View source for Harry Turtledove

{{Short description|American author (born 1949)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
| name             = Harry Turtledove
| image            = Harry Turtledove 2005.jpg
| caption          = Turtledove at the [[63rd World Science Fiction Convention|2005 Worldcon]]
| pseudonym        = Dan Chernenko, Eric G. Iverson, Mark Gordian, H. N. Turteltaub
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|1949|6|14|mf=y}}
| birth_place      = [[Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
| education        = [[California Institute of Technology]] (dropped out)<br />[[University of California, Los Angeles]] ([[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])
| occupation       = {{flatlist|
* Novelist
* short story author
* essayist
* historian
}}
| genre            = [[Science fiction]], [[fantasy]], [[alternate history]], [[historical fiction]], [[history]]
| notableworks     = {{Plainlist|
* ''[[Southern Victory Series|Southern Victory]]''
* ''[[Worldwar Series|Worldwar]]''
* ''[[Crosstime Traffic]]''
* ''[[The Guns of the South]]''
* ''[[The Two Georges]]''
}}
| website          = {{URL|http://www.stevenhsilver.com/turtledove.html}}
| signature        = File:HarryTurtledoveSignature.png
| period           = 1979&ndash;present
}}

'''Harry Norman Turtledove''' (born June 14, 1949) is an American author who is best known for his work in the genres of [[alternate history]], [[historical fiction]], [[fantasy]], [[science fiction]], and [[mystery fiction]]. He is a student of history and completed his [[PhD]] in [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] history. His dissertation was on the period 565–582. He lives in [[Southern California]].

In addition to his birth name, Turtledove writes under a number of [[pen name]]s: Eric Iverson, H. N. Turteltaub, Dan Chernenko, and Mark Gordian. He began publishing novels in the realm of fantasy starting in 1979 and continues to write in the 2020s.

==Early life==
Turtledove was born in [[Los Angeles, California]], on June 14, 1949, and grew up in [[Gardena, California]]. <!--?who were his parents? What is the origin of his name?--> His paternal grandparents, who were [[Romanian Jews]], had first emigrated to [[Winnipeg, Manitoba]], before moving to California.<ref name="bookref1">{{cite book |title=Something About the Author: Volume 176 |publisher=Thomson-Gale (Ktav Publishing House) |date=April 2007 |page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780787688004/page/212 212] |isbn=978-0-7876-8800-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780787688004/page/212 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stevenhsilver.com/report.html |title=Harry's War of the Worlds |website=Sfsite.com |access-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> He was educated in local public schools during his early life.

After dropping out during his [[freshman]] year at [[California Institute of Technology]], Turtledove attended [[UCLA]], where he completed his undergraduate degree and received a [[PhD]] in [[Byzantine history]] in 1977. His [[dissertation]] was entitled ''The Immediate Successors of [[Justinian I|Justinian]]: A Study of the Persian Problem and of Continuity and Change in Internal Secular Affairs in the [[Later Roman Empire]] During the Reigns of [[Justin II]] and [[Tiberius II Constantine]] (AD 565–582)''.<ref>''The immediate successors of Justinian: a study of the Persian problem and of continuity and change in internal secular affairs in the later Roman empire during the reigns of Justin II and Tiberius II Constantine (A.D. 565–582)''; Harry Norman Turtledove, Thesis (Ph.D.), UCLA, 1977. Reproduction: University Microfilms International, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1979</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |url=http://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/1601866 |title=The immediate successors of Justinian: a study of the Persian problem and of continuity and change in internal secular affairs in the later Roman empire during the reigns of Justin II and Tiberius II Constantine (A.D. 565–582) in SearchWorks |website=Searchworks.stanford.edu |year=1977 |access-date=April 12, 2017|last1=Turtledove |first1=Harry }}</ref>

==Career==
{{Alternate history sidebar}}
Turtledove published his first two novels, ''Wereblood'' and ''Werenight'', in 1979 under the [[pseudonym]] "Eric G. Iverson". He later explained that his editor at [[Tower Publications|Belmont Tower]] did not think that people would believe the author's real name was "Turtledove" and came up with something more [[North Germanic languages|Nordic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://media.barnesandnoble.com/index.jsp?fr_story=370a4a5f23d55c15b05c2638c850e6bda368284c&rf=rss |title=Interviews |website=Barnesandnoble.com |access-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> He continued to use "Iverson" until 1985. Another early pseudonym was "Mark Gordian".

That year, he published ''Herbig-Haro'' and ''And So to Bed'' under his real name. In 1998, he began publishing historical novels under the pseudonym "H. N. Turteltaub" (''Turteltaube'' means [[European turtle dove|turtle dove]] in [[German language|German]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dict.tu-chemnitz.de/dings.cgi?service=deen&opterrors=0&optpro=0&query=turtledove&iservice= |title=turtledove: Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU&nbsp;Chemnitz) |first=Frank |last=Richter |website=Dict.tu-chemnitz.de |access-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> He published three books as "Dan Chernenko" (the ''Scepter of Mercy'' series).

He has written several works in collaboration, including ''[[The Two Georges]]'' with [[Richard Dreyfuss]], "Death in Vesunna" with his first wife, Betty Turtledove (pen name: Elaine O'Byrne); ''[[Household Gods (novel)|Household Gods]]'' with [[Judith Tarr]]; and others with [[Susan Shwartz]], [[S. M. Stirling]], and Kevin R. Sandes.

Turtledove won the Homer Award for Short Story in 1990 for "Designated Hitter", the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction in 1993 for ''[[The Guns of the South]]'', and the [[Hugo Award]] for Novella in 1994 for ''[[Down in the Bottomlands]]''. ''Must and Shall'' was nominated for the 1996 [[Hugo Award]] and [[Nebula Award]] for Best Novelette and received an honorable mention for the 1995 [[Sidewise Award for Alternate History]]. ''The Two Georges'' also received an honorable mention for the 1995 Sidewise Award for Alternate History.

His ''[[Worldwar]]'' series received a Sidewise Award for Alternate History Honorable Mention in 1996. In 1998, his novel ''[[How Few Remain]]'' won the [[Sidewise Award for Alternate History]]. He won his second Sidewise Award in 2003 for his novel ''[[Ruled Britannia]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uchronia.net/sidewise/complete.html#1995 |title=Sidewise: Past Winners and Finalists |website=Uchronia.net |access-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> He won his third Sidewise Award for his short story "Zigeuner”<ref>{{cite news |url=https://locusmag.com/2018/08/2017-sidewise-awards-winners/ |title=2017 Sidewise Award Finalists |publisher=Locus|date=August 20, 2018 |access-date=October 13, 2018}}</ref> and his fourth for his short story "Christmas Truce".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sidewise: Sidewise Awards for Alternate History|url=http://www.uchronia.com/sidewise/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=www.uchronia.com}}</ref>

Turtledove won the Prometheus Award for Best Novel in 1998 for ''The Gladiator.''<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.lfs.org | title=Libertarian Futurist Society | website=www.lfs.org}}</ref> 

On August 1, 1998, Turtledove was named honorary [[Kentucky Colonel]] as guest of honor at Rivercon XXIII in [[Louisville, Kentucky]]. His ''[[The Gladiator (Turtledove novel)|The Gladiator]]'' was the cowinner of the 2008 [[Prometheus Award]].

Turtledove served as the toastmaster for [[58th World Science Fiction Convention|Chicon 2000]], the 58th World Science Fiction Convention.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chicon.org/gohs/gohs.htm |title=Chicon 2000, Guests of Honor |access-date=September 3, 2008 |date=July 23, 2000 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708191440/http://www.chicon.org./gohs/gohs.htm |archive-date=July 8, 2008 }}</ref>

''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' dubbed Turtledove "The Master of Alternate History".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20080407/6996-master-of-alternate-history-.html |title=Master of Alternate History |access-date=January 28, 2011 |last=Hall |first=Melissa Mia |date=April 7, 2008 |magazine=[[Publishers Weekly]]}}</ref> Within the genre, he is known for creating original alternate history scenarios, such as survival of the [[Byzantine Empire]] or an [[alien invasion]] during the middle of the [[Second World War]]. In addition, he has been credited with giving original treatment to alternate themes that had been dealt with by many others, such as the [[American Civil War alternate histories|victory of the South]] in the [[American Civil War]] or the [[Hypothetical Axis victory in World War II|victory]] of [[Nazi Germany]] during the Second World War. His novels have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24495166-16947,00.html |title=On lowbrow street |access-date=October 20, 2008 |author=Graeme Blundell |date=October 18, 2008 |newspaper=[[The Australian]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205185940/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24495166-16947,00.html |archive-date=February 5, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
{{Main|Harry Turtledove bibliography}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Sisterlinks|s=no|v=no|b=no|wikt=no}}
* [http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/t/harry-turtledove/ Fantastic Fiction Author Page]
* [http://us.macmillan.com/author/harryturtledove MacMillan Publisher's Harry Turtledove page] 
* {{isfdb name|id=Harry_Turtledove|name=Harry Turtledove}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080831011754/http://radio.nationalreview.com/betweenthecovers/post/?q=ZjdjNjFlZGRjYjhjOGQyMDY2NmM2NmViYWQyODMxMDE= National Review Online audio interview with Harry Turtledove]
* {{hour25|Harry Turtledove|http://www.hour25online.com/Hour25_Previous_Shows_2001-8.html#harry-turtledove_2001-08-29}}

{{Harry Turtledove}}
{{Hugo Award Best Novella}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turtledove, Harry}}
[[Category:Harry Turtledove| ]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century pseudonymous writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century pseudonymous writers]]
[[Category:American Byzantinists]]
[[Category:American alternate history writers]]
[[Category:American fantasy writers]]
[[Category:American historical novelists]]
[[Category:American male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American male novelists]]
[[Category:American people of Romanian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American science fiction writers]]
[[Category:California Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:Conan the Barbarian novelists]]
[[Category:Hugo Award–winning writers]]
[[Category:Jewish American novelists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sidewise Award winners]]
[[Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni]]
[[Category:Writers from Los Angeles]]