In this episode of the Fully-Booked podcast, we delve into the fascinating subgenre of alternate history, a topic we’re also covering in-depth on our website and newsletter this month. As we explore the different flavors of alternate history fiction, from magical retellings of Tudor England to dystopian tales of parallel universes, we find ourselves pondering the age-old question: what if?
Note
The following is an editorialized transcript of our weekly literary podcast. If you would like to listen to the podcast, click the play button above orlisten on your favorite platform with the links below.
Defining Alternate History
Alternate history is a tricky genre to pin down, as it often straddles the line between science fiction and historical fiction. Depending on the story, an alternate history tale might lean more heavily into sci-fi elements, such as time travel or advanced technology, or it might focus more on the historical aspects, reimagining key events or figures from the past.
At its core, alternate history asks us to consider how the world might be different if certain pivotal moments had played out differently. What if the Confederacy had won the Civil War? What if the Nazis had emerged victorious in World War II? These are the kinds of questions that alternate history seeks to explore, often with thought-provoking and sometimes disturbing results.
The Appeal of “What If?”
As we discuss in the episode, the concept of alternate history has been around for centuries, with early examples dating back to the 1400s. There seems to be a universal human fascination with the idea of the road not taken, the path that wasn’t followed. We can’t help but wonder how our own lives might have turned out differently if we had made other choices at key junctures.
This curiosity extends to the grand sweep of history as well. We look at major events like wars, assassinations, and political upheavals, and we can’t help but speculate about how the world might have changed if things had gone differently. Alternate history allows us to indulge these musings and explore the myriad possibilities of the multiverse.
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Fantasy vs. Sci-Fi Alternate History
One of the key distinctions we draw in the episode is between alternate history stories that incorporate fantasy elements and those that hew more closely to science fiction. We find that the fantasy-tinged alternate histories, like My Lady Jane with its Tudor-era shapeshifters or Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell with its magicians in Napoleonic England, tend to have a lighter, more playful tone.
In contrast, the alternate histories that lean into sci-fi tropes, such as The Man in the High Castle with its dystopian vision of a world where the Axis powers won WWII, are often much darker and more unsettling. These stories seem to suggest that any deviation from our known history is likely to lead to a worse outcome, a more oppressive and nightmarish reality.
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The Perils of Revisionism
This brings us to an important point about the potential pitfalls of alternate history. While it can be fun to imagine how things might have been different, we must be careful not to fall into the trap of historical revisionism or wishful thinking. It’s tempting to look back at certain tragedies or atrocities and think, “If only this hadn’t happened, the world would be a better place.”
However, as we note in the episode, reality is often much more complicated. Every event, even the most terrible ones, is the result of a complex web of causes and effects. If you pull on one thread, you risk unraveling the entire tapestry in ways you might not expect. A world without the Civil War, for example, might seem appealing on the surface, but it’s impossible to know what other horrors or injustices might have taken its place.
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Subscribe to our weekly newsletterThe Power of Speculative Fiction
Despite these caveats, we remain thoroughly fascinated by the possibilities of alternate history fiction. At its best, the genre allows us to reexamine our assumptions about the past and consider the myriad factors that shape our world. By presenting us with visions of what might have been, alternate histories invite us to look at our own reality with fresh eyes and a greater appreciation for the contingency of history.
Moreover, alternate history provides a unique vehicle for exploring issues of identity, power, and social change. By imagining worlds where the marginalized are centered or where the status quo is radically upended, these stories can challenge our preconceptions and broaden our understanding of what is possible.
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As we wrap up our discussion of alternate history, we find ourselves more intrigued than ever by this endlessly inventive genre. From the fanciful to the dystopian, from the magical to the all-too-real, alternate histories offer a kaleidoscopic array of visions and possibilities.
Whether you prefer your alternate histories with a dash of fantasy or a hard sci-fi edge, there’s no denying the enduring appeal of the question “What if?” As long as humans keep wondering about the paths not taken and the worlds that might have been, alternate-history fiction will be there to fuel our imaginations and challenge our assumptions. The only limit is the boundless realm of possibility itself.
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