What happens when futuristic soldiers travel back to medieval England, cheat at jousting with advanced weapons, and accidentally kill the wrong people? Spoiler alert: the timeline splits, history rewrites itself, and someone has to clean up the mess before the future disappears forever.

Our guest is JV Hilliard, fantasy author of The Warminster Saga series and publisher of Altered Reality Magazine, an online platform that gives 200+ speculative fiction authors a place to share their work without traditional publishing gatekeepers. Joe's been a friend of the show since appearing on Gratitude Geek, and today he's here to discuss the book that got him hooked on science fantasy as a teenager.

In this episode, we discuss The Ivanhoe Gambit by Simon Hawke, the first book in the Time Wars series that blends time travel, medieval history, and science fiction. When soldiers are sent back to observe the famous Ivanhoe joust during the era of King John, Richard the Lionheart, and Robin Hood, everything goes wrong and they must fix the timeline before it's too late.

We explore why this 1980s time travel series still resonates today, how Hawke balances historical accuracy with science fantasy, and what makes a time travel story work. Joe shares insights on world building in fantasy versus science fiction, the art of showing instead of telling in speculative fiction, and why platforms like Altered Reality Magazine matter for independent authors trying to bypass traditional publishing.

Whether you're a fan of time travel stories, historical fiction, or just love a fast-paced adventure that makes you curious about real history, this episode offers book recommendations and writing insights you won't want to miss.

Topics we cover:

• Time travel paradoxes and timeline splitting
• How The Ivanhoe Gambit teaches history through fiction
• Science fantasy versus pure science fiction
• World building techniques for authors
• The multiverse before Marvel made it cool
• Why independent publishing platforms matter
• Book series perfect for young adult readers

Runtime: 43:54

Connect with JV Hilliard:

• Website: https://jvhilliard.com
• Altered Reality Magazine: https://www.alteredrealitymag.com/
• The Warminster Saga (book series): https://amzn.to/4oR95tN
  • Available on Amazon and major audiobook platforms

Find The Ivanhoe Gambit:

• Amazon: https://amzn.to/3WEptlu
• Audiobook: Available on major platforms

More Sci-Fi Book Pod:

• Website: https://scifibookpod.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/scifibookpod
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/@scifibookpod

JV Hilliard's previous appearance:

• Gratitude Geek Podcast: https://youtu.be/8HvaKTzmVjQ?si=ruC93Mi401bSRbuV

Books and series mentioned in this episode:

• The Ivanhoe Gambit by Simon Hawke (Time Wars Series, Book 1):
• https://amzn.to/3WEptlu
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: https://amzn.to/4hIQJc9
• Dune by Frank Herbert: https://amzn.to/3LlGPBe
• The Magic of Xanth series by Piers Anthony: https://amzn.to/3JgCvCI
• 11/22/63 by Stephen King: https://amzn.to/47FjfH8

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Want more time travel discussions? Check out our previous episodes at https://scifibookpod.com

Have a sci-fi book recommendation? Drop it in the comments or send us a message on Instagram. We're always looking for our next read!

Hosted by Kandas Rodarte (Space Admiral Kandas) and Shane Rodarte (Space Cadet Shane 2nd Class)