Eric Flint’s 1632 & Beyond #15, January/February 2026
“When Jimmy Met Barbie” by Edith Wild
“Something Old” by Bethanne Kim
“Dagnabit Belle” by Chuck Thompson
“The Grand Adventure of Baron Münchhausen in the Land of the Americans” by Robert F. Lowell
“Adieu Anvers” by Marc Tyrrell
“The Brezelgeist Romance” by David Hankins
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
[Editor’s note: The following is offered by Tangent reviewer Mike Bickerdike as a guide for those not familiar with this magazine’s concept.] Eric Flint’s 1632 and Beyond is a magazine comprising stories set in the late Eric Flint’s “Ring of Fire” or 1632 alternate-history universe. For those unfamiliar with the books, the essential concept is that the town of Grantville in West Virginia became transported (by cosmic accident) from our present day to northern Germany in 1632 during the 30 Years War. The book series extends to dozens of novels. The short stories in this magazine are set within that framework.
As its title suggests, “When Jimmy Met Barbie” by Edith Wild deals with an encounter between two characters, presumably ones that have appeared in other works in the series. The basic plot involves Jimmy suffering injuries during an attempted robbery of the shop where he works and Barbie acting as his nurse during his recovery.
There is much more to this rather lengthy story than this simple synopsis suggests. Very little of what happens has much to do with the speculative premise. Both characters have implied back stories, so readers familiar with them will best appreciate this account of their first meeting.
In “Something Old” by Bethanne Kim, a woman learns about family secrets after her grandmother dies. Although emotionally effective, this brief story has almost nothing to do with the time-shifting theme.
The title character in “Dagnabit Belle” by Chuck Thompson is a dog. During the mysterious event that sends the city back in time, she becomes lost in a strange new world full of unknown animals and people, some of them dangerous.
The author does a fine job of conveying the dog’s sensations and emotions. Although very sensitive persons should be warned that the dog undergoes serious suffering during her disorientation, this story is likely to be appreciated by most readers, even if they are not particularly fond of canines.
“The Grand Adventure of Baron Münchhausen in the Land of the Americans” by Robert F. Lowell is narrated by the title character. (Readers should be aware that there really were Barons of that name, but the famous character who related his outrageously impossible exploits is entirely fictional.) He aids people from the future when they are attacked by bandits and saves a woman from a wild animal.
The author captures the narrative voice of a seventeenth century character effectively. A few of the character’s perceptions suggest the exaggerations of the fictional Baron. (He initially sees a pickup truck as a dragon and believes that a lynx is a lion.) One might wish for much more of this kind of exaggeration from the Baron.
In “Adieu Anvers” by Marc Tyrell a woman whose family was killed by the Inquisition and who has suffered torture at their hands herself is advised to leave Antwerp and seek safety with an admirer who lives in the town from the future. At first, she sees him as nothing more than an overly attentive friend but eventually accepts his affection. However, her former life as a prostitute seems to make marriage impossible.
Much of the story deals with the woman learning about life in Grantville. The plot is leisurely and episodic. This is a prequel to a previous work and will be better appreciated by those familiar with the characters.
In “The Brezelgeist Romance” by David Hankins a coachman serves as an apprentice spy for the people from the future. Sent to Dresden to begin his new career, he becomes involved with an unexpected spymaster and faces danger when he learns of an assassination plot.
The story is initially very light, with the inexperienced spy trying to learn his craft from a taskmaster with whom he has an ambiguous relationship. (A hint that the story is not entirely serious comes from the fact that the spy’s code name, mentioned in the title, literally means “pretzel ghost.”) The climax is much more dramatic. The change in mood may disconcert some readers. As with many stories found in the magazine, the science fiction premise has almost nothing to do with the plot. This could well be a work of historical spy fiction with touches of comedy and a love story.
Victoria Silverwolf had a busy night at work today.