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The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was keep. (non-admin closure) Cavarrone 22:57, 30 September 2026 (UTC)reply

Russian Amerika

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Russian Amerika (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views) – (View log | edits since nomination)
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Appears to fail WP:NBOOK. Unfortunately the Publishers Weekly review is the only WP:RS review I could find, including searching in ProQuest/EBSCO/newspapers.com. Accordingly the article is ~all plot with one sentence of out-of-universe coverage. No author article for an ATD either. ScalarFactor (talk) 22:44, 23 September 2026 (UTC)reply

  • Keep per the significant coverage in multiple independent reliable sources. Wikipedia:Notability (books)#Criteria says:

    A book is presumed notable if it verifiably meets, through reliable sources, at least one of the following criteria:

    1. The book has been the subject of two or more non-trivial published works appearing in sources that are independent of the book itself. This can include published works in all forms, such as newspaper articles, other books, television documentaries, bestseller lists, and reviews. This excludes media re-prints of press releases, flap copy, or other publications where the author, its publisher, agent, or other self-interested parties advertise or speak about the book.
    Sources
    1. "Russian Amerika". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 254, no. 10. 2007-03-05. p. 44. EBSCOhost 24348015. Archived from the original on 2026-09-24. Retrieved 2026-09-24.

      The review notes: "Military SF fans will welcome Compton's debut, an alternative history in which the Russians still control Alaska. ... Compton creates a plausible backstory for his time line (the Communists never took over Russia), which comes out naturally in bits and pieces. His depiction of warfare under extreme arctic conditions is horrifyingly realistic and vivid."

    2. Crichfield, Bev (2007-07-07). "History with fantastical twists". Skagit Valley Herald. NewsBank 167CCCB878C17AE0. Archived from the original on 2026-09-24. Retrieved 2026-09-24.

      The article notes: "For Stoney Compton, that long trek back and forth to the small television station where he worked gave his creatively humming brain a chance to consider some ideas that 20 years later would become part of his first novel "Russian Amerika," released in April by science-fiction publisher Baen Books. The frozen landscape and unique lifestyle of Alaska play heavily in Compton's alternative history book set in a world in which Russia still possesses Alaska, the Union Army did not win the American Civil War and North America is divided into 10 different countries that all distrust each other. There's a disgraced, but determined, hero, an exciting tale of Native Alaskan rebellion based on Compton's experiences with a Native Alaskan tribe, a love story and plenty of descriptions of military planes, equipment and violent political turmoil. ... In "Russian Amerika," the resourceful Athabascans, or Dena as they call themselves, are one of the two large groups that successfully revolt against the Russians and their brutal regime. ... Finally, after nine revisions, Compton's work was accepted by Baen and he landed his first book deal. Now he's working on more."

    3. Triplett, Rick (Winter 2009). "Russian Amerika". Prometheus. Vol. 27, no. 2. Libertarian Futurist Society. Archived from the original on 2026-09-24. Retrieved 2026-09-24.

      The review notes: "Russian Amerika is a strikingly original tale of resistance fighting, with an Alaskan setting. SF author Eric Flint has described the book as “an exciting story of war and revolution.” The setting is 1987 Alaska, but it is an alternate history story: the Communist Revolution never happened, and Alaska is still in the possession of Czarist Russia. Moreover, North America has evolved into nine different nations. ... Russian Amerika is a story that will appeal not only to libertarians but to anyone who loves freedom and is moved by the difficult struggles that are often necessary to sustain it. This book is engaging, edifying, and fascinating. It deserves—and will gratify—a wide audience."

    4. "Russian Amerika". Vol. 6, no. 5. Midwest Book Review. May 2007. Archived from the original on 2026-09-24. Retrieved 2026-09-24.

      The review notes: "Alternate history fans will relish this superb thriller whose basis is that Russia never sold Seward’s Folly. The concept and the subsequent dominoes that occur from that opening historical alteration seem reasonable. However, what makes for a delightful thriller is the “current” time scenario as Stoney Compton interweaves the key events from the past in the present. Perhaps the best scene in the novel and one of the best of the year is the revolutionaries (insurgents?) and the Czarists battle in the cold regions where climate is a deadly weapon. This is an excellent alternate historical saga."

    5. "Grand Island native to sign books at local store". The Grand Island Independent. 2013-06-30. Retrieved 2026-09-24 – via Newspapers.com.

      The article notes: ""Russian Amerika" is an alternative history in which the Russians still control Alaska. Set in 1987, Capt. Grisha Grigorievich, a former imperial army officer, is now chartering his fishing boat in Alaskan waters and chafing at the social restrictions that his mixed-blood parentage imposes upon him. He also increasingly resents the arbitrary and petty assertion of czarist authority by any two-bit Cossack in this backwater of the Russian empire. When Grisha is unjustly condemned for killing a government spy, he's sent to a labor camp. "Alaska Republik" continues the story."

    There is sufficient coverage in reliable sources to allow Russian Amerika to pass Wikipedia:Notability#General notability guideline, which requires "significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject".

    Cunard (talk) 09:08, 24 September 2026 (UTC)reply

  • Updating my !vote to week keep given the extra sources from the LFS and Midwest Book Review. I don't find the SVH and GII sources very convincing, as the former is almost entirely paraphrased quotations from the author (seems like an interview transcript?) and the latter is more of a promo piece for the booksigning. ScalarFactor (talk) 04:28, 30 September 2026 (UTC)reply
The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.
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