You don’t need to have a PhD in seventeenth century European studies to write in the 1632verse, but you almost certainly will need to do some research since it’s such a very, very large universe and because in the 2020s, it can be hard to remember what was “normal” and current in 2020. This is especially true since Grantville is a rural town in West Virginia. The most obvious difference is that there were no smart phones, internet wasn’t a major part of life, and most of the tech we take for granted just wasn’t there. The section of this website on Grantville has specific information on Mannington (the real-world town Grantville is modeled on).

Over the twenty-plus years since Eric began work on what became 1632, a lot of thought and research has been done. This barely begins to scratch the surface.

In Canon

There is a search engine, available upon request. There is also Baen’s Bar. The barflies are happy to help answer questions, but at least try to do some basic research first. Read at least a couple books. Peruse an issue or more of the magazine. That will give you a good idea of the kind of stories people (especially the editorial staff) are interested in.

In 2000

It’s been over twenty years. Most of us cannot simply remember things like which artists were popular or what new movie someone could have planned to see in April 2000. It’s important to research these kinds of details to get them right. We (the barflies and various 1632verse staff) have done a good deal of research to record what was actually available in Grantville (Mannington), specifically, at that time. Much of it is preserved on this website. You can also use the Wayback Machine to do more research. If you find anything really cool, make sure to share it with us on Baen’s Bar and our FaceBook group!

Historical Research

This is a huge area. We have some suggested resources but are always happy to have more to share. Once again, Baen’s Bar 1632 Tech is an amazing resource as you are doing your research.

Scientific and Technical Research

Some of this is part of historical research, but there are a lot of technical details to research in the 1632verse. This has been separated out into it’s own section.