''The Tales of Alvin Maker'' is a series of six

alternate history Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

novels written by American novelist Orson Scott Card, published from 1987 to 2003 (with one more planned), that explore the experiences of a young man, Alvin Miller, who realizes he has incredible powers for creating and shaping things around him.

Overview

The stories take place on the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

frontier A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts o ...

in the early 19th century, a fantasy setting based on early American

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

and

superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and ...

, in a world in which folk magic actually works and manifests differently by race, and many

Caucasian Caucasian may refer to: Anthropology *Anything from the Caucasus region ** ** ** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region * * * Languages * Northwest Caucasian l ...

characters have a limited

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

ability, or “knack,” to do some task to near-perfection, while Native Americans manifest nature magic and people of

African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

ancestry can work

voodoo Voodoo may refer to: Religions * African or West African Vodun, practiced by Gbe-speaking ethnic groups * African diaspora religions, a list of related religions sometimes called Vodou/Voodoo ** Candomblé Jejé, also known as Brazilian Vodu ...

. The stories involve a number of historical events and figures, but as a creation of alternate history. The primary divergence is the survival of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

from the illness that killed him in reality, thanks to a physician secretly having a magical healing knack (Cromwell considered such knacks evil

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

). What was documented as the

Colonial United States The colonial history of the United States covers the history of European colonization of North America from the early 17th century until the incorporation of the Thirteen Colonies into the United States after the Revolutionary War. In the ...

is divided in the books into a number of separate nations, including a smaller United States whose capital is

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

and whose largest city is a Dutch-settled but increasingly English-speaking

New Amsterdam New Amsterdam ( nl, Nieuw Amsterdam, or ) was a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''factory'' gave rise ...

. It displays much stronger Native American influence in its culture and society between

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and extending westwards to

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. (New England is a colony of a Republican England where the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

never occurred thanks to Cromwell’s survival.) A monarchy on the southern portion of the Eastern Seaboard (where the real-world Carolinas, Georgia, ''etc''. are) known as the “Crown Colonies” was founded by the House of Stuart in exile. An autonomous region known as Apalachee is centered on the Appalachian Mountains. Canada remains controlled by France while Florida and Nueva Barcelona (the real-world Louisiana) are colonized by Spain. Real-world

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

is an indigenous empire but is facing the prospect of war from the United States and European powers. In addition, many of the historical figures are either presented as

caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, a ...

s or bear only superficial resemblance to their historical persons. Some of the historical figures are also accorded knacks, such as

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

(not a character, but repeatedly mentioned), who is said to have been a Maker, and

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, who has the abilities both to make others adore and obey him and to see others’ great ambitions. Famous Native American Indian figures include

Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands. A persuasive orator, Tecumseh traveled widely, forming a Native American confederacy and ...

, who is called “Ta Kumsaw” in the books. His brother

Tensquatawa Tenskwatawa (also called Tenskatawa, Tenskwatawah, Tensquatawa or Lalawethika) (January 1775 – November 1836) was a Native American religious and political leader of the Shawnee tribe, known as the Prophet or the Shawnee Prophet. He was a ...

is also featured, as “Tenskwa Tawa.” The characters in the book display features similar to the two famous Native Americans. The famous Battle of Tippecanoe, in which both brothers were involved, occurs in the second book, '' Red Prophet'', although its outcome is different from the historic one.

Works

Books

* '' Seventh Son'' (1987) - Locus Award winner, 1988; Hugo and World Fantasy Awards nominee, 1988 * '' Red Prophet'' (1988) - Nebula Award nominee, 1988; Locus Award winner, 1989; Hugo Award nominee, 1989 * '' Prentice Alvin'' (1989) - Nebula Award nominee, 1989; Locus Award winner, 1990; Hugo Award nominee, 1990 * ''

Alvin Journeyman ''Alvin Journeyman'' (1995) is an alternate history/fantasy novel by American writer Orson Scott Card. It is the fourth book in Card's ''The Tales of Alvin Maker'' series and is about Alvin Miller, the seventh son of a seventh son. ''Alvin Jour ...

'' (1995) - Locus Award winner, 1996 * ''

Heartfire ''Heartfire'' (1998) is an alternate history/fantasy novel by American writer Orson Scott Card. It is the fifth book in Card's ''The Tales of Alvin Maker'' series and is about Alvin Miller, the seventh son of a seventh son. ''Heartfire'' was no ...

'' (1998) - Locus Award nominee, 1999 * ''

The Crystal City ''The Crystal City'' (2003) is an alternate history/fantasy novel by American writer Orson Scott Card. It is the sixth book in Card's ''The Tales of Alvin Maker'' series and is about Alvin Miller, the seventh son of a seventh son. Plot summary ...

'' (2003) * ''Master Alvin'' (in progress)

Short works

* "Hatrack River" - Novelette, published in Asimovs Magazine (Aug, 1986) * "

Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow "Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow" is a poem by Orson Scott Card. The poem was the basis for Card's ''The Tales of Alvin Maker'' series. Publication "Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow" won first prize in the long serious poem category at th ...

" - poem, published in '' Maps in a Mirror'' (1990) * "Grinning Man" - short story, published in '' Legends'' (1998) * "The Yazoo Queen" - short story, published in '' Legends II'' (2003) * "Alvin and the Apple Tree" - short story, published in ''Dead Man's Hand'' (2014) * "Naysayers" - short story, published in'' National Review'' (November 19, 2015 issue)

Other works

* '' Red Prophet: The Tales Of Alvin Maker'' - a comic book series * ''Alvin Maker Game ''- a

MMORPG A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game. As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...

- that was in development in 2005, but never published

Characters

Alvin Miller

Alvin Miller, the seventh son of a seventh son, discovers that his knack far surpasses that of everyone else. He can change both living and nonliving matter simply by force of will (hence the title "Maker"). This power comes at a cost, however; not only does Alvin feel a great responsibility to use his power for good, but there are forces that actively seek his death. Alvin must discover how to use his abilities, and how to apply them for good, while struggling to survive. Along the way, he is helped by a number of people whose knacks are not as strong, but who see in Alvin a way to use their wisdom and abilities to contribute to a greater good. Some people try to misguide him or exploit his abilities for their own purposes. Alvin Miller is Card's reimagining of

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...

, founder of the

Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Jo ...

Alternate history characters

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...

(as the major character Taleswapper) *

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

* Marquis de La Fayette * Daniel Webster *

Denmark Vesey Denmark Vesey (also Telemaque) ( July 2, 1822) was an early 19th century free Black and community leader in Charleston, South Carolina, who was accused and convicted of planning a major slave revolt in 1822. Although the alleged plot was dis ...

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

* Honoré de Balzac *

John James Audubon John James Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin; April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was an American self-trained artist, naturalist, and ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornithology turned into a plan to make a complete pictoria ...

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champ ...

(as Ta Kumsaw) *

(as Lolla-Wossiky/Tenskwa Tawa) * Stephen F. Austin * James Bowie

Mentioned characters

These are characters who are mentioned, but do not appear. *

: His survival from the illness that killed him in reality because his physician (unknown to Cromwell) had a magical “knack” for healing meant that the

monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy) ...

wasn’t restored, which drastically altered the subsequent history of both Great Britain and British North America. This is the key divergence point of this alternative history. *

: He is described as a “wizard” and also as a possible “maker” himself (Appeared briefly in ''Seventh Son'' as “Old Ben.”) *

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

: Described as “Lord Potomac,” who served under the British crown, but surrendered his army (and was subsequently

beheaded Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...

for

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

) in the series' alternate version of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

. *

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

: He serves as the first

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

in this timeline. * John Quincy Adams: Serves as

Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachusetts ...

during the events of ''Heartfire''.

The Unmaker

The Unmaker is a supernatural force that breaks apart matter and aims to destroy and consume everything and everyone. Essentially, the Unmaker is

entropy Entropy is a scientific concept, as well as a measurable physical property, that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodynam ...

as a conscious, destructive entity. Aside from opposing all life, the Unmaker is the particular nemesis of Alvin Miller. Alvin is a Maker of exceptional power and prodigious creativity who enriches life by constructing both objects and social bridges, thereby threatening and thwarting the Unmaker. The Unmaker repeatedly attempts to do away with Alvin, at first by inducing accidents at Alvin's childhood (especially by drowning, since eroding water has a natural affinity to it), and later by influencing people to challenge and repudiate him. To make something is to oppose the Unmaker, but a point often made is that this is futile. By natural law the Unmaker can tear down faster than any man can build. On the other hand, Making cares nothing about natural law. As Taleswapper reveals to a seven-year-old Alvin, the creation of what is known as the Crystal City could defeat, even destroy, the Unmaker. This then becomes Alvin's mission in life. The Unmaker is usually undetectable to most people, though Alvin can detect its attention as a shimmering around his field of vision. It manifests when it needs to in order to tempt people into war and destruction, in which case it takes the most effective shape; a priest would see an avenging angel, a slave-owner a great overseer, etc. It will not appear to those who destroy willingly – they serve its cause already.

Themes

Mormonism

Alvin has some characteristics similar to

, the founder of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

. Card is a member of this denomination, known informally as

Mormons Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

. Some of the events in ''Seventh Son'' are similar to stories about Smith's childhood. Alvin has visions of creating a Crystal City, which is similar to the Church settlement of

Nauvoo, Illinois Nauvoo ( ; from the ) is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa. The population of Nauvoo was 950 at the 2020 census. Nauvoo attracts visitors for its historic importance and its ...

. Alvin has had premonitions that he may die after building the Crystal City, which suggests Smith's death in Carthage. Alvin was also the name of Joseph Smith's eldest brother.

Race

Race also plays a large part in the stories, particularly in the way that culture shapes the abilities that people of different groups develop. "

Whites White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view. Description of populations as " ...

" have knacks or cultivated skills that appear to be derived from the folklore and traditions of colonial America and

western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

. "

Reds Reds may refer to: General * Red (political adjective), supporters of Communism or socialism * Reds (January Uprising), a faction of the Polish insurrectionists during the January Uprising in 1863 * USSR (or, to a lesser extent, China) during th ...

" align themselves with the rhythms of

nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...

but also use

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...

to perform some of their magic. "

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

s" channel their skills into creating objects of power, in a manner similar to the practices of

Conflict

A recurring theme of the books is the conflict between Creators and Destroyers—namely, Making such as Alvin does, and Unmaking that he confronts.

References

External links

The official Orson Scott Card website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tales Of Alvin Maker, The Book series introduced in 1987 The Tales of Alvin Maker series novels Fantasy novel series Alternate history book series