Tired of alternate
history books where the Axis won World War II, or the South won the Civil
War? Luckily for you, there are a ton of allohistories that pick more obscure
and interesting points of divergence. Here are 15 alt-history books (or series)
that break the mold.
Top image: Matthew Buchholz
Just this month, there’s Allen
Steele’s V-S Day, in which the
Nazis and the Allies both develop space rockets in 1941. And Three
Princes by Ramona Wheeler takes
place in a world where Egypt’s empire still rules, in the 19th century. And
here are 15 other books that forge new directions.
What would happen if a chunk of the Earth suddenly
disappeared? And what if it was replaced with a new continent, that followed a
completely different path of evolution? In Robert Charles’ 1998 Prix Award
novel, he explores what that new Earth would be like. The “Miracle” event in
1912 changed the course of history. Years later Guilford Law, an American
photographer, joins an expedition to explore Darwinia. Along the way he begins
dreaming of a “twin” who brings him the message that things aren’t exactly as
they seem. Art by Jim Burns.
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill alternate history book.
Instead of picking a divergent point and speculating on its repercussions, Eric
Flint drops a slice of 2000 into 17th Century Germany. A West Virginia town is
transported to 1631 Germany. The modern-day Americans must deal with the
effects of the 30 Years War, culture shock, and the vast differences in
technology.
The
Peshawar Lancers, by S.M. Stirling
In 1878, a meteor shower caused a massive dust cloud to block
out the sun, causing winter to last for years. The British Empire, and the rest
of the world, were in crisis, and Queen Victoria evacuated the British Isles to
the colonies. The islands were abandoned to cannibalistic savages. But all of
that is in the past during The Peshawar Lancers. The book is set in 2025, when
the Earth is finally starting to stabilize after years of ill effects from the
meteors. The Peshawar Lancers guard the northern border of the Angrezi Raj (the
new name for the British Empire). The book follows their adventures and escapes
as it explores what this very different 21st century is like to experience.
Alternate
Histories of the World by Matthew Buchholz
Did you ever want more monsters in your history books?
Artist Matthew Buchholz has
the book for you. He’s illustrated scenes from history if they had included
sea monsters, zombies, aliens, and all manner of other strange creatures.
Rome never fell, and the Romans rule most of the world.
They’ve taken over the Americas (known to them as Terra Novo) and Caesar has
set his sights on China. General Titus Papinianus and Senator Aquila set
off on an expedition across Terra Novo to find the fabled land of China.
Along the way they encounter all manner of problems including Bigfoot and a
mysterious figure known as the Time Criminal.
There are lots of alternate history novels out there about
the Civil War, but Mark
Sumner’s novel is different. In Devil’s
Tower, the mass deaths of the Civil War have brought about the return of
magic to the world. The events of the book take place about ten years after the
initial return of magic, when the characters are beginning to adjust to this
amazing change in the world. Some people are gifted with “talents” such as
conjuring or speaking in tongues. The magic changes America, and as the blurb
says, “Nothing would ever be the same again.”
Celestial
Matters by Richard Garfinkle
This is alternate history — in space! In Richard
Garfinkle’s book Aristotle was right. The Earth is the center of the universe,
and everything is made up of four elements: earth, air, fire and water. Ptolemaic
astronomy, Aristotelian physics, and Taoist alchemy are all true. The book
follows Aias of Tyre, a scientist who travels on a spaceship carved from the
moon to bring a piece of the sun back to Earth.
Wild Cards by
George R.R. Martin, Melinda Snodgrass, et al.
Among George R.R. Martin’s numerous non-ASOIAF projects is the Wild
Cards series. Martin edits and contributes to the alternate history
superhero anthology shared universe along with writers such as Roger Zelazny,
Walter Jon Williams, John J. Miller and many others. In the series, an alien
virus is set loose in New York City shortly after WWII. Those who survive the
process become mutated creatures called Jokers, or superheroes called Aces. The
short stories and novels in the series portray historical figures and events
through the lens of wild carders. Mick Jagger is a lycanthropic ace, Fidel
Castro becomes a baseball player in New York, and Buddy Holly doesn’t die in a
plane crash.
Down
in the Bottomlands by Harry Turtledove
The land shapes history more than most people might think.
In the novella Down in the Bottomlands Harry Turtledove explores a version of
Earth where the Mediterranean basin never refilled. Instead of becoming a
beautiful sea, the Mediterranean becomes a dangerous sunken desert. In this
timeline, Neanderthals never died out, and they have their own nations and
customs. After a tourist is murdered in the Bottomlands, investigators uncover
a plot to set off a nuclear bomb on the Barrier Mountains, which would reflood
the Mediterranean.
Arthur Conan Doyle’s Lost
World meets Jurassic Park, and we
get dinosaur circuses. That’s right, circuses. When that idea surprisingly
backfires, Peter and Anthony Belzoni join an expedition to bring the dinosaurs
back to their home, a large plateau in Venezuela. Fun times are had by all!
Especially the reader.
His
Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik
The Napoleonic Wars were full of tales of heroism, adventure,
intrigue — and in Naomi Novik’s version, dragons. The intelligent creatures
are used in aerial warfare throughout Europe and Asia. His Majesty’s Dragon has all of your favorite Napoleonic battles,
including The Battle of Trafalgar, with the added excitement of dragons. Let’s
hope this starts a trend.
Kim Newman’s 1992 novel takes the drama of the Jack the
Ripper Murders and adds vampires into the mix. Conspiracy theories about Jack
the Ripper can be a ton of fun, but add vampires and you’ve got great
entertainment. The book includes historical figures and characters from all
across popular fiction, from ‘Salem’s Lot to The Picture of Dorian Gray. Anno Dracula is only the beginning of
the Anno Dracula series, which currently consists of three books and eleven
shorter pieces of fiction.
The
Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon
In 1940, the United States voted to create a refugee
settlement In Alaska for Jews being persecuted by the Nazis. And after the the
State of Israel is founded and destroyed in only three months during 1948,
Sitka Alaska becomes a vibrant home city that “moves to the music of Yiddish.”
The novel follows Detective Meyer Landsman as he investigates his neighbor’s
murder, all the while giving us hints at how their world is different from our
own.
In Steven Barnes’ Lion’s
Blood, Islamic Africa is the
dominant world power while Europe is considered tribal and backward. The
novel, set in the 19th century, follows Aidan O’Dere, an Irish boy whose
village is attacked by Vikings. Survivors, including his mother and twin
sister, are sold to black slave merchants and shipped to North America. This
alternate history of America explores different cultures and ideas while giving
us a unique look at the horrors of slavery.
Kushiel’s
Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Carey’s fantasy epic takes place in a secondary world, but it’s
basically medieval Europe with one major change (besides magic). Instead of
worshipping Jesus, people in her version of France worship Jesus’ illegitimate
son Elua, who teaches a gospel of love and pleasure. This leads to a world
where sex workers are celebrated and BDSM is an accepted part of life. The book
follows Phèdre nó Delaunay as she is trained as a courtesan and a spy. She
uncovers conspiracies and betrayals that threaten to destroy Terre D’Ange.
What did we miss? Name your own unconventional alt-histories
below!
