I don't know : as it's not translated, nor published, I've only so far of knowledge of american alternate history and it's only what I read so far on this (As I'm kind of frustrated to not being able to share some great pieces of french alternate history that aren't translated as well).
The Alternate History Book Club
- Thread starter Kaiphranos
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I don't know : as it's not translated, nor published, I've only so far of knowledge of american alternate history and it's only what I read so far on this (As I'm kind of frustrated to not being able to share some great pieces of french alternate history that aren't translated as well).
Are there any French alternate history stories that are available online? I'd really love to read some. Maybe if they're available online, those of us who don't know French can run it through Google Translate or something? It's a crude solution, but it's a start.
Mmm...I think there is but it's kind of long books, written in the XIX century.
Aprocyphal Napoléon. 1812 - 1830 : History of the World's conquest and Universal Monarchy
All these things about Napoléon died in exile, his son in foreign lands, the Empire crushed. Lies, Lies all of them! Everyone know that the Empror was victorious and ended by becoming monarch of the world. The earliest modern french AH, made in 1841.
Uchronia (utopia in History) : historical apocryphal sketch of european civilisation developement as he wasn't, as he should have been...
Yes that's the actual title. It's a long book made by Renouvier (that coined the word Uchronia) whom at least half is dedicated to his philosophy of history.
The AH here is a Roman Empire where Christian are exiled in the eastern part, that turn back to a Republic and eventually became divided in smaller republics while Christian ruins the ERE that became soon overrun by Germans and Arians Arabs.
Apart for these two...Even in France the AH books written up to 80's are rarely avaible.
There's currently a collection of AH comics, "Jour J", that is generally good.
Only to pass my frustration to someone else, an exemple.
THE KENNEDY GANG
1947 : Welcome in New Orleans, French capital of Americas, and rear base of Prohibition
Kaiphranos
Donor
I have gone ahead and posted a discussion thread for "He Walked Around The Horses." If you've finished reading, drop by and give us your thoughts on the story!
In the meantime, discussion is still open regarding a book or story for September. The current list is as follows:
1. The Man In The High Castle
2. Bring The Jubilee
3. Agent Of Byzantium
4. Guns Of The South
5. For Want Of A Nail
6. Dominion
7. Pavane
8. Lest Darkness Fall
9. Ruled Britannia
10. Wake Up and Dream
11. When Angels Wept: A What-If History of the Cuban Missile Crisis
12. Then Everything Changed: Stunning Alternate Histories of American Politics
(I've left Jack Finney's Time And Again off the list for now as I don't recall it having much of an AH element--though still worth reading if someone is looking for a straight-up time travel story.)
In the meantime, discussion is still open regarding a book or story for September. The current list is as follows:
1. The Man In The High Castle
2. Bring The Jubilee
3. Agent Of Byzantium
4. Guns Of The South
5. For Want Of A Nail
6. Dominion
7. Pavane
8. Lest Darkness Fall
9. Ruled Britannia
10. Wake Up and Dream
11. When Angels Wept: A What-If History of the Cuban Missile Crisis
12. Then Everything Changed: Stunning Alternate Histories of American Politics
(I've left Jack Finney's Time And Again off the list for now as I don't recall it having much of an AH element--though still worth reading if someone is looking for a straight-up time travel story.)
The problem I have with TTG is the total disregard for butterflies it has. In a world where the ARW failed, and Britain has ruled for more than 200 years, Richard Nixon exists and sells used cars and Martin Luther King exists and is a high government official. Still, Thande admits it as "guilty pleasure" so why not include it? It would give an opportunity to review it as a story.
Not everyone is a member of this site and knows The Rules, after all.
Another good book that I recommend:
"The Severed Wing" by Martin J. Gidron (novel: Theodore Roosevelt is elected in 1912. The U.S. helps the Entente win WWI earlier and impose a fair, reasonable peace on Germany. The world is restored to a long period of post-Great War peace, with no Depression, WW2, or Holocaust, but, in turn, no discrediting of anti-Semitism, racism, nationalism, and imperialism either).
"The Severed Wing" by Martin J. Gidron (novel: Theodore Roosevelt is elected in 1912. The U.S. helps the Entente win WWI earlier and impose a fair, reasonable peace on Germany. The world is restored to a long period of post-Great War peace, with no Depression, WW2, or Holocaust, but, in turn, no discrediting of anti-Semitism, racism, nationalism, and imperialism either).
Yes, but isn't there some sort of Magical Meta thing going on where our world is bleeding into this one and Jews are disappearing or something? For me, that's something _distinctly_ worse than chocolate in my peanut butter.
Bruce
Also, to help us all decide what to read in the future, I'm taking the liberty of adding brief summaries and descriptions of the stories we have listed so far, giving a brief understanding of their premises and stories. That way, if the club is in the mood for any particular historical time periods, setting, etc., or if anything in particular sounds unique and intriguing, we can know where to look.
1. The Man In The High Castle (total Axis victory in WW2. In ATL 1962, the world, including the defeated and divided United States, is divided in an even more vicious Cold War between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan)
2. Bring The Jubilee (Confederate victory at Gettysburg leads to them winning the American Civil War and gaining their independence. Because of massive war reparations being imposed on the rump U.S., the Confederate States become a prosperous world power, while the United States decline into drudgery and poverty)
3. Agent Of Byzantium (series of espionage thrillers set in a world where Islam was never founded and the Byzantine Empire never fell. The Byzantine Empire remains the dominant power of Europe, and remains in a cold war with the Persian Empire)
4. Guns Of The South (time-travelers from OTL early 21st Century equip Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia with AK-47 assault rifles, helping them turn the tide of the American Civil War and win independence. But the time-travelers have an agenda of their own, leading to a battle for the heart and soul of the newborn Confederate States of America)
5. For Want Of A Nail (British victory at Saratoga leads to the defeat of the American Revolution. To restore peace and tranquility, Britain reforms the post-war American colonies into the semi-autonomous, yet still loyal to the British crown, Confederation of North America. Meanwhile, the unreconstructed American revolutionaries flee westward, take over Mexico, and form their own republic, the United States of Mexico, leading to a whole new balance of power in the North American continent)
6. Dominion (espionage thriller set in a world where Lord Halifax becomes Prime Minister instead of Churchill in 1940, leading to Britain making peace with Nazi Germany after Dunkirk. In ATL 1952, war between Germany and the Soviet Union continues to rage, while Britain inches its way toward Nazism itself)
7. Pavane (series of stories set in a world where Protestantism was destroyed following the assassination of Queen Elizabeth, and the Roman Catholic Church regained complete dominance over Europe)
8. Lest Darkness Fall (an American archeologist from OTL 1930's is ISOT'd back to the 6th Century, during the reign of the Ostrogothic Kingdom over the remnants of the Western Roman Empire. With the Byzantine forces on their way to try to conquer Italy, he sets out to use his knowledge to save Roman civilization from its ultimate collapse)
9. Ruled Britannia (the Spanish Armada conquers England in 1588. Queen Elizabeth is imprisoned, the English are converted back to Catholicism at swordpoint, and an inquisition even more merciless than its original Spanish counterpart roots out treason and heresy. William Shakespeare is approached by the English underground to write a play that will inspire the English people to revolt, but the Spanish occupying authorities also approach him and ask him to write a play glorifying King Phillip II and solidifying Spain's rule over England. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues).
10. Wake Up and Dream (Clark Gable is an out-of-work actor, his movie career ended by the rise of a new cinematic technology called "feelies," which not only capture images and sounds, but project actual feelings, emotions, and sensations into audiences. In ATL 1940, working as a private investigator in Los Angeles, while a growing American fascist party is arising, challenging FDR, and pushing the U.S. into collusion with Hitler, a seemingly simple job leads to an attempt on his life, and a conspiracy that spreads throughout the underbelly of Hollywood)
11. When Angels Wept: A What-If History of the Cuban Missile Crisis (ATL nonfiction book detailing the history of the worst case scenario occurring in October 1962: global nuclear war erupting over the Cuban Missile Crisis, including the history behind it, how it unfolded, and how the world tried to adapt in its aftermath)
12. Then Everything Changed: Stunning Alternate Histories of American Politics (three stories of changes in Cold War-era American politics and consequences that follow: John F. Kennedy is assassinated in December 1960, leading to an early Lyndon Johnson presidency; Robert F. Kennedy survives his assassination and is elected in 1968; and Gerald R. Ford is reelected in 1976)
1. The Man In The High Castle (total Axis victory in WW2. In ATL 1962, the world, including the defeated and divided United States, is divided in an even more vicious Cold War between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan)
2. Bring The Jubilee (Confederate victory at Gettysburg leads to them winning the American Civil War and gaining their independence. Because of massive war reparations being imposed on the rump U.S., the Confederate States become a prosperous world power, while the United States decline into drudgery and poverty)
3. Agent Of Byzantium (series of espionage thrillers set in a world where Islam was never founded and the Byzantine Empire never fell. The Byzantine Empire remains the dominant power of Europe, and remains in a cold war with the Persian Empire)
4. Guns Of The South (time-travelers from OTL early 21st Century equip Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia with AK-47 assault rifles, helping them turn the tide of the American Civil War and win independence. But the time-travelers have an agenda of their own, leading to a battle for the heart and soul of the newborn Confederate States of America)
5. For Want Of A Nail (British victory at Saratoga leads to the defeat of the American Revolution. To restore peace and tranquility, Britain reforms the post-war American colonies into the semi-autonomous, yet still loyal to the British crown, Confederation of North America. Meanwhile, the unreconstructed American revolutionaries flee westward, take over Mexico, and form their own republic, the United States of Mexico, leading to a whole new balance of power in the North American continent)
6. Dominion (espionage thriller set in a world where Lord Halifax becomes Prime Minister instead of Churchill in 1940, leading to Britain making peace with Nazi Germany after Dunkirk. In ATL 1952, war between Germany and the Soviet Union continues to rage, while Britain inches its way toward Nazism itself)
7. Pavane (series of stories set in a world where Protestantism was destroyed following the assassination of Queen Elizabeth, and the Roman Catholic Church regained complete dominance over Europe)
8. Lest Darkness Fall (an American archeologist from OTL 1930's is ISOT'd back to the 6th Century, during the reign of the Ostrogothic Kingdom over the remnants of the Western Roman Empire. With the Byzantine forces on their way to try to conquer Italy, he sets out to use his knowledge to save Roman civilization from its ultimate collapse)
9. Ruled Britannia (the Spanish Armada conquers England in 1588. Queen Elizabeth is imprisoned, the English are converted back to Catholicism at swordpoint, and an inquisition even more merciless than its original Spanish counterpart roots out treason and heresy. William Shakespeare is approached by the English underground to write a play that will inspire the English people to revolt, but the Spanish occupying authorities also approach him and ask him to write a play glorifying King Phillip II and solidifying Spain's rule over England. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues).
10. Wake Up and Dream (Clark Gable is an out-of-work actor, his movie career ended by the rise of a new cinematic technology called "feelies," which not only capture images and sounds, but project actual feelings, emotions, and sensations into audiences. In ATL 1940, working as a private investigator in Los Angeles, while a growing American fascist party is arising, challenging FDR, and pushing the U.S. into collusion with Hitler, a seemingly simple job leads to an attempt on his life, and a conspiracy that spreads throughout the underbelly of Hollywood)
11. When Angels Wept: A What-If History of the Cuban Missile Crisis (ATL nonfiction book detailing the history of the worst case scenario occurring in October 1962: global nuclear war erupting over the Cuban Missile Crisis, including the history behind it, how it unfolded, and how the world tried to adapt in its aftermath)
12. Then Everything Changed: Stunning Alternate Histories of American Politics (three stories of changes in Cold War-era American politics and consequences that follow: John F. Kennedy is assassinated in December 1960, leading to an early Lyndon Johnson presidency; Robert F. Kennedy survives his assassination and is elected in 1968; and Gerald R. Ford is reelected in 1976)
i'd vote for Man in the High Castle, which is quite readable and shouldn't be too hard to pick up. Pavane isn't bad either, but I'm not sure how available it is. Stories of the US and UK going Nazi due to, I dunno, evil Nazi radiation, generally make me roll my eyes. Has anyone read "When Angels Wept"? I have been thinking of picking it up, but it's a little pricey, even on Amazon.
Bruce
Bruce
I can get e-books now and love them. But that's quite a new thing for me. Not everyone can access them.
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