The House of Daniel

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By Harry Turtledove

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Publisher Description

From Harry Turtledove, “the Master of Alternate History,” comes a tale of minor league baseball set in an alternate Great Depression America full of wild magic

Since the Big Bubble popped in 1929, life in the United States hasn't been the same. Hotshot wizards will tell you nothing's really changed, but then again, hotshot wizards aren't looking for honest work in Enid, Oklahoma. No paying jobs at the mill, because zombies will work for nothing. The diner on Main Street is seeing hard times as well, because a lot fewer folks can afford to fly carpets in from miles away.

Jack Spivey's just another down-and-out trying to stay alive, doing a little of this and a little of that. Sometimes that means making a few bucks playing ball with the Enid Eagles, against teams from as many as two counties away. And sometimes it means roughing up rival thugs for Big Stu, the guy who calls the shots in Enid.

But one day Jack knocks on the door of the person he's supposed to "deal with"--and realizes that he's not going to do any such thing to the young lady who answers. This means he needs to get out of the reach of Big Stu, who didn't get to where he is by letting defiance go unpunished.

Then the House of Daniel comes to town--a brash band of barnstormers who'll take on any team, and whose antics never fail to entertain. Against the odds Jack secures a berth with them. Now they're off to tour an America that's as shot through with magic as it is dead broke. Jack will never be the same--nor will baseball.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

5 Reviews

3.0

Mikaela

Created about 2 years ago

Olmseye

Created about 6 years ago

Sam Sattler

Created over 8 years ago

“Harry Turtledove is one of the masters of the alternate history genre, no doubt about it. Among his alternate history titles are two long-running series known as The World War Saga and The Colonization Series, plus stand-alone titles like The Guns of the South, a weird rewriting of American Civil War history. All have been highly successful for Mr. Turtledove. This time around the author turns his attention to 1929, shortly after the “Big Bubble popped,” a time when jobs are so scarce that men find it difficult to feed their families, much less provide for any of life’s little extras. Times are so tough that some men are voluntarily becoming vampires or zombie-workers in an attempt to leave the harsh reality of their old lives behind forever. Jack Spivey, the narrator of The House of Daniel, is the only son of Enid, Oklahoma’s, town drunk and, while he is not desperate enough yet to become a zombie or a vampire, he is not above taking jobs as an enforcer for Big Stu, the thug who pretty much runs Enid as his own little kingdom. Jack also picks up a few extra dollars playing semipro baseball for the Enid Eagles, a team that plays against similar teams located within a hundred or so miles of Enid. On one road trip to Ponca City Jack’s life would change forever. When Jack knocks on the Ponca City boardinghouse door he’s been directed to, he expects a man called Mitch Carstairs to open it. Unfortunately for Mitch, his brother refuses to pay Big Stu the money he owes – and Big Stu believes that pounding on Mitch might encourage his brother to pay up. But when the door opens, Jack is looking into the eyes of one of the most beautiful women he’s ever seen - and her name is Mitch Carstairs. Even though he knows that Big Stu will want his hide for not beating her, Jack warns the beautiful Mitch to flee Ponca City first thing in the morning. But now there is no way he can return to his life in Enid. Jack’s luck, though, is soon to change. He stays behind when the rest of the Enid Eagles leave for home and decides to take in an afternoon baseball game between the barnstorming House of Daniel team and a local nine. By the end of the game, the House of Daniel is in desperate need of a centerfielder to take the place of the one severely injured during the game. The next thing Jack knows he is on the House of Daniel bus, the centerfield job is his, and Big Stu is in the bus’s rearview mirror. Of course, Big Stu is not going to give up that easily, and the chase is on. All of this happens within the book’s first forty pages. The rest of the book is a baseball barnstorming tour of Oklahoma, Texas, and the American West of the Depression Era. And it’s fun – until it becomes so repetitive that it’s not fun and the reader begins to have as much trouble remembering which game was which as Jack says those on the team have in keeping games straight in their own minds. The House of Daniel, while it is based upon a fun premise, would probably have been more effective if held to a novella-length book, but it’s still an enjoyable journey into one of Harry Turtledove’s strange worlds.”

Dmhart31

Created over 8 years ago

Mirella Patzer

Created almost 9 years ago

“If you like fiction that's fun, a little quirky, pure escapism, and that still has one foot in reality, then this is the novel for you. Part historical, part science fiction, it is a story about baseball during the Great Depression. It sparkles with the addition of strange characters like wizards and werewolves, zombies and vampires! Rest assured, these characters play very small parts and in no way detract from the historical aspects of the story. The main character is Jack Spivey. Like many during this era, he is out of work, but manages to survive with odd jobs here and there. He ends up playing semi-pro baseball with a team that call themselves The House of Daniel. Spivey is the narrator and he tells his story in a bold, humorous, and witty manner. I liked his voice and it kept me entertained. This is a fun novel for those who love baseball and zombies, or for light science fiction aficionados. A light and easy read to escape from the realities of life for an hour or two! Thank you to the author and publisher. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for visiting my blog, http://greathistoricals.blogspot.ca , where the greatest historical fiction is reviewed! For fascinating women of history bios and women's fiction please visit http://www.historyandwomen.com .”

About Harry Turtledove

Harry Turtledove is an American novelist of science fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy. Publishers Weekly has called him the “master of alternate history,” and he is best known for his work in that genre. Some of his most popular titles include The Guns of the South, the novels of the Worldwar series, and the books in the Great War trilogy. In addition to many other honors and nominations, Turtledove has received the Hugo Award, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History, and the Prometheus Award. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles, earning a PhD in Byzantine history. Turtledove is married to mystery writer Laura Frankos, and together they have three daughters. The family lives in Southern California.