The Black Chamber is an Alternate History Spy thriller series written by S.M. Stirling. It starts when William Taft dies before being able to contest the 1912 election. As a result Theodore Roosevelt locks down the Republican nomination, and steers it heavily in the direction of early 20th century Progressivism.
Unfortunately one of the consequences of this is Germany also spending more money and government on scientific research, including the discovery of a certain little chemical.
Another consequence is the development of the Black Chamber, a rather unfettered spy agency.
The story follows the adventures of Luz O’Malley, an agent for the Black Chamber.
This series contains examples of:
- Action Girl: Luz O'Malley.
- Author Appeal: Zeppelins, Food Porn and Luz and Ciara O'Malley have a lesbian relationship.
- Authority in Name Only: Whenever the Kaiser of Germany is mentioned, it's usually added that he occasionally gets to chose what to eat for dinner.
- Big Good: Theodore Roosevelt.
- Black-and-Grey Morality: The protagonists work for a very dubious agency in an America that is heading in a very scary direction. The enemies are worse.
- Cloak and Dagger: The Black Chamber.
- Eagle Land: VERY mixed flavor. It's early 20th century America. In some ways it's a lot better than OTL. In other ways it's heading in a VERY scary direction.
- Elite Agents Above the Law: The Black Chamber is not a restrained group.
- Enemy Mine: The Republican party is racist, but a second reconstruction is a great way to attack the Southern Democrats and earn the alliegence of the black reenfranchised voters.
- Eternal Prohibition: Averted. Prohibition does not occur.
- Expanded States of America: It's conquered Mexico and doesn't seem inclined to let it go and after the first book incorporates Canada.
- Handcuffed Briefcase: Both the various US military intelligence agencies and the Federal Bureau of Security are noted to do this. The Black Chamber don't, feeling that it's an obvious sign for, "I am carrying important documents".
- Mutually Assured Destruction: A great way to have the conflicts resolved by secret agents.
- No Such Agency: The Chamber.
- Occupiers Out of Our Country: Imperialism is pretty much universal. Often the Occupied have to choose the less unpleasant imperialists. The more unpleasant ones gas those who make an excessive nuisance of themselves.
- Omniglot: Luz speaks Spanish and English natively, and can speak German well enough to pass for German, French, and several Chinese dialects fluently enough to carry on colloquial conversation.
- Permanent Elected Official: Even though he is winning the elections legitimately, it's alarming the lock Roosevelt has on the Presidency.
- Red Scare: Averted. There is no communist revolution in Russia. In fact the US is probably the most left wing significant nation.
- Sinister Spy Agency: From an outside perspective, the Black Chamber.
- Sky Pirates: One of the many ills plaguing China.
- Sombrero Equals Mexican: Used in some posters in universe. Luz, who's half-Cuban and disguised as a Mexican businesswoman when she sees them is sarcastic in both her inward and outward dialogue.
- Space-Filling Empire: It's not a timeline that is favorable to small countries without powerful 'protectors'.
- Spy Fiction: Unusually mixed flavour. One gets the impression that the author has strong Stale Beer tendencies but wanted to create a world where Tuxedo and Martini could be plausible.
- Weapon of Mass Destruction: A world shaped by Nerve Gas.
- Would Be Rude to Say "Genocide": After the German conquest of France, the surviving French evacuate as much as possible to Algeria. However there is not enough food for both the French and the Algerians.
- Wrench Wench: Ciara O'Malley's a genius with anything mechanical.
- Wretched Hive: Shanghai.
- Zeppelins from Another World: It's a Stirling story.
