Know any good alternative history books?

Zwaintsai · 23rd-January-2010, 03:24 PM

I read Kim Stanley Robinson's "The Years of Rice and Salt" recently and I must say it was an impressive book. It's basically about Europe being destroyed in the late middle ages and the development of world history from a non-western basis to the modern times.

It was really nice to read a book that dealt with a very complicated subject and yet it was clear that the writer knew a lot about what he was writing about. Of course I would have made a couple of corrections to it, but mostly it was quite plausable. A highly recommendable book.

I'd like to know if you know any similar good alternative history books? Preferably written from an original subject. That is, not the nazis winning the WWII.

It also kinda made me want to write some alternative history of my own.

I was thinking something along the lines of mesoamerican indians inventing bronze working, or proto-indo-europeans not domesticating the horse (maybe due to it's extiction in the mesolithic or it's domestication in some other part of the world)

So tell me what you think.

Anthile · 23rd-January-2010, 03:35 PM

Look up Harry Turtledove, he makes his money with such stories.

The Frood · 24th-January-2010, 06:58 AM

Pastwatch: redemption of Christopher Columbus By orson Scott Card is good

The "Tales of Alvin Maker" series by Card is a quasi-alternate history that is decent

Britannia's fist (can't remember who wrote it)

Well, the Nazi's don't win in this one: The Axis of time trilogy by John Birmingham
book titles are: Weapons of choice, Designated targets, Final Impact
"A US-led task force off Indonesia in 2021 finds itself sent back to 1942, just prior to the Battle of Midway. The novels deal with a rapidly altered version of World War Two, and to a lesser extent the social changes that result amongst the Allied powers." - from wiki article

Sparrow · 24th-January-2010, 07:09 AM

Fatherland

ElderToadstool · 25th-January-2010, 06:19 PM

Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

merzbau · 26th-January-2010, 07:57 AM

the difference engine by gibson/sterling

Zwaintsai · 6th-February-2010, 03:46 PM

Ok, thanks. I'll look into those. But did I see a couple of "nazi books" in those recommendations? Oh well...

flow · 6th-February-2010, 04:15 PM

A People's History of the United States is a good one, by Howard Zinn.

23rd-January-2010, 03:24 PM	Zwaintsai's time 23rd-January-2010, 05:24 PM #1
Zwaintsai Redshirt Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: In the land of the swimming appendage Posts: 22	Know any good alternative history books? I read Kim Stanley Robinson's "The Years of Rice and Salt" recently and I must say it was an impressive book. It's basically about Europe being destroyed in the late middle ages and the development of world history from a non-western basis to the modern times. It was really nice to read a book that dealt with a very complicated subject and yet it was clear that the writer knew a lot about what he was writing about. Of course I would have made a couple of corrections to it, but mostly it was quite plausable. A highly recommendable book. I'd like to know if you know any similar good alternative history books? Preferably written from an original subject. That is, not the nazis winning the WWII. It also kinda made me want to write some alternative history of my own. I was thinking something along the lines of mesoamerican indians inventing bronze working, or proto-indo-europeans not domesticating the horse (maybe due to it's extiction in the mesolithic or it's domestication in some other part of the world) So tell me what you think.

23rd-January-2010, 03:35 PM	Anthile's time 23rd-January-2010, 04:35 PM #2
Anthile The Fettered Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Alternative 3 Posts: 3,308	Re: Know any good alternative history books? Look up Harry Turtledove, he makes his money with such stories. __________________ Speak not the Anthile. Draw not the Anthile. Write not the Anthile. Sculpt not the Anthile. Sing not the Anthile. Call not the Anthile's name.

24th-January-2010, 06:58 AM	The Frood's time 23rd-January-2010, 10:58 PM #3
The Frood knows where his towel is Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Somewhere in the vicinity of betelgeuse Posts: 136	Re: Know any good alternative history books? Pastwatch: redemption of Christopher Columbus By orson Scott Card is good The "Tales of Alvin Maker" series by Card is a quasi-alternate history that is decent Britannia's fist (can't remember who wrote it) Well, the Nazi's don't win in this one: The Axis of time trilogy by John Birmingham book titles are: Weapons of choice, Designated targets, Final Impact "A US-led task force off Indonesia in 2021 finds itself sent back to 1942, just prior to the Battle of Midway. The novels deal with a rapidly altered version of World War Two, and to a lesser extent the social changes that result amongst the Allied powers." - from wiki article __________________ We demand Rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty! -Douglas Adams Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity. -Johann Wolfgang von Geothe No one really listens to anyone else, and if you try it for a while you'll see why. -Mignon McLaughlin Check out my deviant art account here

24th-January-2010, 07:09 AM	Sparrow's time 24th-January-2010, 02:09 AM #4
Sparrow Never give up. Never surrender. Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 798	Re: Know any good alternative history books? Fatherland __________________ Anamalech

25th-January-2010, 06:19 PM	ElderToadstool's time 25th-January-2010, 01:19 PM #5
ElderToadstool Evolving... Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: New England Posts: 30	Re: Know any good alternative history books? Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

26th-January-2010, 07:57 AM	merzbau's time 26th-January-2010, 05:57 PM #6
merzbau user=1441 Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 211	Re: Know any good alternative history books? the difference engine by gibson/sterling

6th-February-2010, 03:46 PM	Zwaintsai's time 6th-February-2010, 05:47 PM #7
Zwaintsai Redshirt Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: In the land of the swimming appendage Posts: 22	Re: Know any good alternative history books? Ok, thanks. I'll look into those. But did I see a couple of "nazi books" in those recommendations? Oh well...

6th-February-2010, 04:15 PM	flow's time 6th-February-2010, 10:15 AM #8
flow Audiophile/Insomniac Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,130	Re: Know any good alternative history books? A People's History of the United States is a good one, by Howard Zinn. __________________ In between music and dreams. last.fm/user/bkelleher

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