Braveheart Scottish political landscape in the mid to late 1990s. In 1997, a 12-ton sandstone statue depicting Mel Gibson as William Wallace in "Braveheart" was placed in the car park of the Wallace Monument near Stirling, Scotland. The statue, which was the work of Tom Church, a monumental mason from Brechin, included the word "Braveheart" on Wallace's shield. The installation became the cause of much controversy; one local resident stated that it was wrong to "desecrate the main memorial to Wallace with a lump of crap". In 1998, someone wielding a hammer vandalized the statue's face. After repairs were made, the
S. M. Stirling in their conquest of Africa, and turn earlier to breech-loading firearms and steam power than the rest of the Western World. The stranded islanders of the Nantucket Series try to rebuild their technological base once the island is stranded in 1250 BC, while the survivors of the "Change" now face a world where electricity, firearms, and internal combustion no longer work. Stirling also tends to write strong female characters who have prominent roles within the story. In the past, he has frequently collaborated with other authors, including David Drake, Jerry Pournelle, Anne McCaffrey, and Raymond E. Feist. S. M. Stirling