Do you prefer to read timelines which tend towards dystopia or towards utopia?
- Thread starter pipisme
- Start date
I'm not interested in out-and-out utopias. In particular, timelines of the "my favorite politician is elected and fixes everything forever" genre are highly uninteresting. But I strongly prefer timelines that tend towards the utopian rather than dystopian. There are exceptions, like AWOLAWOT. But a lot of dystopian writing just seems lazy, and I don't read alternate history to be depressed. I have the news for that.
I would go for an other way. I like AHs best, in which the authors try to create as realistic scenarios as possible. The changes and the history should be comprehensible. And if there is somewhat like a "red thread" as we germans say which you can followit can be dystopic or utopic, that doesn't matter in that case.
Snake Featherston
Banned
I don't really aim for either in my ATLs as my methodology is to try to replicate the effects of real history (of course as the author this is necessarily imperfect but eh). However in terms of READING, definitely dystopia. to me aiming for that kind of specific result makes a TL into a sort of author tract and those things are boring. 
Deleted member 40957
I think it's realism and writing quality that count, above the actual content of the timeline. Utopian, dystopian and "moderate" AH can all be done well as long as they're within the realm of possibility. Reds! and Cuban Missile War are both excellent despite being on opposite ends of the spectrum.
I guess dystopia, I'm a gloom and doom kind of boy in real life too, though really looking at OTL who's to say whats dystopian
Like others have said I've no preference as long as the TL is well written and plausible. Admittedly dystopias tend to have more shock effect such as Anglo-American/Nazi War but Utopias can be as interesting if done right.
Don't really believe in either. For me there are greater evils and lesser evils, but that's about it..
I thought I hated utopian ATL's until I came across Reds!. What I love about that timeline is, yeah, it's utopian, the second American revolution makes generally the right decision every time and never falls off the rails like the OTL Russian and French revolutions did...but mistakes are still made, shit gets pretty dark in the ATL 1930's, and the resulting semi-utopian society is kind of eerie and uncomfortable and I'm not even sure I would want to live in it.
I tend to go for the cool factor, like The Fox on the Outer Rim, or a good discussion, like For All the Marbles.
Although I prefer Timelines which maintain a healthy balance, in general I prefer reading those which are dystopian or at least worse then OTL. No idea why, but cynicism is really drilled deep in my skull (personally I blame being raised on "Horrible Histories"), and enjoy my entertainment being similar.
Paul V McNutt
Banned
When I am reading, I like plausibility and a good plot and don't mind if it
does not have a happy ending. As an eternal optimist I always write TLs where the good guys always win. In after 1900, that means the US and it's
allies and the Democratic Party. One day I realized that as an alternative historian I had developed fine skills on looking on the bright side. A friend and I were talking about a football game. ( We were playing visitors, our archrivals) At the two minute warning, we had a narrow lead. The opposing quarterback threw a beautiful hail Mary pass, which was intercepted by a member of our team. Once in passion of the ball our team
piddled around and ran up the clock. I looked back on that scene and said wouldn't it have been great if the guy who caught the ball could have run eighty yards for a touchdown. My friend looked at me and said don't be greedy!
does not have a happy ending. As an eternal optimist I always write TLs where the good guys always win. In after 1900, that means the US and it's
allies and the Democratic Party. One day I realized that as an alternative historian I had developed fine skills on looking on the bright side. A friend and I were talking about a football game. ( We were playing visitors, our archrivals) At the two minute warning, we had a narrow lead. The opposing quarterback threw a beautiful hail Mary pass, which was intercepted by a member of our team. Once in passion of the ball our team
piddled around and ran up the clock. I looked back on that scene and said wouldn't it have been great if the guy who caught the ball could have run eighty yards for a touchdown. My friend looked at me and said don't be greedy!
No preference, to be honest. It's not the highest criteria on my list when finding something interesting to read.
