Alternative History
In an alternative history novel, one or more past events are changed to create a new outcome for the storyline. Common themes of an alternative history novel deal with changing the outcomes of wars or stopping the assassinations of world leaders. Check out one of the titles below to imagine what could have been.
The Book of Esther: A Novel by Emily Barton. In an untrue world resembling the 1930s, the state of Khazaria, an isolated nation of warriors Jews, is under attack by the Germanii. Esther, the precocious daughter of Khazaria's chief policy advisor, sets out on a quest to ensure the survival of her homeland.
The Darkest Hour by Tony Schumacher. The terrible struggle that was World War II is over and the Germans have won and now occupy London. It is up to a hardened British detective to turn the tables, save someone's life and achieve redemption.
The Mechanical by Ian Tregillis. A steampunk tale set in an alternative world where the Dutch empire becomes the dominant force in Europe and the American colonies. Jax, a mechanical man known as a Clakker takes a chance to escape servitude for a life of freedom.
My Real Children by Jo Walton. Remembering two different pasts that reflect contrasting historical events and relationships with different people, an elderly Patricia Cowan wonders about her identity while gazing at a moon that might house benign or malicious technologies.
Time and Time Again by Ben Elton. Having learned from a Cambridge academic that time travel is possible, traumatized ex-soldier Hugh Stanton returns to June 1914 to prevent World War I by stopping an assassination.
Underground Airlines by Ben H Winters. A tale set in a modern America where the Civil War never happened and the country has forged a dubious agreement with four states that still enforce slavery follows the experiences of a talented black bounty hunter who makes discoveries about his mysterious past while infiltrating an abolitionist group to catch a high-profile runaway.
V-S Day: A Novel of Alternative History by Allen Steele. What if the race to space had occurred in the early days of World War II? It's 1941, and Wernher von Braun is ordered by his fuhrer to abandon the V-2 rocket and turn German resources over to the construction of a manned orbital spacecraft capable of attacking the United States.
The Windsor Faction by D.J. Taylor. If Wallis Simpson had not died on the operating table in December 1936, Edward VIII would not be King of England three years later. He would have abdicated for love. Now, the throne is his. If Henry Bannister's car had not careered off the Colombo back-roads in the summer before the war, Cynthia Kirkpatrick would never have found out about The Faction. It is autumn 1939, and everything in history is just as it was. Except, that is, for the identity of the king in Buckingham Palace and the existence of a secret organization operating at the highest levels of society and determined to derail the war effort against Nazi Germany.
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