Byzantine SFF?

[naraht]

Have any good SF/F books been written that were inspired by the Byzantine Empire? Byzantines in space/with magic/in counterfactual histories, that sort of thing. Any recommendations much appreciated!

Comments

[trouble]

Guy Gaveril Kay has written Sailing to Sarantium, an alternate history with magic.

[magpyr]

Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors. It's a dulogy.

[melannen]

Seconding Guy Gavriel Kay, which is supposedly really very good, but I haven't managed to read yet.

Harry Turtledove wrote a whole series of alternate histories based around the Byzantine Empire persisting - the short stories are collected in "Agent of Byzantium" - but I don't know that I'd actually recommend them. (In fact his AHs were just brought up in a comment thread as being pretty faily, which accords with my memory.)

Other than that, I think I've mostly got stupid Templar conspiracies, and books where people travel the spice trade and stop off in Byzantium along the way.

[esther_asphodel]

Eric Flint's Belisarius series involves a political faction from the future introducing new technology and trying to conquer the world and steer history the way they want. The Byzantines are the main protaganists. It involves a lot of military campaigns, but there is some internal politics, also.