The Wages of Sin

2024 Nominee for Sidewise Award. The Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were established in 1995 to recognize the best alternate history stories and novels of the year.

A terrifying tale about HIV spreading in the early sixteenth century by an author, Publisher Weekly calls “The Master of Alternate History.”

What if HIV started spreading in the early 1500s rather than the late 1900s? Without modern medicine, anybody who catches HIV is going to die.

A patriarchal society reacts to this devastating disease in the only way it knows how: it sequesters women as much as possible, limiting contacts between the sexes except for married couples. While imperfect, such drastic actions do limit the spread of the disease.

The ‘Wasting’ (HIV) has caused devasting destruction throughout the known world and severely limited the development of technology as well, creating a mid-nineteenth century England and London almost unrecognizable to us. This is the world Viola is born into. Extremely intelligent and growing up in a house full of medical books which she reads, she dreams of travelling to far-off places, something she can only do via books since her actions and movements are severely restricted by both law custom.

Meticulously researched and exquisitely detailed in a way only a master like Harry Turtledove can do, this book is a tour-de-force from one of the best historical and alternate history writers ever to write in the genre.

• ISBN10: 1647100925
• ISBN13: 9781647100926
• Publish Date: 25 January 2024
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: CAEZIK SF & Fantasy
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 286
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Wages of Sin is a well written, chilling, insightful alternate history novel by Harry Turtledove. Released 12th Dec 2023, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

The author really has a talent for combining meticulous research as well as a thorough knowledge of character and real life human nature into a synergistic ability to write realistic and believable alternate history. That's pretty much the only description necessary. He's a moderately talented (occasionally sublime) author who writes very well and believably about the what-if alternate history where, in this case), HIV was unleashed and made the jump to humans in the 16th century and not the more modern day when humans were much more equipped (when pushed) to cope with/solve/cure it. 

He treats his protagonists (a young couple, kept at a distance for reasons of health and safety) with depth and compassion. Viola is intelligent (even brilliant) but denied the opportunities to study and contribute due to her sex, and Peter is presented in a favorable light as well. There are *big* themes here, women's rights, human nature on a large scale, the ill-treatment of people with terminal illnesses, class disparity, and the development of technology and information in a very different society. 

Four stars. It's a good book, a thought provoking and effective book.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.