Best Paula Goodlett Books
Paula Goodlett built her reputation in the sprawling collaborative sandbox of Eric Flint's 1632 Universe, where a West Virginia town lands in the middle of the Thirty Years' War and rewrites European history from the ground up. Her contributions — including 1636: The Kremlin Games and 1636: The Viennese Waltz — push the action east and southeast, away from the series' German heartland and into territories most alt-history writers wouldn't bother mapping. Goodlett's writing is politically textured and economically literate, comfortable tracing how modern ideas about trade, diplomacy, and governance collide with 17th-century power structures. She doesn't simplify the chaos — she leans into it. George Guidall's narration suits her dense, procedural style well. Readers who love alternate history with real geopolitical weight, and who want their counterfactuals to do the homework, will find her work deeply satisfying.
Where to Start with Paula Goodlett
- Best entry point → 1638: The Sovereign States
- What readers keep coming back to → 1636: The Kremlin Games
- Highest rated by readers → 1637: The Volga Rules (1632 Universe/Ring of Fire #19)
Best Paula Goodlett Books
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1637: The Coast of Chaos
1632 Universe/Ring of Fire • Book 38
by Eric Flint; Gorg Huff; Paula Goodlett, Paula Goodlett, Gorg Huff
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The Ring of Fire phenomenon expands beyond Grantville as more of the New World gets transported to 1632 Europe. Fresh stories explore the temporal displacement's growing impact.
★ 4.39 Goodreads (309 ratings) - 2
1638: The Sovereign States
by Eric Flint, Gorg Huff, Paula Goodlett
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The United Sovereign States of Russia balances constitutional monarchy with federal authority amid internal and external threats. Freedom hangs in the balance as political forces clash.
★ 4.36 Goodreads (291 ratings) - 3
1637: The Volga Rules
1632 Universe/Ring of Fire • Book 19
by Eric Flint, Paula Goodlett, Gorg Huff
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American up-timers' radical ideas reach 17th century Russia five years after the Ring of Fire, inspiring revolutionary changes that will reshape the Tsarist empire forever.
★ 4.15 Goodreads (667 ratings) - 4
1636: The Viennese Waltz
Assiti Shards • Book 17
by Eric Flint, Gorg Huff, Paula Goodlett
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Grantville's time-displaced citizens face aristocratic resistance as they try to reshape war-torn Europe. Political intrigue and technological advancement collide in this alternate history where modern knowledge meets medieval power structures.
★ 4.08 Goodreads (874 ratings) - 5
1636: The Kremlin Games
Assiti Shards • Book 13
by Eric Flint, Gorg Huff, Paula Goodlett
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Modern Americans from displaced Grantville attempt to modernize 17th-century Russia, but 1600s court politics and cultural clashes prove as dangerous as any battlefield.
★ 3.99 Goodreads (1.3K ratings)