Alternative history fiction

[snowwhite]

This isn't something I read much of, although I'm not sure why not; I'm most of the way through Widow Land at the moment.

Anyway, someone on a FB group was asking what would have been different if the Battle of Hastings (1066 and all that) had gone the other way. And obviously some people are saying not much would have changed (because the Norman French would have made another successful attempt not long afterwards) and other people are saying that wouldn't have happened and our language, religion and international allegiances would have all been different. All of which is interesting to think about...

But my thought was that this might make an interesting starting point for some alternative history fiction, and I wondered if anyone had ever done that? And/or done it well.

And what other alternative history fiction is out there? Feel free to include the 'if Germany had won WWII' examples, especially if any of them are particularly good to read - I get the impression most of them are rather bleak, which I don't usually like.

[HalcyonDaze]

Jane Rawson (JaneR of TT mod days) has an alternate history/ slight magical realism book with A History of Dreams

The Lady Astronaut books are alternate history/sci fi books

[Liiisa]

Natasha Pulley's "The Kingdoms" has an alternative history plot that talks about what England would be like if they'd lost at Waterloo, which was interesting. But I've never seen a book about Hastings.

Those kinds of speculations are interesting - of course there are so many variables at play that things could end up being either almost the same or completely different based on some factor that we have no idea of.

[sprite]

Naomi Novik's Temeraire series looks at how the Napoleonic Wars might have gone if dragons had been real.

I started a series set in China which is an alternative history of the Japanese invasions, with some fantasy elements. Fairly violent, and the perspective is completely different--Europeans are there but as an afterthought rather than as game changers. I thought the author was Shuang, but can't remember.
When I'm less lazy, I'll look on my library account.

The Strange and Norrel novel imagines that magic is real in Victorian England, but that was just far to long for me.

I really enjoy this type of novel, whether it's a historical event happening different, or an element being added. It's a fun mental workout.

[sprite]

R F Kuang, The Poppy War.

[ozziegiraffe]

Jodi Taylor’s Chronicles of St Mary’s feature historians time travelling in an alternate England.

[sprite]

I really enjoy the Chronicles. I have to space them out, but they are good fun.

[ozziegiraffe]

I do that too, Sprite. I listen to the audiobooks while driving, and sometimes too much laughing out loud is not a good idea!

[snowwhite]

Feb 20, 2023 3:14:45 GMT -5 ozziegiraffe said:

Jodi Taylor’s Chronicles of St Mary’s feature historians time travelling in an alternate England.

Sort of, but I find them irritating to read.

I don't think she ever really commits to doing one thing with them and it's a bit jarring to put it mildly.

[sprite]

She has set phrases/acitons that I find repetitive, which is why I space them out.