Harry Turtledove

Harry Turtledove is a highly prolific and accomplished American author, best known for his works in the alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction genres. He has penned numerous series, including the Southern Victory, Worldwar, Crosstime Traffic, and many more. Turtledove has been hailed as "The Master of Alternate History" due to his exceptional ability to create compelling alternate scenarios and provide fresh perspectives on historical events.

Turtledove was born on June 14, 1949, in Los Angeles, California, and grew up near Gardena. His paternal grandparents were of Jewish Romanian descent and initially settled in Winnipeg, Canada before moving to California. He received his primary education from local public schools and went on to attend Caltech, but dropped out in his freshman year. He later completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA and earned a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977. Turtledove's background in history has significantly influenced his writing, providing a solid foundation for his alternate history novels.

Turtledove began his writing career in 1979, initially publishing under the pseudonym Eric G. Iverson. He used this name due to his editor's belief that readers would not accept a author with the surname Turtledove. He continued to use this pseudonym until 1985, after which he began writing under the name Mark Gordian. He has also used the pseudonyms H.N. Turteltaub and Dan Chernenko for some of his works. Turteltaub is a Yiddish translation of Turtledove, reflecting his cultural heritage.

Throughout his career, Turtledove has received significant recognition for his contributions to literature. He has won the Sidewise Award for Best Novel for his work How Few Remain. His notable series include the Southern Victory series, Worldwar series, The Two Georges, and several standalone novels. Turtledove is married to fellow author Laura Frankos, and they have three daughters together: Alison, Rachel, and Rebecca. His works have been widely praised for their imaginative storytelling and thorough historical research.