about Crosstime trafficking, they will have the skill to steal the idea and use it to conquer other earths.

In that environment, the Gomes open up Curious Notions, a shop to sell electronic equipment in San Francisco but their real purpose is to get raw materials for their timeline. However, the state-of-the-art merchandise that is common back home comes to the attention of the German Occupation Police Inspector Weidenreich. He demands Paul reveal who supplies them with such advanced devices; Paul mentions a local Cheese merchant who obtains the goods from China. Chinese triad gangs are curious about the shop too. As Paul befriends Lucy Woo, the authorities, the triads, and the Gomes play a game of cat and mouse.

Harriet Klausner

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of Curious Notions - Crosstime Traffic 2

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - alternate history
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - on a parallel earth in another dimension
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - small businessman
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript

Most similar books to Curious Notions - Crosstime Traffic 2
Gunpowder Empire - Crosstime Traffic 1 by Harry Turtledove
On the Beach by Nevil Shute
Hiero's Journey: A Romance of the Future by Sterling E. Lanier
Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer
The Nagasaki Vector by L. Neil Smith

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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