Alvin Miller

The Tales of Alvin Maker is a series of alternate history/fantasy novels written by American novelist Orson Scott Card, published from 1987 to 2003 (with one more planned), that explore the experiences of a young man, Alvin Miller, who realizes he has incredible powers for creating and shaping things around him.

The stories take place on the American frontier in the early 19th century, a fantasy setting based on early American folklore and superstition. In a world in which many characters have a limited supernatural ability, or "knack" to do some task to near perfection.

The stories involve a number of historical events and figures, but this is a creation of alternate history. What was documented as the Colonial United States is divided in the books into a number of separate countries, including a smaller United States. It displays much stronger American Indian influence in its culture and society, between New England and Virginia and extending westwards to Ohio. (New England is a colony of a Republican England where the Restoration never occurred.) A monarchy on the Eastern seaboard was founded by the House of Stuart in exile. In addition, many of the historical figures are either presented as caricatures or bear only superficial resemblance to their historical persons.

Some of the historical figures are also accorded knacks, such as Benjamin Franklin (not a character, but repeatedly mentioned), who is said to have been a Maker, and Napoleon, who has the ability to make others adore and obey him, and to see others' great ambitions.

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