History Literature / ReachForTheSkies

* SlidingScale/MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness: Speculative Science with a twist. Everything remains firmly within the boundaries of the laws of physics... but since it's the 19th century, our heroes don't necessarily know what some of those laws ''are''. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelson%E2%80%93Morley_experiment Michelson-Morley experiment]] is a plot point, and its results produce considerable confusion when they show that the hypothesized [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminiferous_aether luminiferous aether]] has no observable effect on the speed of light. This is of course because there's no such thing, but Lynn and co. haven't figured that out yet.

** Instead of "Ignition," the signal people use when they're launching a rocket is "Contact!"

* ElitesAreMoreGlamorous: The New Hampshire Rangers become quite popular with the media for their work reestablishing law and order in the area around the Crater, and the pulp fiction of the time loves them.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Social attitudes towards women and ethnic minorities in 1870s-1880s America are about what you'd expect, though it's implied the Rangers' success may slowly help change that.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: PlayedForDrama. Ulysses S. Grant is not cut out for politics ''at all'', and he knows it. But when leadership is needed in an emergency - such as an asteroid impact - he ''immediately'' takes charge and provides that leadership. Upon seeing this, those who served under him in the Civil War outright say that "That wasn't President Grant, the politician. [[HesBack General Grant is back]]."

* BunnyEarsLawyer: PlayedForDrama. Ulysses S. Grant is not cut out for politics ''at all'', and he knows it. But when leadership is needed in an emergency - such as an asteroid impact - he ''immediately'' takes charge and provides that leadership. Upon seeing this, those who served under him in the Civil War outright say that "[[HesBack General Grant is back]]."

* RightWingMilitiaFanatic: The 19th-century equivalent - bands of Southern men who mostly didn't fight in the Civil War, but who resent Reconstruction and wish the Confederacy had won - figure heavily in the story thus far. Needless to say, they are very much {{Politically Incorrect Villain}}s and considered fair game by most Yankees.

** Mars' moons, which were discovered in 1877, are also named differently: rather than Phobos and Deimos, they are Romulus and Remus. Thanks to some popular dime novels on the subject of aliens, "Romulans" become a go-to alien adversary in early science fiction, much like how OTL uses the idea of Martians. [[note]]The obvious ''Franchise/StarTrek'' reference is likely intentional on NHBL's part.[[/note]

** Mars' moons, which were discovered in 1877, are also named differently: rather than Phobos and Deimos, they are Romulus and Remus. Thanks to some popular dime novels on the subject of aliens, "Romulans" become a go-to alien adversary in early science fiction, much like how OTL uses the idea of Martians.[[note]]The obvious ''Franchise/StarTrek'' reference is likely intentional on NHBL's part.[[/note]

** Mars' moons, which were discovered in 1877, are also named differently: rather than Phobos and Deimos, they are Romulus and Remus.

* TheGildedAge: The story opens in 1876, and is currently updated as far as early 1879.

* SlidingScale/MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness: Speculative Science with a twist. Everything remains firmly within the boundaries of the laws of physics... but since it's the 19th century, our heroes don't necessarily know what some of those laws ''are''. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelson%E2%80%93Morley_experiment Michelson-Morley experiment]] is a plot point, and its results produce considerable confusion when they show that the hypothesized [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminiferous_aether luminiferous aether]] has no observable effect on the speed of light. This is of course because there's no such thing, but they don't know that yet.

* SlidingScale/MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness: Speculative Science. Everything remains firmly within the boundaries of the laws of physics. That said, since it's the 19th century, our heroes don't necessarily know what some of those laws ''are''. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelson%E2%80%93Morley_experiment Michelson-Morley experiment]] is going to be a plot point.

* RightWingMilitiaFanatic: The 19th-century equivalent - bands of Southern men who mostly didn't fight in the Civil War, but who resent Reconstruction and wish the Confederacy had won - figure heavily in the story thus far. Needless to say, they are very much [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Politically Incorrect Villains]] and considered AcceptableTargets by most Yankees.

* RightWingMilitiaFanatic: The 19th-century equivalent - bands of Southern men who mostly didn't fight in the Civil War, but who resent Reconstruction and wish the Confederacy had won - figure heavily in the story thus far. Needless to say, they are very much [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Politically Incorrect Villains]] and considered AcceptableTargets by many Yankees.

->''"The tale will cover an indefinite amount of time, and have some [[AlternateTechline strange, but hopefully plausible, combinations of technology and engineering]]. [[AlternateHistory The gilded age will change course]], and while Europe goes on dismissing the rude bumpkins of the USA as unimportant in the game of empires, '''the United States has a new goal: NEVER AGAIN will the country be helpless when rocks plummet from the sky.'''"''

As the dust settles, changes ripple across the country. The State of New Hampshire's response to the emergency leads to the creation of a new kind of fighting force. Grant's leadership during the crisis leads to political changes that start small, but may well have major ramifications down the line. The Dartmouth College professor who was the first to understand what had happened finds himself becoming a figure of some importance - and his daughter is inspired to seek a way to reach the stars.

* ApocalypseHow: Class 0 - Societal Disruption, Local Area. The town of Lincoln is completely annihilated, but the rest of New Hampshire is able to get back to normal. The ''cultural'' impact, on both the state and the nation, is a very, very different story.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Ulysses S. Grant is not cut out for politics ''at all'', and he knows it. But when leadership is needed in an emergency - such as an asteroid impact - he ''immediately'' takes charge and provides that leadership. Upon seeing this, those who served under him in the Civil War outright say that "[[HesBack General Grant is back]]."

* RankUp: After the Rangers' Captain is killed during the Battle of Case Shot Hill, Christine Peckham, then a Lieutenant, [[YouAreInCommandNow temporarily takes command]]. She succeeds in leading the surviving Rangers to victory, and is thus [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority fully promoted to Captain]] afterwards.