List regulars have heard Ray say for the last couple years that he wants to write some non-Midkemia books. Here are two plot ideas he offered recently:
Two, actually:
1) Ceasar doesn't die, but recovers from his attack and is named dictator of Rome, and when he finally dies of old age, the people restore the Republic. The Crusades reaches America.
That's just some background stuff.
The story is about 'a boy and his quest for truth.' <G>
2) Aliens attack Earth after a few years of subterfuge and slowly are conquering earth. The US realizes that if we'd had early warning and some extra firepower we could have kicked them off the planet (we have big numbers, they have technology), so in a desperate attempt to change history they run a never tried before time travel operation and send an experimental aircraft carrier and it's battle group back in time.
They screw up and find themselves off the coast of Central America in 1456. Mostly I wanted to have a scene where Columbus gets off the boat to be greeted by guys with automatic weapons who say, 'Gentlemen, customs and immigration are over there; have you anything to declare?'
While it would have the look of a tech novel, it would really be about social engineering, because quickly the Admiral leading the battle group realizes his mission has changed; he no longer is going to fight a battle, he's going to change history and build a world order so that when the aliens show up, humanity can kick their ass.
Who knows, I might get around to writing one of these some day.
In later posts, he continued the idea of the second plot.
