Tweet
Anything to recommend?
-
-
The only one I've read is Fatherland, and I liked it.One day Canada will rule the world, and then we'll all be sorry. -
Fatherland is probably also the best-written, tied with SS-GB. I enjoyed Niall Ferguson playing around with althist as well.
Turtledove is McLiterature - can't stop reading it, but it's really not all that good.Originally posted by Serb:Please, remind me, how exactly and when exactly, Russia bullied its neighbors?
Originally posted by Ted Striker:Go Serb !
Originally posted by Pekka:If it was possible to capture the essentials of Sepultura in a dildo, I'd attach it to a bicycle and ride it up your azzes.Comment
-
Ive read very little commercial AH. Turtledove. The Sobel thing "For Want of a Nail" which inspired so many. Stirlings ISOT series, if you count that. Ive glanced at Peshawar Lancers.
Most of the AH Ive read was on SHWI. But youre already familiar with that site, right VL? (its now almost dead, IIUC)"A person cannot approach the divine by reaching beyond the human. To become human, is what this individual person, has been created for.” Martin BuberComment
-
The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson (Black Death wipes out all of Europe; Indians and Chinese are supreme)
'Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century' edited by Harry Turtledove. There's some good stuff here by KSR, Larry Niven, Greg Bear and Allen Steele
Roma Eterna by Robert Silverberg (Rome rules the world for another 2000 years; obviously there are lots of interventions reqiured to make this work. It's more of a set of short stories than a single book).
Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon (US lets Jewish refugees set up a semi-independent state in Alaska during WW2 called Sitka; partly as a result, Israel falls. Mostly a detective story set in present day though)
The Separation by Christopher Priest (UK potentially makes a separate peace with Germany in WW2)Comment
-
What is SHWI?Originally posted by lord of the mark
Most of the AH Ive read was on SHWI. But youre already familiar with that site, right VL? (its now almost dead, IIUC)
BTW, I second most of LoTM's suggestions.
-The "best" AH book is probably Phillip K. Dick's "Man in the High Castle."
-Harry Turtledove is worth reading (though flawed... as Saras said, it's McLiterature. You can get through one of his 600 page books in about 8 hours). I recommend his "How Few Remain" Confederate Victory series, as well as his stand alone book "In the Presence of Mine Enemies" (about Jews secretly living in a Nazi Berlin in 2010)
-"For the Want of a Nail" is interesting. It's designed to reas like a text book from an alternate timeline. It's an interesting idea, although I don't think it's that great (it's a little too farfetched for me, and the writing falls apart towards the end IMO).
-Fatherland is another McLiterature page turner, and it's definately worth reading.
-Island in the Sea of Time is good.
-There are some books entitled "What If?" that are more academic approaches to alternate history. I recommend them.
-There are some decent short story compilations out there that are edited by Turtledove- "Alternate Generals" springs to mindI'm about to get aroused from watching the pokemon and that's awesome. - PekkaComment
-
Originally posted by Adrian Hon
The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson (Black Death wipes out all of Europe; Indians and Chinese are supreme)
we had a thread on that here did you miss it? (BTW I read that as well)"A person cannot approach the divine by reaching beyond the human. To become human, is what this individual person, has been created for.” Martin BuberComment
-
Soc.history.what-ifOriginally posted by Wycoff
What is SHWI?
Do you know what USENET was?"A person cannot approach the divine by reaching beyond the human. To become human, is what this individual person, has been created for.” Martin BuberComment
-
I remember seeing the thread, may have even posted in it. Not one of KSR's best books, a bit hard going (especially the stuff in hell) but interesting nonetheless.Comment
-
I read some Turtledove. I thought it was crap.
-Arriangrog want tank...Grog Want Tank... GROG WANT TANK!
The trick isn't to break some eggs to make an omelette, it's convincing the eggs to break themselves in order to aspire to omelettehood.Comment
-
It is crap. I'm not too fond of "Man in the High Castle" either.Originally posted by Arrian
I read some Turtledove. I thought it was crap.
Come to think of it, I can't think of any alternative histories I've read that I liked.Comment
-
Usenet is as in it is not dead yetOriginally posted by lord of the mark
Soc.history.what-if
Do you know what USENET was?
Wiglaf, here is SHWI via Google Groups web interface:
Comment
-
Heres a classic, first posted on SHWI.Originally posted by Zkribbler
It is crap. I'm not too fond of "Man in the High Castle" either.
Come to think of it, I can't think of any alternative histories I've read that I liked.
What if FDR dies and Henry Wallace becomes president? Try to get at least as far President Bokkassa of France, and the reign of cannibalism
"A person cannot approach the divine by reaching beyond the human. To become human, is what this individual person, has been created for.” Martin BuberComment
-
OK, here is my list. I only read I few:
- Man in the high castle (not good)
- Pavane (not very good)
- one of Turtledove's Worldwar books (well, not that bad but didn't leave me wanting more)
- 1632 (pretty good)
- Difference engine (not good)
I was thinking about getting and reading that series in which South African apartheid state conquers half of the world
but I have since turned toward more serious topics.
Comment
-
Originally posted by VetLegion
OK, here is my list.
I was thinking about getting and reading that series in which South African apartheid state conquers half of the world but I have since turned toward more serious topics.
Draka, by teh eevil Steve Stirling. Ive skimmed it at Borders. On the one hand, from the SHWI discussion, it sounds implausible, but OTOH its sounds deliciously eevil. Hopefully not to much of Stirlings pet topics. I also dont want a novel with lesbian SM scenes lying around the house
"A person cannot approach the divine by reaching beyond the human. To become human, is what this individual person, has been created for.” Martin BuberComment
Comment