You know, it never occurred to me that someone might respond TO me on Pete’s site. ABOUT me, maybe. Ha! The irony is, my wife met Pete last weekend and wanted to look at his site–and there you were, with a good question, too. I’m sure Pete won’t mind if I take a shot at answering it.
I DID read those Turtledove books some years ago, and enjoyed them. I can honestly say I don’t think they influenced me much, if any. The premise is entirely different, and his “space lizards” and my evolved “earth lizards” have nothing in common physically or socially. I seem to remember some of his lizards were even sort of likeable. As you (and the destroyermen) learn more about the Grik, I doubt you’ll meet any you’d want to have a beer with. Might there be other, less sociopathic lizards on the “other” earth? Who knows. Read “Maelstrom” when it comes out. Maybe it’ll answer that question, maybe not.
As to the greater question; have I been influenced AS A WRITER by Turtledove? Possibly. I mentioned many writers in Pete’s interview who I know have touched my style. If Mr. Turtledove has as well, I certainly wouldn’t think that was a bad thing.

Thank you

By the way, having corresponded with Pete over this interview, I got to know him a little and thought he was a neat guy. Having MET him, and spent the better part of a day jawing about everything under the sun, I consider him an excellent friend, and a gentleman of Honor.

Taylor

Am really enjoying the second book and look forward to the third Destroyermen (as yet unwritten?).

The interviews make no mention of Turtledove’s two series of books starting with the World War series. Have you read these, and did they at all influence your work here?

Merrill Z