Alternate history

• 1. Defining The Divergence

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  The term alternate history describes a subgenre of speculative fiction where one or more historical events unfold differently than in real life. This definition requires three specific conditions to be met by the author. First, there must be a point of divergence from the actual historical record before the time of writing. Second, that change must alter known history in significant ways. Third, the story must examine the ramifications of that alteration on the world. Some works are misidentified as this genre when they are actually science fiction set in what was once the future but is now the past. Examples include Arthur C Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey and George Orwell's 1949 novel 1984. These stories do not present an alternative history of events prior to their creation.

• 2. Ancient Speculations And Early Fiction

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  Livy wrote about an alternative fourth century BC in his work Ab Urbe Condita Libri book nine sections seventeen through nineteen. He contemplated Alexander the Great surviving to attack Europe as planned. Livy asked what results Rome would face if engaged in war with Alexander. He concluded Romans likely defeated Alexander. Cardinal Peter Damian discussed God's omnipotence in De Divina Omnipotentia during the eleventh century. He questioned whether God could bring it about that things made were not made. Joanot Martorell published Tirant lo Blanch in 1490 detailing a knight fighting off Ottoman armies. Louis Geoffroy released Histoire de la Monarchie universelle between 1812 and 1832 imagining Napoleon conquering England in 1814. Nathaniel Hawthorne published P.'s Correspondence in 1845 featuring dead poets still alive. Castello Holford wrote Aristopia in 1895 where settlers found solid gold reefs in Virginia.

• 3. Pulp Era And Cross-Time Travel

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  H.G. Wells published A Modern Utopia in 1905 introducing transport from our world to an alternate geographical equivalent. Murray Leinster wrote Sidewise in Time for Astounding magazine in December 1934. Professor Minott and his students wandered through analogues of worlds following different histories. Robert A. Heinlein published Elsewhen in 1941 training minds to move bodies across timelines. L. Sprague de Camp released Lest Darkness Fall around World War II depicting Martin Padway making permanent historical changes in Italy. Ray Bradbury's A Sound of Thunder appeared in 1952 with hunters crushing a butterfly causing history to become harsher. Ward Moore's Bring the Jubilee came out in 1953 showing Hodgins Backmaker traveling back to change Gettysburg. Keith Laumer developed cross-time themes in his Imperium sequence starting in the 1960s. Harry Turtledove later created Crosstime Traffic as a six-book series for teenagers.

• 4. Major Authors And Canonical Works

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  Philip K. Dick published The Man in the High Castle in 1962 depicting Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan winning World War II. Vladimir Nabokov released Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle in 1969 set within an alternate North America settled by Czarist Russia. Kim Stanley Robinson wrote The Years of Rice and Salt in 2002 starting at AD 1405 when Timur turned his army away from Europe. Philip Roth published The Plot Against America in 2004 featuring Charles Lindbergh elected president after defeating Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940. Michael Chabon contributed The Yiddish Policemen's Union in 2007 exploring Jews living in Sitka Alaska. Harry Turtledove became known as Master of Alternate History with Timeline 191 and Worldwar series. S.M. Stirling wrote Island in the Sea of Time trilogy transporting Nantucket Island to Bronze Age times. Eric Flint began the 1632 series moving a West Virginia town to seventeenth century central Europe.

• 5. Axis Victory Scenarios

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  Fatherland by Robert Harris appeared in 1992 set in Europe following a Nazi victory. Dominion by C.J. Sansom came out in 2012 set in England with Churchill leading resistance against Germany. Mecha Samurai Empire series by Peter Tieryas started in 2016 focusing on Asian-American perspectives under Japanese rule. Norman Spinrad wrote The Iron Dream in 1972 intended as a science fiction novel written by Adolf Hitler after fleeing to North America. James P. Hogan published The Proteus Operation injecting time splitters from the future into his narrative. Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen released 1945 depicting US defeating Japan but not Germany resulting in Cold War with Germany. SS-GB shows Axis powers quickly winning World War II killing Churchill and installing puppet government. Confederate States of America presented itself as British TV documentary uncovering dark secrets of Confederacy where south won civil war.

• 6. Fantasy And Secret Histories

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  Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions presents fairy folk real and powerful within Matter of France history. Randall Garrett created Lord Darcy series where monk systemizes magic rather than science. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke takes place in England ruled by Raven King for over three hundred years. Orson Scott Card wrote Tales of Alvin Maker series beginning early nineteenth century when Cromwell banished makers to North America. Keith Roberts' Pavane depicts fairies manifesting in technologically backward world after Spanish assassination of Elizabeth I. Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett authored Armor of Light featuring magic practiced during Renaissance era. Ryō Hanmura published Musubi no Yama Hiroku in 1973 recreating four hundred years of Japanese history from secret magical family perspective. Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean films take place roughly late 1720s or mid-1750s maintaining historical authenticity while altering events like Blackbeard death at Ocracoke Inlet in 1718.

• 7. Television And Digital Adaptations

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  The TV show 1983 set on world where Iron Curtain never fell continuing Cold War until present 2003. An Englishman's Castle tells story of writer uncovering truth about collaborator government running 1970s England. Community episode Remedial Chaos Theory created six different alternative worlds via die roll deciding pizza delivery. Confederate planned HBO series cancelled due to social media backlash before producing episodes. Counterpart follows United Nations agency monitoring passage between Alpha and Prime worlds locked in cold war. Doctor Who Third Doctor visited fascist Great Britain in Inferno while Tenth Doctor encountered Cybermen in Rise of the Cybermen. The Man in the High Castle adaptation showed Axis Powers winning World War II. Fringe featured father stealing son from second world where Twin Towers not taken down by 9/11 attack. Loki series on Disney+ shows agency preventing timeline alterations with alternate versions appearing. What If...? ran from 2021 to 2024 depicting alternate universes from MCU films.