Sargent, Pamela, ed. Conqueror fantastic

Kliatt, Sept, 2004 by Sherry Hoy

SARGENT, Pamela, ed. Conqueror fantastic. Penguin, DAW. 320p. c2004. 0-7564-01917. $6.99. SA

An uneven collection of 13 stories featuring historical conquerors, written as historical fantasy as opposed to alternative history. (A fine distinction since in the past shamans, witches, gods, spirits, etc. were accepted as fact.) The best is saved for last: Michaela Roessner's "Del None," about a powerful Aztec princess who marries one of Cones' soldiers and returns with him to Catalonia to the north (del none) of Spain. It is local legend that desecrating her remains led to Napoleon's downfall. One story features a homosexual Genghis Khan. One explains Lyndon Johnson's suicide in office with a split personality disorder. One blames Hitler's hatred for various groups upon a failed homosexual encounter as a schoolboy. As with any alternative history, sometimes the reader's own grasp of historical fact may color the enjoyment of these tales. The use of fantastical elements further confuses this issue. Only for those collections where this type of historical "fantasy" will be appreciated.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

Sherry Hoy, Media Spec., Tuscarora J.H.S., Mifflintown, PA