FIRTH%TARTAN@CMU-CS-C.ARPA (06/15/84)
This book was published in April, it says, but I only just read it
Kirk Mitchell : Procurator
It is subtitled "a novel of alternate history" and "the glory of Rome
lives on", which should tell you what it's about.
The Roman Empire has survived until today, and is still expanding.
Technologically they are about at the equivalent of Europo-American
WW II, with some good twists, such as flamethrowers called "portable
Greek fire projectors", and some more amusing terms that are plausibly
evolved from the latin language and Roman history.
It's a reasonably good adventure story, with fairly stock characters;
my one beef is that the hero tries too obviously to act like Marcus
Aurelius.
Worth the $2-75 I paid . Ace Books 0-441-68029-1
WARNING: The blurb on the back says too much. You might prefer not to read it.
The point of historical divergence is given in the blurb, and ALSO on
a page just after the title page. I wish I'd read neither of them
before starting on the story
-------