Rating: 
Summary: A Solid Anthology
Review: "Ring of Fire" is a collection of short stories set in the universe created by Eric Flint in his 2000 novel "1632." In "1632," the town of Grantville is ripped from modern day West Virginia and dropped in the middle of Germany, in the middle of the Thirty Years' War, by a cosmic accident (commonly considered an Act of God) which is eventually dubbed the 'Ring of Fire.'The fifteen stories in this anthology seem to have been written after the publication of "1632," but before that of its sequel "1633." They take place concurrently with the action in those two novels: "Power to the People" by Loren K. Jones goes all the way back to the Ring of Fire that kicked off 1632, while Eric Flint's "The Wallenstein Gambit" is set in the middle of the year 1633. As with all anthologies, the styles and qualities of the stories varied from author to author, from the 16-page "To Dye For" by Mercedes Lackey to Flint's 120-page novella. However, although I enjoyed some stories in "Ring of Fire" more than others, I can honestly say there were none I actively disliked, which is pretty much as good as it gets for anthologies. What makes "Ring of Fire" so interesting is the fact that it is not your typical anthology. Most 'spin-off' anthologies like this one feature stories peripheral to the main plot of the series, involve minor characters and don't play a significant role in the grand scheme of things. Some stories such as "Power to the People" and "When the Chips Are Down" by Jonathan Cresswell and Scott Washburn seem to follow that model. However, most of them actually play important roles shaping both the plots and the characters of the later books in the series. For example, David Weber (who coauthored "1633") writes a story about the founding of the new American navy that plays a prominent role in "1633" and Andrew Dennis's story sets up "1634: The Galileo Affair" (which he coauthored) and develops some of its main characters. Meanwhile, "The Wallenstein Gambit" incorporates other stories in "Ring of Fire," redraws the map of Europe, and lays the basis for forthcoming "1634: ..." novels. The point is that this anthology plays an important role in the series, and needs to be read by anyone who wants to enjoy future 163x books. This is a part of Eric Flint's interesting approach to the whole series, which tries to make the '1632 universe' a full-bodied and realistically complex place. To do this Flint writes the main books of the series with a number of different coauthors (David Weber, Andrew Dennis, Mike Spehar, Virginia DeMarce), while at the same time allowing all of the authors who contributed to "Ring of Fire" to make their own mark on the developing series. Flint has even begun publishing fan fiction in an online magazine (the "Grantville Gazette") and incorporating it into 163x novels. It is (to my knowledge) a unique approach, and so far seems to be producing excellent results. So not only is "Ring of Fire" a solid anthology in its own right, it is required reading for those who intend to follow Flint et al.'s 163x series. Although "1633" builds off of several stories in "Ring of Fire," it can be understood and enjoyed without reading the anthology. The same is less true of the "1634: ..." books that are currently being written and published. If you enjoyed "1632" enough to want to read more books in the series, "Ring of Fire" should be a sure bet. To conclude, and to emphasize one last time the important role played by "Ring of Fire" in the development of the 163x series, I will sketch out the current shape of the series and indicate which stories in "Ring of Fire" are incorporated into each of the planned books. Of the fifteen stories in the anthology, only three do not seem to play a role in the larger series, though they may yet be incorporated into one of the volumes currently being planned or written. "1633" with David Weber
---"In the Navy" by David Weber
---"A Matter of Consultation" by S.L. Viehl
---"Skeletons" by Greg Donahue
"1634: The Galileo Affair" with Andrew Dennis
---"American Past Time" by Deann Allen and Mike Turner
---"To Dye For" by Mercedes Lackey
---"A Witch to Live" by Walt Boyes
---"Between the Armies" by Andrew Dennis
"1634: The Baltic War" with David Weber
"1634: Escape from the Tower" (Eric Flint solo)
"1634: The Austrian Princess" with Virginia DeMarce
---"Biting Time" by Virginia DeMarce
"1634: Bohemia" (tentative title) with Mike Spehar
---"A Lineman for the Country" by Dave Freer
---"The Three Rs" by Jody Dorsett
---"Here Comes Santa Claus" by K.D. Wentworth
---"The Wallenstein Gambit" by Eric Flint
"1635" with Virginia DeMarce Stories that don't (yet) play a role in the series:
---"Power to the People" by Loren K. Jones
---"Family Faith" by Anette M. Pedersen
---"When the Chips are Down" by Jonathan Cresswell and Scott Washburn
Rating:
Summary: A Solid Anthology
Review: "Ring of Fire" is a collection of short stories set in the universe created by Eric Flint in his 2000 novel "1632." In "1632," the town of Grantville is ripped from modern day West Virginia and dropped in the middle of Germany, in the middle of the Thirty Years' War, by a cosmic accident (commonly considered an Act of God) which is eventually dubbed the 'Ring of Fire.' The fifteen stories in this anthology seem to have been written after the publication of "1632," but before that of its sequel "1633." They take place concurrently with the action in those two novels: "Power to the People" by Loren K. Jones goes all the way back to the Ring of Fire that kicked off 1632, while Eric Flint's "The Wallenstein Gambit" is set in the middle of the year 1633. As with all anthologies, the styles and qualities of the stories varied from author to author, from the 16-page "To Dye For" by Mercedes Lackey to Flint's 120-page novella. However, although I enjoyed some stories in "Ring of Fire" more than others, I can honestly say there were none I actively disliked, which is pretty much as good as it gets for anthologies. What makes "Ring of Fire" so interesting is the fact that it is not your typical anthology. Most 'spin-off' anthologies like this one feature stories peripheral to the main plot of the series, involve minor characters and don't play a significant role in the grand scheme of things. Some stories such as "Power to the People" and "When the Chips Are Down" by Jonathan Cresswell and Scott Washburn seem to follow that model. However, most of them actually play important roles shaping both the plots and the characters of the later books in the series. For example, David Weber (who coauthored "1633") writes a story about the founding of the new American navy that plays a prominent role in "1633" and Andrew Dennis's story sets up "1634: The Galileo Affair" (which he coauthored) and develops some of its main characters. Meanwhile, "The Wallenstein Gambit" incorporates other stories in "Ring of Fire," redraws the map of Europe, and lays the basis for forthcoming "1634: ..." novels. The point is that this anthology plays an important role in the series, and needs to be read by anyone who wants to enjoy future 163x books. This is a part of Eric Flint's interesting approach to the whole series, which tries to make the '1632 universe' a full-bodied and realistically complex place. To do this Flint writes the main books of the series with a number of different coauthors (David Weber, Andrew Dennis, Mike Spehar, Virginia DeMarce), while at the same time allowing all of the authors who contributed to "Ring of Fire" to make their own mark on the developing series. Flint has even begun publishing fan fiction in an online magazine (the "Grantville Gazette") and incorporating it into 163x novels. It is (to my knowledge) a unique approach, and so far seems to be producing excellent results. So not only is "Ring of Fire" a solid anthology in its own right, it is required reading for those who intend to follow Flint et al.'s 163x series. Although "1633" builds off of several stories in "Ring of Fire," it can be understood and enjoyed without reading the anthology. The same is less true of the "1634: ..." books that are currently being written and published. If you enjoyed "1632" enough to want to read more books in the series, "Ring of Fire" should be a sure bet. To conclude, and to emphasize one last time the important role played by "Ring of Fire" in the development of the 163x series, I will sketch out the current shape of the series and indicate which stories in "Ring of Fire" are incorporated into each of the planned books. Of the fifteen stories in the anthology, only three do not seem to play a role in the larger series, though they may yet be incorporated into one of the volumes currently being planned or written. "1633" with David Weber
---"In the Navy" by David Weber
---"A Matter of Consultation" by S.L. Viehl
---"Skeletons" by Greg Donahue
"1634: The Galileo Affair" with Andrew Dennis
---"American Past Time" by Deann Allen and Mike Turner
---"To Dye For" by Mercedes Lackey
---"A Witch to Live" by Walt Boyes
---"Between the Armies" by Andrew Dennis
"1634: The Baltic War" with David Weber
"1634: Escape from the Tower" (Eric Flint solo)
"1634: The Austrian Princess" with Virginia DeMarce
---"Biting Time" by Virginia DeMarce
"1634: Bohemia" (tentative title) with Mike Spehar
---"A Lineman for the Country" by Dave Freer
---"The Three Rs" by Jody Dorsett
---"Here Comes Santa Claus" by K.D. Wentworth
---"The Wallenstein Gambit" by Eric Flint
"1635" with Virginia DeMarce Stories that don't (yet) play a role in the series:
---"Power to the People" by Loren K. Jones
---"Family Faith" by Anette M. Pedersen
---"When the Chips are Down" by Jonathan Cresswell and Scott Washburn
Rating: 
Summary: Important and nice addition to great series
Review: After the town of Grantville, West Virginia, is plunged into the middle of the 30 years war in 1632, everything changes. To survive, the Americans ally themselves with the Swedish protestants against the Hapsburg Catholics. But more than taking sides, they begin to spread their influence, both cultural and military, on a broader scale. In two earlier volumes in this series 1632 and 1633, author Eric Flint and colaborators detail the military and social situation as the Americans attempt to survive, create a liberal society, and deal with their own issues of cultural elitism. RING OF FIRE is a collection of short stories and a novella from this same universe. As with many 'universe of' collections by multiple author, RING OF FIRE is a bit of a mixed bag. Several of the stories, in particular The Wallenstein Gambit by Eric Flint, offer significant pieces of the history and advance the general story line. Others discuss internal issues in Grantville (how the last survivor of a hippie commune comes to terms with his ideals and still gets the girl, how teenaged boys recreate junk food), or the nature of the post-Vatican II church in a world where Vatican II is probably more heretical than the protestant faiths that the local church is battling. Fans of the 1632 universe (like me) will definitely want to read this one. Enough of what happens in this volume is integral to the history and much of it is well written with interesting characters. I don't recommend starting with RING, however. Although one of the stories, Power to the People does tell the original arrival story, most of the book depends on an understanding of the history of what went before.
Rating:
Summary: Great Anthology and Addition to the 1632 Series
Review: Although there are a few weak links among the stories that make up this anthology (hence, the 4 rating instead of 5-star), on the whole a terrific addition to Flint's 1632-verse. The plausible, well-explained extrapolations of the behavior of real historical figures that suffuses 1632 and 1633 continues here to great effect. Especially the treatment of Mazarin and Wallenstein show how the series' authors are both willing to take risks, but base those risks on historical fact. Also pleasing is how all the stories mesh together with each other and the prior novels. The timeline stays internally consistent and previously under-examined episodes are skillfully incorporated into ROF. In particular, the murder of a devout, elderly West Virginian by Croat mercenaries, a mere passing mention in the first book, gains meaning and depth here. I'd go the route of reading 1632 and 1633 first before tackling ROF; it allows the revelations in ROF the lead to real "A Ha!" moments. But if you're looking for an enjoyable introduction to this series, or to a new sci-fi historical series, read away.
Rating:
Summary: Great Anthology and Addition to the 1632 Series
Review: Although there are a few weak links among the stories that make up this anthology (hence, the 4 rating instead of 5-star), on the whole a terrific addition to Flint's 1632-verse. The plausible, well-explained extrapolations of the behavior of real historical figures that suffuses 1632 and 1633 continues here to great effect. Especially the treatment of Mazarin and Wallenstein show how the series' authors are both willing to take risks, but base those risks on historical fact. Also pleasing is how all the stories mesh together with each other and the prior novels. The timeline stays internally consistent and previously under-examined episodes are skillfully incorporated into ROF. In particular, the murder of a devout, elderly West Virginian by Croat mercenaries, a mere passing mention in the first book, gains meaning and depth here. I'd go the route of reading 1632 and 1633 first before tackling ROF; it allows the revelations in ROF the lead to real "A Ha!" moments. But if you're looking for an enjoyable introduction to this series, or to a new sci-fi historical series, read away.
Rating:
Summary: A megavitamin supplement to the series
Review: Briefly, this anthology is a must-read for those reading the "1632," "1633" series. The next full novel (presumably 1634) will be out soon and "Ring of Fire" provides character development, plot details, and timeline descriptions that will be valuable. Stories in this new collection date from the "Ring of Fire" incident right up to "1633" an involve many of the same characters. Despite the wide variety of authors, the tales hold together well, with a real sense of place and time. Not all the stories will appeal to everyone. Some are more militaristic, others are social or romantic in nature. "A Lineman for the Country" gave real depth and progression to the timeline while similar odd-couple romance "Power to the People" left me saying "yeah, and?" Overall, this is a must-read, and could be read right after "1632" w/o first facing the more fractured, slow-paced, and overly military/technical aspects of "1633." In fact, these downsides to "1633" will be lessened quite a bit by the character development and background details in "Ring of Fire," so why are you waiting? Add it to your shopping cart now!
Rating:
Summary: A megavitamin supplement to the series
Review: Briefly, this anthology is a must-read for those reading the "1632," "1633" series. The next full novel (presumably 1634) will be out soon and "Ring of Fire" provides character development, plot details, and timeline descriptions that will be valuable. Stories in this new collection date from the "Ring of Fire" incident right up to "1633" an involve many of the same characters. Despite the wide variety of authors, the tales hold together well, with a real sense of place and time. Not all the stories will appeal to everyone. Some are more militaristic, others are social or romantic in nature. "A Lineman for the Country" gave real depth and progression to the timeline while similar odd-couple romance "Power to the People" left me saying "yeah, and?" Overall, this is a must-read, and could be read right after "1632" w/o first facing the more fractured, slow-paced, and overly military/technical aspects of "1633." In fact, these downsides to "1633" will be lessened quite a bit by the character development and background details in "Ring of Fire," so why are you waiting? Add it to your shopping cart now!
Rating:
Summary: A Fine Filler
Review: Eric Flint burst on my consciousness as a writer to watch with the publication of "1632". A late 20th Century West Virginia coal mining town is engulfed by some sort of cosmic "accident"(?) and blasted back through time and space to 16th century Germany, right in the middle of the 30 Years War. As a piece of "alternative history" it followed in the footsteps, sort of, of S.M. Stirling and his "Island In The Sea Of Time" series (also highly recommended), but where Nantucket was simply (?) moved in time, Grantville, Kentucky is moved in space as well. Ring of Fire is a "shared universe" collection of short stories by various authors both well known and unknown (Mercedes Lackey, for example) as well as a novelette by Eric Flint. Timewise, these stories generally fit in between 1632 and its sequel 1633. And oddly, for a shared world anthology, characters introduced in these stories have important parts to play in 1633 as well as the forthcoming "1634:The Galileo Affair". Generally speaking, I would NOT recommend this book as an introduction to Grantville, please read "1632" for that, but as illuminations upon the world of 1632, I can't recommend it highly enough. To get a taste of this book, you can actually read the first four chapters from "Ring Of Fire" on the Baen website. As an example of "alternate history", American ingenuity, "strangers in a strange land", etc., this is a truly wonderful series. But the transplanted Americans needs must beware, for the people who've only been characters in history books, have READ those history books now, and know what the future used to be...
Rating:
Summary: A Fine Filler
Review: Eric Flint burst on my consciousness as a writer to watch with the publication of "1632". A late 20th Century West Virginia coal mining town is engulfed by some sort of cosmic "accident"(?) and blasted back through time and space to 16th century Germany, right in the middle of the 30 Years War. As a piece of "alternative history" it followed in the footsteps, sort of, of S.M. Stirling and his "Island In The Sea Of Time" series (also highly recommended), but where Nantucket was simply (?) moved in time, Grantville, Kentucky is moved in space as well. Ring of Fire is a "shared universe" collection of short stories by various authors both well known and unknown (Mercedes Lackey, for example) as well as a novelette by Eric Flint. Timewise, these stories generally fit in between 1632 and its sequel 1633. And oddly, for a shared world anthology, characters introduced in these stories have important parts to play in 1633 as well as the forthcoming "1634:The Galileo Affair". Generally speaking, I would NOT recommend this book as an introduction to Grantville, please read "1632" for that, but as illuminations upon the world of 1632, I can't recommend it highly enough. To get a taste of this book, you can actually read the first four chapters from "Ring Of Fire" on the Baen website. As an example of "alternate history", American ingenuity, "strangers in a strange land", etc., this is a truly wonderful series. But the transplanted Americans needs must beware, for the people who've only been characters in history books, have READ those history books now, and know what the future used to be...
Rating:
Summary: Well Worth Your Time If You Like 1632
Review: Eric Flint's decision to open his alt-hist to anyone who wanted to write has turned out to be a good choice. Although the previous book in the series, 1633, is not strong, this collection of stories has a lot to offer fans of this series. The implications of a modern American culture being transported back to the Thirty Years War is explored by several different authors from the well known Mercedes Lackey, to the unknown, with several middling efforts among the stronger pieces. Lackey's piece about Grantville's dope farmer's dying business is fun and enjoyable, as well as being historically intriguing. The piece about dentures isn't so strong, or at least I didn't find it so. K.D. Wentworth's X-mas party with deep political implications is my favorite of the lot - I went out and bought Wentworth's Moonspeaker right after I finished reading ROF- but Flint's story of how a small town Jewish jeweler becomes the savior of Prague is the most impressive of the group. I didn't expect too much when I bought this book, but I was happily surprised by both the level of writing and the level of invention. If you liked 1632, this is a good read. If you're interested in this altnerative universe, ROF is a good introduction.
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