For this scenario, assume that the countries described in Gulliver's Travels: Lilliput, Blefuscu, Brobdingnag, Laputa and its neighboring islands, and the land of the Houyhnhnms and Yahoos exist and are contacted by an Englishman in the 1710s. Obviously Laputa being situated on a floating island and the Houyhnhnms being intelligent horses is ASB, but, as per the book, everything else functions basically normally. How might these countries play a part in world history? Would they end up being colonized, or might some of them remain independent?
Realistic Gulliver's Travels
- Thread starter Jedi Dragon
- Start date
The people of Lilliput and Blefuscu being tiny, and Brobdingnag being giant is also ASB. Unless you are planning on making their heights more realistic as well.
We can do that. The Brobdingnagians have a form of gigantism that is within realistic limits, and the Lilliputians and Blefuscudians are about the size of African pygmies.
I imagine that Brobdingnag might end up being colonized by Russia like OTL Alaska. In fact, Brobdingnag could even border Alaska if the former is confined south of the Alaska Range. In the book Gulliver advises against attempting to press any British claims to the lands he visited, but I doubt the Houyhnhnms or Yahoos could actually fight off an invasion by a European army. They probably wouldn't end up being treated too well either, if OTL is any indication.
Maybe the Houyhnhnms are a horse-riding people, who have an unusually intelligent breed of horse?
I'm fine with keeping the ASB elements, I just like imagining what might have happened after Gulliver returned to England. I feel like the British Empire proceeding to colonize these places would line up with the book's general view of human nature. On the plus side, the discovery of another hominid species in the Yahoos might help advance evolutionary science faster.
We actually have a possible otl location you could set a alt island of little people (red on map)
Inhabited by Homo Floresiensis, who's adult population grew on average to be 3 feet 6 inches (example of how this would look below).
which means since we are dealing with averages this means that on the shorter end of this average there were likly adult examples in this population less then 3 feet and child examples being even smaller, for initial contact if a group of children playing spot a shipwrecked person and that's what your alt Gulliver wakes up to before he sees any adults, he would think this islands inhabitants to be TRULY SMALL. (I dont know how small the kids were but I imagine a fair guess for a short (or malnourished) example might be around 2 foot 4 inches or smaller which would be mean at least a third smaller then a average adult at 3 foot 6 inches, anyone have any better guesses as to height or if they could be smaller?)
humanorigins.si.edu
Inhabited by Homo Floresiensis, who's adult population grew on average to be 3 feet 6 inches (example of how this would look below).
which means since we are dealing with averages this means that on the shorter end of this average there were likly adult examples in this population less then 3 feet and child examples being even smaller, for initial contact if a group of children playing spot a shipwrecked person and that's what your alt Gulliver wakes up to before he sees any adults, he would think this islands inhabitants to be TRULY SMALL. (I dont know how small the kids were but I imagine a fair guess for a short (or malnourished) example might be around 2 foot 4 inches or smaller which would be mean at least a third smaller then a average adult at 3 foot 6 inches, anyone have any better guesses as to height or if they could be smaller?)
Homo floresiensis
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