The Beast of Stalingrad (novel): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Story SMW
{{Infobox Story
|adapted into = The Beast of Stalingrad (audio story)
|name = The Beast of Stalingrad
|image = TBOS.jpg
|image =  
|series = ''[[Erimem (series)|Erimem]]''
|series = ''[[Erimem (series)|Erimem]]''
|illustrator =  
|illustrator =  
Line 11: Line 11:
|enemy = [[Drofen]]
|enemy = [[Drofen]]
|setting = [[Stalingrad]], [[1942]]
|setting = [[Stalingrad]], [[1942]]
|writer = [[Iain McLaughlin]]
|writer = Iain McLaughlin
|publisher = Thebes Publishing
|publisher = Thebes Publishing
|release date = [[1 September (releases)|1 September]] [[2015 (releases)|2015]]
|release date = 1 September 2015
|format = Paperback, E-book
|format = Paperback, E-book
|isbn =  
|isbn = ISBN 978-1-910868-01-0
|prev= The Last Pharaoh (novel)
|prev= The Last Pharaoh (novel)
|next= TBA
|next= The One Place (short story)
}}
}}'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was a novella published by [[Thebes Publishing]] and the second story in the ''[[Erimem (series)|Erimem]]'' series.
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was a novella published by [[Thebes Publishing]] and the second story in the ''[[Erimem (series)|Erimem]]'' series.
 
Though both the [[Stalingrad|titular city]] and the conflict had been mentioned several times previously, this story was the first in the [[DWU]] to take place during the [[Battle of Stalingrad]]. Rather surprisingly, it is also the only DWU story set on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] of [[World War II]] to feature an active [[alien]] threat.
 
The novella came bundled with the short story, ''[[The One Place (short story)|The One Place]]''.


== Publisher's summary ==
== Publisher's summary ==
''to be added''
Looking at her [[timeline]], Erimem is intrigued by evidence that at some point in her life, she visits the [[Nazi]]-[[Battle of Stalingrad|besieged]] [[city]] of [[Stalingrad]] in [[1942]]. Against the advice of her friends, Erimem [[Time travel|travels back]] through [[time]] to discover what happened in [[Russia]] during those terrible times in [[World War II|the war]].
 
Erimem’s [[Friendship|friends]] all have the same [[question]] - why is she suddenly so obsessed with visiting Stalingrad at this most brutal time?
 
With [[Germany|German]] forces relentlessly bombarding the city, the people are freezing and [[Starvation|starving]]... and worse, there are stories of [[Drofen|a demon or a beast]], stalking the ruined streets of Stalingrad, devouring anyone it meets.
 
When Erimem arrives she finds a city under attack both from the invading German [[Army|armies]] and from a dark force in the [[shadow]]s.


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
''to be added''
=== Part One ===
[[2015]]: some five [[week]]s after [[The Last Pharaoh (novel)|their experiences]] in [[Actium]] in ancient [[Greece]], [[Erimem]] discovers that she was present in [[Stalingrad]] in [[1942]] and becomes determined to visit the period. [[Andy Hansen|Andy]] and [[Ibrahim Hadmani|Ibrahim]] are both horrified at the thought of visiting Stalingrad at [[Battle of Stalingrad|such an infamous period of its history]] but they aren't able to convince Erimem otherwise. Andy agrees to go with her.
 
1942: in the ravaged city, Erimem and Andy escape a bombardment and assist a civilian, [[Isabella Zemanova]], who is searching for precious firewood. In Isabella's flat, the [[time travel]]lers are warned about [[Drofen|a demon]] which Isabella's [[husband]], [[Lev Zemanova|Lev]], told her is stalking the [[city]]. Erimem and Andy investigate and eventually encounter one of the [[Drofen|Drofen Horde]].
 
=== Part Two ===
At the [[London University of History and Antiquity]], [[Orla Wilton]] introduced Ibrahim to his new assistant, [[Trina Barton]]. Outside, Ibrahim encounters [[Tom Niven]], who seems very distant. Knowing something is wrong, Ibrahim takes Tom to [[Helena (The Last Pharaoh)|Helena]]. Helena determines Tom is still suffering from [[guilt]] over the [[death]] of his [[girlfriend]], [[Anna Whitaker]], in Greece.
 
Back in Stalingrad, the Drofen is driven off by [[Russia]]n [[soldier]]s under [[Yuri Kurkov]], a [[family]] [[friendship|friend]] of the Zemanovas. To learn more, Erimem sends Andy back to 2015 to retrieve information from the [[computer]]. As Andy informs Ibrahim and Helena about what has been happening, Tom wanders into the room and discovers their secret set-up. When Andy prepares to travel back to Stalingrad, Tom offers to come with her, as a way of confronting his guilt. Andy still harbours a dislike towards Tom, as he previously humiliated her girlfriend [[Sasha (The Death of Empire)|Sasha]], but she recognises that he in genuinely trying to cope with his struggle and accepts.
 
When Andy gives Erimem the information she was looking for, the latter hatches a plan: she wants to play dead so that the Drofen will take her to their ship. Nobody else likes the plan but given the lack of alternatives, they all acquiesce. She travels out of the city centre with Yuri's [[man|men]]. They run into [[Germany|German]] soldiers, who kill [[Piotr (The Beast of Stalingrad)|Piotr]] and [[Yusef]]. The Germans are soon overpowered and killed but Erimem realises their situation in this battle was just as desperate as that of the Russians.
 
=== Part Three ===
Erimem enacts her plan and plays dead in the snowy streets and is carried off by one of the Drofen. In the ship, she is frustrated to see Isabella, who was captured while looking for Lev. Erimem soon gains an audience with the [[Horde Prime]] and reminds him that the [[galactic law]]s his people are subject to mean they may only live off the dead. The fact that they have been [[kidnapping]] and [[Murder|killing]] living people contravenes those laws. The Horde Prime is aware of this but dismisses the protestations. After he refuses to leave Earth peacefully, Erimem signals to Yuri to begin bombarding the ship, which provokes a larger German bombardment on the same area.
 
As Erimem's friends and allies enter the ship to rescue them, the party enters a room in which four humans have been ripped open by the Drofen but left alive to keep the meet fresh. One of them is Lev Zemanova, who urges Isabella to flee Stalingrad with their two [[son]]s. Isabella kills the four men out of [[mercy]] and escapes the ship before the bombardment ruptures the [[engine]]s, blowing it apart.
 
Despite Tom knowing that the Russians eventually break the siege of the city and capture the German invaders, Isabella makes good her promise to flee. Erimem gives her a detailed route to follow. Over many [[week]]s, it takes Isabella to [[Murmansk]], where [[William Dunn]] of the [[Royal Navy]] helps her and her sons escape to [[Great Britain|Britain]]. Having escaped both [[World War II|the war]] and [[Joseph Stalin]]'s [[Soviet Union|tyrannical regime]], Isabella settles down into [[Marriage|married]] life with William.
 
Many [[decade]]s later, Isabella meets Erimem again and tells her her story, despite Erimem not recognising her. She invited Erimem and her friends to her ninty-fifth [[birthday]]. By hearing the old [[woman]]'s story, Erimem learns that at some point, she travelled to Stalingrad in 1942, and she becomes determined to visit the period so that she can help Isabella in those dark days.


== Characters ==
== Characters ==
Line 34: Line 62:
* [[Helena (The Last Pharaoh)|Helena]]
* [[Helena (The Last Pharaoh)|Helena]]
* [[Isabella Zemanova]]
* [[Isabella Zemanova]]
* [[Drofen]]
* [[Orla Wilton]]
* [[Orla Wilton]]
* [[Trina Barton]]
* [[Trina Barton]]
* [[Yuri Kurkov]]
* [[Yuri Kurkov]]
* [[Lev Zemanova]]
* [[Piotr (The Beast of Stalingrad)|Piotr]]
* [[Piotr (The Beast of Stalingrad)|Piotr]]
* [[Yusef]]
* [[Yusef]]
* [[William Dunn]]
* [[Alexei Zemanova]]


== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
* Andy says if [[Mary Poppins]] tried flying in the current weather, she would end up in [[Norway]].
* Andy says if [[Mary Poppins]] tried flying in the current windy [[weather]], she would end up in [[Norway]].
* Andy compares Erimem living in a cupboard at Helena and Ibrahim's house to [[Harry Potter]] living in a cupboard under the stairs.
* Andy compares Erimem living in a cupboard at Helena and Ibrahim's [[house]] to [[Harry Potter]] living in a [[cupboard]] under the [[stair]]s.
* Andy describes Erimem as having a ''[[Mona Lisa]]'' smile.
* Andy describes Erimem as having a ''[[Mona Lisa]]'' [[smile]].
* Erimem jokes about using [[Google]].
* Erimem [[joke]]s about using [[Google]].
* Isabella mentions [[Jules Verne]] and [[H. G. Wells]].
* Isabella mentions [[Jules Verne]] and [[H. G. Wells]].
* Isabella and her sons passed through [[Leningrad]].
* Erimem gives [[cup-a-soup]] to Isabella.


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
Line 53: Line 87:
* Ibrahim says Erimem brought up going to Stalingrad five weeks after they got back from [[Actium]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Last Pharaoh (novel)|The Last Pharaoh]]'')
* Ibrahim says Erimem brought up going to Stalingrad five weeks after they got back from [[Actium]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Last Pharaoh (novel)|The Last Pharaoh]]'')
* Erimem uses her ''gladius'' sword. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Last Pharaoh (novel)|The Last Pharaoh]]'')
* Erimem uses her ''gladius'' sword. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Last Pharaoh (novel)|The Last Pharaoh]]'')
* Erimem recounts being taught by [[Antranak]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Eye of the Scorpion (audio story)|The Eye of the Scorpion]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Coming of the Queen (novel)|The Coming of the Queen]]'')


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [http://www.thebespublishing.com/#!beast-of-stalingrad/c8yd ''The Beast of Stalingrad''] at [[Thebes Publishing]]
* [http://www.thebespublishing.com/#!beast-of-stalingrad/c8yd ''The Beast of Stalingrad''] at [[Thebes Publishing]]
{{Prose stub}}
{{Erimem}}{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
 
[[fr:The Beast of Stalingrad (roman)]]
[[Category:Erimem series]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2015]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2015]]
[[Category:Stories set in 1942]]
[[Category:Stories set in 1942]]
[[Category:Stories set in London]]
[[Category:Stories set in London]]
[[Category:Stories set in Russia]]
[[Category:Stories set in European Russia]]
[[Category:2015 novels]]
[[Category:2015 novels]]
[[Category:Pseudo-historical stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in World War II]]
[[Category:Stories set in World War II]]
[[Category:E-books]]
[[Category:The Collected Adventures 2015 stories]]
[[Category:Erimem series novels]]
[[fr:The Beast of Stalingrad (roman)]]

Latest revision as of 03:18, 22 March 2024

RealWorld.png

The Beast of Stalingrad was a novella published by Thebes Publishing and the second story in the Erimem series.

Though both the titular city and the conflict had been mentioned several times previously, this story was the first in the DWU to take place during the Battle of Stalingrad. Rather surprisingly, it is also the only DWU story set on the Eastern Front of World War II to feature an active alien threat.

The novella came bundled with the short story, The One Place.

Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

Looking at her timeline, Erimem is intrigued by evidence that at some point in her life, she visits the Nazi-besieged city of Stalingrad in 1942. Against the advice of her friends, Erimem travels back through time to discover what happened in Russia during those terrible times in the war.

Erimem’s friends all have the same question - why is she suddenly so obsessed with visiting Stalingrad at this most brutal time?

With German forces relentlessly bombarding the city, the people are freezing and starving... and worse, there are stories of a demon or a beast, stalking the ruined streets of Stalingrad, devouring anyone it meets.

When Erimem arrives she finds a city under attack both from the invading German armies and from a dark force in the shadows.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Part One[[edit] | [edit source]]

2015: some five weeks after their experiences in Actium in ancient Greece, Erimem discovers that she was present in Stalingrad in 1942 and becomes determined to visit the period. Andy and Ibrahim are both horrified at the thought of visiting Stalingrad at such an infamous period of its history but they aren't able to convince Erimem otherwise. Andy agrees to go with her.

1942: in the ravaged city, Erimem and Andy escape a bombardment and assist a civilian, Isabella Zemanova, who is searching for precious firewood. In Isabella's flat, the time travellers are warned about a demon which Isabella's husband, Lev, told her is stalking the city. Erimem and Andy investigate and eventually encounter one of the Drofen Horde.

Part Two[[edit] | [edit source]]

At the London University of History and Antiquity, Orla Wilton introduced Ibrahim to his new assistant, Trina Barton. Outside, Ibrahim encounters Tom Niven, who seems very distant. Knowing something is wrong, Ibrahim takes Tom to Helena. Helena determines Tom is still suffering from guilt over the death of his girlfriend, Anna Whitaker, in Greece.

Back in Stalingrad, the Drofen is driven off by Russian soldiers under Yuri Kurkov, a family friend of the Zemanovas. To learn more, Erimem sends Andy back to 2015 to retrieve information from the computer. As Andy informs Ibrahim and Helena about what has been happening, Tom wanders into the room and discovers their secret set-up. When Andy prepares to travel back to Stalingrad, Tom offers to come with her, as a way of confronting his guilt. Andy still harbours a dislike towards Tom, as he previously humiliated her girlfriend Sasha, but she recognises that he in genuinely trying to cope with his struggle and accepts.

When Andy gives Erimem the information she was looking for, the latter hatches a plan: she wants to play dead so that the Drofen will take her to their ship. Nobody else likes the plan but given the lack of alternatives, they all acquiesce. She travels out of the city centre with Yuri's men. They run into German soldiers, who kill Piotr and Yusef. The Germans are soon overpowered and killed but Erimem realises their situation in this battle was just as desperate as that of the Russians.

Part Three[[edit] | [edit source]]

Erimem enacts her plan and plays dead in the snowy streets and is carried off by one of the Drofen. In the ship, she is frustrated to see Isabella, who was captured while looking for Lev. Erimem soon gains an audience with the Horde Prime and reminds him that the galactic laws his people are subject to mean they may only live off the dead. The fact that they have been kidnapping and killing living people contravenes those laws. The Horde Prime is aware of this but dismisses the protestations. After he refuses to leave Earth peacefully, Erimem signals to Yuri to begin bombarding the ship, which provokes a larger German bombardment on the same area.

As Erimem's friends and allies enter the ship to rescue them, the party enters a room in which four humans have been ripped open by the Drofen but left alive to keep the meet fresh. One of them is Lev Zemanova, who urges Isabella to flee Stalingrad with their two sons. Isabella kills the four men out of mercy and escapes the ship before the bombardment ruptures the engines, blowing it apart.

Despite Tom knowing that the Russians eventually break the siege of the city and capture the German invaders, Isabella makes good her promise to flee. Erimem gives her a detailed route to follow. Over many weeks, it takes Isabella to Murmansk, where William Dunn of the Royal Navy helps her and her sons escape to Britain. Having escaped both the war and Joseph Stalin's tyrannical regime, Isabella settles down into married life with William.

Many decades later, Isabella meets Erimem again and tells her her story, despite Erimem not recognising her. She invited Erimem and her friends to her ninty-fifth birthday. By hearing the old woman's story, Erimem learns that at some point, she travelled to Stalingrad in 1942, and she becomes determined to visit the period so that she can help Isabella in those dark days.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • This story is told from the first person POV, but it alternates between Isabella, Ibrahim, Andy, Erimem, and Tom.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]