Flint demonstrated that a series could be successfully written by ignoring convention, and deliberately asking the other writers to share in creating the main threads and plot lines of the milieu.

Flint is on record saying that large portions of 1633 were adjusted drastically, even thrown out and rewritten as later submissions to the 1632 series impacted the various and diverse story threads.

Most notably, through the eyes and experiences of young Eddie Cantrell, the story begins the rehabilitation of John Chandler Simpson who was cast as quite unlikeable in 1632.

Through the eyes of Simpson, Cantrell and fellow up-timers Jere Haygood and Pete McDougal we get a picture of the chaos involved in rebuilding Magdeburg after the city was sacked by Tilly's forces.

Stoner, who is particularly adept with recreational extra-sensory stimulatory compounds, especially as a pharmacological graduate school drop-out from Purdue University, refuses to take payment for the weed, saying repeatedly that he wouldn't make money off of other people's pain.

The neat thing is it would be ecologically sound, for the dyes needed could be taken from the coal-fired power plant with the addition of scrubbers on the chimneys.

In the after-story, the sequel 1634: The Galileo Affair, Magda accompanies her antibiotic analgesic and clothing dye wizard of a husband to a year-long posting to lecture at the University of Padua, as part of the Embassy sent to Venice.

Scottish military dispatch carrier Douglas Lawrey falls in with telephone repairman Len Tanner and irascible coal mine switchboard operator Ellie Anderson.

Due to their limited people skills, the technologically stranded pair have been unable to convince anyone to develop telecommunications abilities beyond Grantville.

While stringing the first phone line to nearby Saalfeld, Len and a downtime assistant are captured by a group planning to hijack a Grantville gun shipment.

In the struggle, the prototype phone is damaged, but the trussed up Len finds the battery and wires and manages to send an SOS to Grantville.

Due to political issues with Rome, France and Spain, Mazarini cannot open diplomatic discussions, so when Heinzerling returns, he unofficially sends him back to be the curate for Grantville's Catholic church.

Uptimer Irene Flannery, a faithful but harsh elderly widow who has always helped the church, is horrified and offended by Heinzerling's girlfriend and three children, even after Father Mazarre marries them.

Flint later will make her into an American poster girl of sorts in his purpose written short stories in each of the Grantville Gazettes I, II and III where she is caught up in the Siege of Amsterdam and ends up as the common subject of many famous down-time artists starting with Peter Paul Rubens and including Rembrandt, who is a virtual unknown at the time.

Viehl has Nichol's and Jefferson face off against Dr. William Harvey, the "discoverer" of the circulatory system, and the two nurses "give him some pointers", including a severe dressing down.

Johannes explains that he lost faith after the sack of Magdeburg and was unable to continue his task of drawing pictures of the war.

Veronica Junius, daughter of the burgomaster of Bamberg burned as a witch, is also been tortured and found guilty of witchery by ecclesiastical court.

Inquisitor Eberhardt suggests taking her to Würzburg for civil trial before she can be burned, but the Captain insists on bringing her to Suhl, where she will have no friends to aid her.

Jesuit Friedrich von Spee, historical author of a treatise against using torture in witchcraft trials, is asked by the prince-bishop of Mainz to observe.

Suhl has been accepted into the United States, and Veronica's previous trial is found invalid there due to the forced confession.

However, union agitator Red Sybolt is moved by their plight, and accompanies Billek on his return trip to teach the three R's: "reading, righting and revolution."

At the denouement, the attack is foiled and Pappenheim explains that Wallenstein simply wants an alliance with Grantville and new teeth from Julie's dentist father.

In the 1632-verse, Albrecht von Wallenstein was near-fatally wounded by the sniper fire of sharp shooting Julie Sims at the fictional Battle of Alte Veste.

[2] In The Wallenstein Gambit storyline, Jewish character Morris Roth is haunted by this and hopes to prevent the prospective loss of life.

Publishers Weekly mentions "how neatly the other authors' tales in this strong anthology dovetail with Flint's series" and how the "individual contributors concentrate less on the impact that the displaced Americans' technology makes than on how their ideas—and ideals—inspire those newly exposed to them".