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Wages of Sin

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Wages of Sin

By: Harry Turtledove
Narrated by: Ana Clements
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What if HIV started spreading in the early 1500s rather than the late 1900s? Without modern medicine, anybody who catches HIV is going to die. A patriarchal society reacts to this devastating disease in the only way it knows how: it sequesters women as much as possible, limiting contacts between the sexes except for married couples. While imperfect, such drastic actions do limit the spread of the disease.

The 'Wasting' (HIV) has caused devastating destruction throughout the known world and severely limited the development of technology as well, creating a mid-nineteenth century England and London almost unrecognizable to us. This is the world Viola is born into. Extremely intelligent and growing up in a house full of medical books which she reads, she dreams of traveling to far-off places, something she can only do via books since her actions and movements are severely restricted by law custom.

Meticulously researched and exquisitely detailed in a way only a master like Harry Turtledove can do, this book is a tour-de-force from one of the best historical and alternate history writers ever to write in the genre.

©2023 Harry Turtledove (P)2023 Tantor
Adventure Fiction Hard Science Fiction Historical Fiction Medieval Science Fiction Middle Ages England
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The story is ok it's well read and the ending was a surprise. Which when all said and done wasn't much of one! So many more things that could have been done with this great idea. Not sure the beginning was needed either and that was interesting enough. Oh well I will continue to love HT

Hmmmm... the ending!

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