1636

The Chronicles of Dr. Gribbleflotz

By: Kerryn Offord, Rick Boatright

Narrated by: George Guidall

A sparkling addition to the multiple New York Times best-selling Ring of Fire alternate history series created by Eric Flint. An alchemist of the 17th century confronts modern science with often amusing results.

Phillip Theophrastus Gribbleflotz, the world's greatest alchemist and a great-grandson of Paracelsus - and a Bombast on his mother's side - was a man history had forgotten. But when the town of Grantville was transported by a cosmic accident from modern West Virginia to central Germany in the early 17th century, he got a second chance at fame and fortune.

The world's greatest alchemist does not make household goods. But with suitable enticements Gribbleflotz is persuaded to make baking soda and then baking powder so that the time-displaced Americans can continue to enjoy such culinary classics as biscuits and gravy. Applying his superb grasp of the principles of alchemy to the muddled and confused notions the Americans have concerning what they call "chemistry", Gribbleflotz leaves obscurity behind.

In his relentless search for a way to invigorate the quinta essential of the human humors, Gribbleflotz plays a central role in jump-starting the 17th century's new chemical and marital aids industries - and pioneering such critical fields of human knowledge as pyramidology and aura imaging. These are his chronicles.

©2016 Kerryn Offord and Rick Boatright (P)2018 Recorded Books

A New Favorite

I have been a long time fan of the 1632verse with its multiple threads of stories woven into a wonderful, comprehensive tapestry. In this novel we get the biographically rounded account of one of the most interesting 1632 series life and interactions with others from youth through the beginning of his career heading the company which plays a crucial role in the 1632verse. While so many of the stories concentrate on modern people struggling to adapt to 1631-1637 this novel is about a professional Alchemist who is recruited, and then does things the modern folks never expected by applying the scientific method to the challenges they provide him. As a result he surprises them repeatedly by developing things the thought impossible. This novel is now in my top 5 books from this series of over 60 volumes. Highly recommended!
The Audible version was a recent addition to my library and very well done making the characters come even more alive in my imagination.

Great “slice of life” addition

An excellent addition to the RoF universe from the POV from the perspective of a down-timer! It’s not the action-packed story we’ve seen from other books in the series, but it IS a fantastic look at how the RoF impacted the daily lives of the average European of the time.

Interesting book about Dr. Gribbleflotz

This is an entertaining story about the background and subsecquent accomplishments of Dr. Gribbleflotz. He is a most interesting character. The book ended in such a way as to require a followup novel about where he will go from thereon. Read or listen to this movel and be well entertained.

Slice of Life style story, no overarching conflict

But i loved the heavy mix of chemistry and science versus psuedoscience. Almost a textbook with a plot. im looking for more steampunk era science analysis books. Just wishing for a beginning, end structure.