As I’ve mentioned before, I’m fascinated with the multiverse theory and will read up on any quantum physics essay about it, and that’s part of the reason I loved the show Sliders until it became the Kro-Mag show.
The other day at a yard sale I found a book that takes place in the 1950s or 60s in an America where the British stamped out the colonial rebellion which is a scenario I’ve wondered about. I have some Harry Turtledove who writes about the “South won” scenarios as well as an alien invasion during WW2 forcing the powers to unite.
Anyone have any other authors they read in this genre?
I'm subscribed to Alternatehistoryhub so I regularly get these kinds of scenarios like how one change would've stopped China going commie and how we should all hate Woodrow Wilson more.
He did a 3 part 'iceberg' video going over the most well known alternative histories to the REALLY crazy. Here's Part 1 that starts with The Man in the high castle and Part 2 that ends with with Crimson Skies and Part 3 starts The place Promised in our early days, an Anime about Soviets occupying half of Japan after WW2 and building a tower to harvest power of other dimensions.
There's a mixture of fiction in there from film, TV, books and games.
Thanks! I need to check that out
S. M. Stirling: everything uchronia he writes, but I would kill to get more in the Peshawar Lancers universe. Also, The Black Chamber series.
Harry Turtledove: The Great War series. Hate the author, so I buy his book second hand.
H. Beam Piper: everything Paratime, but start with He Walked Around the Horses to see a real master writer at work (who sadly was taken too soon).
Marc Laidlaw: His Powder'd Wig, His Crown of Thornes
And, because I like you: check out uchronia.net
When it comes to S.M. Stirling: I would kill for more in The Lords of Creation series.
(Incidentally, that series features an alternate history cold war-- where early sci-fi ideas of civilization on Venus and Mars turn out to be true, and the space race kicks off in earnest because of humans being found by a probe on Venus.)
Thanks!
You're welcome, homes. Gimme some dap. holds out fist
Dap given
One I remember fondly from Uni was Clifford D Simak's Ring Around the Sun.
I may have that one. I definitely know that I have books by him
I wrote a complete screenplay treatise for it in Uni. It isn't so much as about Alt History as more multiverse theory. One of the plot elements that was interesting though is that the people from the other Earth are undermining our Earth by releasing things like a lightbulb that works for ever, razor blades that never need sharpening etc
You have a link to read it?
No, I don't even know where my copy is. I actually printed a copy (back in the day of dot matrix printers) but never saved a file copy (or if I did I lost it on a floppy disk in a house move), but I'm pretty sure I never threw out the printed copy _ i just have no Idea where it is.
I've read the Man in the High Castle but that's it. It's been a while since though. I like the beginning but I think it overly complicates itself later. Still, good book.
Will be looking at this though, I'm open to putting others on the reading list. It's an interesting topic.
I enjoyed man in the high castle. Amazon show was good at first until they added stuff that wasn’t in book like black activists and gay stuff
It went on far too long as well. Not one of the best adaptations of a Philip K Dick source.
Yup, I've read the World War series by Turtledove. Not exactly a thrilling read, but it certainly had some fun and interesting ideas. I thought about reading the second series but just couldn't be bothered since I found his writing a bit bland.
Not sure if this counts as alternate history so much as alternate reality, but Glenn Cook's Instrumentalities of the Night is kind of cool. It's essentially an alternate medieval setting where the world actually has some magical elements.
He does a pretty good job of detailing a lot of similar history with a different twist, including entirely different names for real-world equivalent regions and what-not. Plus it includes Glenn Cook's usual fun kind of writing style. I also really liked his approach with magic in the setting, establishing it in a fairly non-typical way from what you'd see in most fantasy settings.
I’ll have to look up Glenn Cook
1632 by David Weber.
A American Town gets transported back to 1632 Germany, hilarious shenanigans ensue.
It's not a great book like High Castle, or a multiplot tree killer from Hamilton. I'd describe it as a cheeseburger, it's a book you can enjoy and not take seriously but it'll fill a gap.
I'm not sure if you can call it 'Alternate History' because it could feasibly come true but if you want to read a sci fi book about how affirmative action, nepotism and hiring unqualified women destroyed the Earth and sent humanity into space I'm looking for beta readers for my manuscript at the moment.
I think at this point that’s just predictive or speculative fiction haha
That's why I wrote it, because it has that creepy vibe of "shit this could actually happen" running under it.
The scariest sci-fi futures are the ones you can realistically see happening. I think that is a huge reason why the Matrix and Terminator films were so successful.
Let me know where I can read it please
That's a good question, I haven't thought that far ahead yet. I'm not sure the best way to set it up. I'll get back to you once I do!
Alright I uploaded the novel manuscript PDF onto Mega, if you are still interested let me know and I'll PM you the link.
All I ask is that you don't share it elsewhere without asking me first and you give me some feedback on what you thought of it, I'm trying to recruit around a dozen beta readers. It's around a 315 page book.
Please send the link when you get a chance. Thanks.
Cool! I think I have 1632. Interesting premise