Fire on the Mountain (Bisson novel)

Fire on the Mountain
First edition cover
AuthorTerry Bisson
LanguageEnglish
GenreAlternate history
Published1988 (PM Press)
Publication placeUnited States
Pages208 (paperback)
ISBN1-60486-087-1

Fire on the Mountain is a 1988 novel by the American author Terry Bisson. It is an alternate history describing the world as it would have been had John Brown succeeded in his raid on Harper's Ferry and touched off a slave rebellion in 1859, as he intended.

Plot

The difference from actual history starts with the participation of Harriet Tubman in Brown's uprising in 1859; her sound tactical and strategic advice helps Brown avoid mistakes which in real history led to his downfall. As a result, instead of the American Civil War, the U.S. faces a full-scale slave revolt throughout the South helped by a handful of white sympathizers and various European revolutionaries such as Giuseppe Garibaldi, and an invasion by Mexico, which seeks to regain the territory it lost in 1848.

After a great deal of bloody fighting and an increasing dissatisfaction in the North which is required to send troops to fight the rebellious slaves, the blacks succeed in emancipating themselves and create a republic in the Deep South, led by Tubman and Frederick Douglass. (Brown himself did not survive to see the victory of what he started.) Abraham Lincoln – a Whig politician who never got to be President – tries to start a war to bring back the secessionist black states into the Union, but he fails and is himself killed in that war. Blacks remember him as their archenemy.

Later, the black state (named "Nova Africa") becomes Socialist, touching off a whole string of revolutions and civil wars in Europe. The Paris Commune wins out in 1871 instead of being crushed by the French Third Republic, Ireland breaks away from British rule in the 1880s, and the Russian Revolution is just one of many similar revolutions in different countries. Finally Socialism also wins out in the rump U.S., following a revolutionary outbreak in Chicago. Socialism works out as predicted by the German philosopher Karl Marx, bringing happiness and prosperity to all of humanity. (Marx himself is mentioned in the book as an enthusiastic supporter of the rebellious slaves, though he does not personally come to America to help them.)

The book has two levels. The overt plot takes place in 1959, in a Utopian Socialist world far in advance of ours in all ways. To mark the centennial of Brown's raid, black astronauts lead a mission to land on Mars. However, the story of the protagonist, a young black woman grieving the death of her husband on an earlier Mars mission, is mainly the framework for excerpts from the vivid diaries of two people who lived through the stirring events of 1859 and its aftermath – her ancestor, who was then a young black slave, and a white Virginian doctor who sympathized with the rebellion. In this world, an alternate history book is published called John Brown's Body, which describes a world in which Brown failed and was executed, the slaves were emancipated by Lincoln rather than by themselves after a war between two white factions, and capitalism survived as a political and economic system. It is considered a dystopia, describing a horrible world in all ways inferior to the one which the people in the book know.

Reception

David Pringle rated Fire on the Mountain three stars out of four and described the novel as "a skilful evocation of an unlikely alternate history".[1]

See also

Source

References

  1. ^ Pringle, David (1990). The Ultimate Guide To Science Fiction. New York: Pharos Books, St. Martins Press. p. 120. ISBN 0-88687-537-4.

Read other articles:

Laughing Gas (film 1914)

Untuk film pendek lainnya bernama sama dari era yang sama, lihat Laughing Gas (film). Laughing GasSutradaraCharlie ChaplinProduserMack SennettPemeranCharles ChaplinSinematograferFrank D. WilliamsPenyuntingCharles ChaplinPerusahaanproduksiKeystone StudiosDistributorMutual FilmTanggal rilis 09 Juli 1914 (1914-07-09) Durasi16 menitNegaraAmerika SerikatBahasaFilm bisuIntertitel Inggris Laughing Gas Laughing Gas adalah sebuah film tahun 1914 yang dibintangi oleh Charlie Chaplin. Film tersebut...

 

 

The Connaught (Sydney)

Apartment building in Sydney, Australia The Connaught The Connaught is a landmark residential apartment building in Sydney, Australia overlooking Hyde Park. It is known for being one of the first high-rise strata apartment buildings in Sydney and for its string of famous residents. History The site where The Connaught stands today was originally the site of the Paris Theatre designed by architect Walter Burley Griffin, and demolished in 1981. The thirty-storey Connaught was completed in 1984 ...

 

 

Omurtag dari Bulgaria

OmurtagKanasubigi BulgariaBerkuasa814–831PendahuluKrumPenerusMalamirWangsaDinasti Krum, kemungkinan DuloAyahKrumAnakEnravota Zvinitsa Malamir Omurtag (atau Omortag) (bahasa Bulgaria: Омуртаг; original Greek: Μορτάγων[1] and Ομουρτάγcode: el is deprecated [2]) adalah Khan Agung (Kanasubigi)[3] Bulgaria yang berkuasa dari tahun 814 hingga 831. Ia dikenal dengan nama sang pembangun. Pada awal masa kekuasaannya, ia menandatangani perjanjian per...

Little, Brown and Company

Little, Brown and CompanyPerusahaan indukHachette Book Group USADidirikan1837; 186 tahun lalu (1837)PendiriCharles Coffin LittleJames BrownNegara asalAmerika Serikat/Britania RayaKantor pusatNew York CityImprintBack Bay Books; Mulholland Books; Jimmy Patterson Books; Little, Brown Spark; VoraciousSitus resmilittlebrown.com Little, Brown and Company perusahaan penerbit Amerika yang didirikan pada tahun 1837 oleh Charles Coffin Little dan rekannya, James Brown. Selama hampir dua abad, pene...

 

 

Westlaw

Online legal research service This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. (October 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) WestlawCompany typeSubsidiaryIndustryPublishingFounded1975; 49 years ago (1975)ProductsCase law, articles, publications, news, court documents, lawyer...

 

 

Suku Lindu

Suku LinduTo LinduDesa dan sebuah patung megalitik di Taman Nasional Lore Lindu, Sulawesi Tengah, Indonesia.Daerah dengan populasi signifikan Indonesia (Sulawesi Tengah)BahasaBahasa Lindu, Bahasa IndonesiaAgamaKekristenan (pra-dominan), Agama rakyat Suku Lindu (Inggris: Lindu people) atau To Lindu, adalah istilah yang digunakan untuk merujuk kepada empat komunitas adat yang masing-masing dikenal sebagai Anca, Tomado, Langko[1] dan Puroo di wilayah sekitar Danau Lindu di Sulaw...

Синелобый амазон

Синелобый амазон Научная классификация Домен:ЭукариотыЦарство:ЖивотныеПодцарство:ЭуметазоиБез ранга:Двусторонне-симметричныеБез ранга:ВторичноротыеТип:ХордовыеПодтип:ПозвоночныеИнфратип:ЧелюстноротыеНадкласс:ЧетвероногиеКлада:АмниотыКлада:ЗавропсидыКласс:Пт�...

 

 

Chapelle du château de Fontenay

Cet article est une ébauche concernant les monuments historiques français et l’Ille-et-Vilaine. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en l’améliorant (comment ?) selon les recommandations des projets correspondants. Chapelle du château de FontenayFaçade sud de la chapelle.PrésentationType ChapellePatrimonialité Inscrit MH (1975)LocalisationCommune Chartres-de-BretagneCoordonnées 48° 02′ 47″ N, 1° 41′ 48″ OLocalisation sur la cart...

 

 

Ридо (канал)

У этого топонима есть и другие значения, см. Ридо. Ридоангл. The Rideau Canal Шлюзы в Оттаве летом 2004 года Расположение Страна Канада ПровинцияОнтарио Характеристика Длина канала202 км Водоток ГоловаРидо 45°25′36″ с. ш. 75°41′56″ з. д.HGЯOУстьеОнтарио  44°13′33″ с....

Universitas West Chester

West Chester UniversityJenisKoedukasional negeriDidirikan1871Dana abadi$23 juta pada 2015.[1]PresidenChristopher FiorentinoProvosR. Lorraine BernotskyStaf akademik685 waktu penuh; 277 paruh waktuJumlah mahasiswa16,426[1]Sarjana14,148[1]Magister2,278[1]LokasiWest Chester, Pennsylvania, AS39°57′08″N 75°36′00″W / 39.95219°N 75.60010°W / 39.95219; -75.60010Koordinat: 39°57′08″N 75°36′00″W / 39.95219°N 7...

 

 

Korek api gas

Korek api gas yang dinyalakan Korek api gas atau pemantik adalah korek api yang menggunakan cairan seperti naphtha atau butana. Untuk dapat menghasilkan percikan dan menyulut terjadinya bunga api digunakan batu api yang digesekan pada permukaan yang sangat kasar, sehingga bunga api ini menyulut cairan atau gas sehingga terbakar. Besarnya api dapat diatur sehingga tidak membahayakan. Macam-macam Korek api gas model batang Ada beberapa macam korek api gas, yaitu: Pemantik elektronik Pemantik ro...

 

 

Permafrost

Questa voce o sezione sull'argomento geologia non cita le fonti necessarie o quelle presenti sono insufficienti. Puoi migliorare questa voce aggiungendo citazioni da fonti attendibili secondo le linee guida sull'uso delle fonti. Segui i suggerimenti del progetto di riferimento. Estensione e tipologia del permafrost nell'emisfero settentrionale Il termine inglese permafrost (pron. /ˈpəːməfrɒst/; composto di perma(nent), permanente, e frost, gelato[1]), in italiano permagelo&...

Fould family

French Jewish family Marguerite Fould, wife of Edgard Stern, painted in 1889. Noémie de Rothschild, née Halphen, in 1909 Helena Bonham Carter in 2011 The Fould family is a family of French Jewish descent known for success in banking.[1] It was founded by Beer Léon Fould, a wine-dealer's son from Lorraine, who moved to Paris in 1784 to establish a banking business.[2][3] The name comes from the Hessian city of Fulda. Family tree Jacob Fould (1736–1830), wine dealer...

 

 

中華民國國軍中的中共間諜列表

 本表是動態列表，或許永遠不會完結。歡迎您參考可靠來源來查漏補缺。 潛伏於中華民國國軍中的中共間諜列表收錄根據公開資料來源，曾潛伏於中華民國國軍、被中國共產黨聲稱或承認，或者遭中華民國政府調查審判，為中華人民共和國和中國人民解放軍進行間諜行為的人物。以下列表以現今可查知時間為準，正確的間諜活動或洩漏機密時間可能早於或晚於以下所歸�...

 

 

Olympique de Médéa

Si ce bandeau n'est plus pertinent, retirez-le. Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus. Cet article ne cite pas suffisamment ses sources (février 2021). Si vous disposez d'ouvrages ou d'articles de référence ou si vous connaissez des sites web de qualité traitant du thème abordé ici, merci de compléter l'article en donnant les références utiles à sa vérifiabilité et en les liant à la section « Notes et références ». En pratique : Quelles sources sont attendues ? ...

Payphone

Coin or card-operated public telephone This article is about a public telephone. For the song by Maroon 5, see Payphone (song). For the song by Bob Luman, see The Pay Phone. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Payphone – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2012) (Learn how and w...

 

 

List of linguistic rights in African constitutions

Rights Theoretical distinctions Claim rights and liberty rights Individual and group rights Natural rights and legal rights Negative and positive rights Human rights Civil and political Economic, social and cultural Three generations Rights by beneficiary Accused Animals Children Consumers Creditors Deaf Disabled Elders Farmers Fetuses Humans Indigenous Intersex Kings LGBT Transgender Men Minorities Parents Fathers Mothers Patients Peasants Plants Prisoners Robots States Students Victims Wom...

 

 

Mesh

Material of connected strands of metal, fiber, or other flexible or ductile materials For other uses, see Mesh (disambiguation). This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Mesh – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) A tea strainer made o...

Samanhudi Anwar

Samanhudi Anwar Wali Kota Blitar ke-22Masa jabatan17 Februari 2016 – 15 Februari 2019PresidenJoko WidodoGubernurSoekarwoWakilSantosoPendahuluSuprianto (pj.)PenggantiSantosoMasa jabatan3 Agustus 2010 – 3 Agustus 2015PresidenSusilo Bambang YudhoyonoJoko WidodoGubernurSoekarwoWakilPurnawan BuchoriPendahuluDjarot Saiful HidayatPenggantiSuprianto (pj.)Ketua DPRD Kota BlitarMasa jabatan2009–2010PendahuluDirinya sendiriPenggantiGlebot Catur ArijantoMasa jabatan2004–2009...

 

 

1241 papal election

Election of Pope Celestine IV Papal election 1241Dates and location21 September – 25 October 1241Septasolium, RomeKey officialsProtodeaconRainiero CapocciElected popeGoffredo da CastiglioneName taken: Celestine IV← 12271243 → The 1241 papal election (21 September to 25 October)[1] saw the election of Cardinal Goffredo da Castiglione as Pope Celestine IV. The election took place during the first of many protracted sede vacantes of the Middle Ages, and like many of them ...