THE BIG BOOK OF ALTERNATE HISTORY (Put your mini-timelines right here!)

OK, sometimes we have a scenario in mind that we want to flesh out somewhat to present to the board, but we aren't necessarily going to make the full commitment of spending a long period of time working it into a full timeline. Or some of us are just plain incapable of putting in the effort (I'm looking at you Dead Sea Squirrels... er, I mean Seinfeld. WHATEVER).:D

But seriously, Seinfeld did have a great idea: he recognized that fact about himself, so he made a thread for himself called "Fragments of Alternate History" where he could occasionally put scenarios he'd thought of, then be done. Rather clever if you ask me (and if he wants to post a link to it, he can be my guest).

So, that's what this thread is for. If we ever have an idea for a condensed timeline, a short scenario... basically, nothing longer than 3 or 4 posts, if even that, they can go in this thread, where our fellow board members can find them with one another and comment on them. They can be in the form of a short story, an essay, whatever you want. They can be political, cultural, comedic, dramatic, WWI, WWII, the Cold War, War on Terror, left field, whatever.

I guess since I posted this, I'm obligated to add the first scenario. Well here it is...

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A WAAAAY EARLY PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN

by vultan

Late 1937, in rural northwest Illinois

Ronald Reagan was angry. Very, very angry. For one thing, he’d been out of a job- a long bout with the cold last year had ruined his radio career in Iowa, causing him to return meekly to his home town of Dixon, where he’d been reduced to working odd jobs. And when the jobs weren’t forthcoming there, he headed south for Macomb, thinking that maybe the farmers would be a’hiring. But that wasn’t the only reason his blood was boiling, oooooh no.

And to think he’d once been an admirer of Franklin Delano Roosevelt! Well, no longer. One of the jobs he’d fallen into was with one Anton J. Johnson, a dairy farmer. Mr. Johnson had taken a liking to “Dutch” (as Ronald still went by), and when the young man was out milking cows, Johnson would come out to talk. But inevitably, the conversation (if you could call it that- Ron was too busy with the work to get in more than a word or two at a time) would drift to politics, where Mr. Johnson would rant on and on about how President Roosevelt was trying to turn the country into a communist state, how his “court-packing” plan was merely an excuse to turn the United States into a dictatorship. But the more Ron listened…

Early 1938

He’d been attending McDonough County Republican Party meetings regularly now, and to his own surprise he found himself volunteering. Then one day Mr. Johnson prodded him into going up to speak (“Tell ‘em ‘bout why you decided to join the G-O-P, Dutch”). While he started off a bit nervous, Ron dove right in, and they couldn’t have asked for a better speaker. I guess all that radio work paid off, Ron thought to himself as he articulated another point. As the audience sat there, enraptured, the young man eventually transcended politics in his speech, ending it on a simple enough note. “See, I suppose what I’m saying is I’ve come to see that the Republicans are the very best party to represent the common men in American. And as for myself, personally, I’ve come to see that it’s the party that agrees with my basic beliefs, which is that I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life. Thank you for letting me speak”.

The Chairman asked if he wanted to get paid to speak like that. They both chuckled…

Mid 1938

Horrible news: Mr. Anton J. Johnson had been killed when the roof of his barn collapsed in on him. He was sixty years old. But more importantly, he had been the presumptive nominee of the Republicans to challenge Chester C. Thompson for control of Illinois’ 14th Congressional District. The local party officials had been convened in the City Building in downtown Macomb, and Ron had showed up to help organize. At nearly 12 o’clock at night, Ron was abruptly awoken from his slumber in a chair in the lobby in the building by the McDonough County Republican Party Chairman. He must have been asleep for hours as the party heads were discussing what to do. “Hey kid-KID- you twenty-five?” A still-tired Ron wondered what was going on. “Yessir, I turned twenty-five years old a couple-“

“Great”, interrupted Mr. Chairman. “Now what I need you to do is go in that room and talk. Just talk like you did at that one meeting we had a couple months ago. Give a good speech.” The young Reagan agreed, still confused as to what was happening…

Late 1938

Illinois House of Representatives election, District 14:
Chester C. Thompson (D)(inc)- 49.6%
Ronald Reagan (R)- 50.4%


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To be continued!
 
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Continuing my mini-timeline...

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Early 1944

Former Congressman Ronald Reagan got off the bus at his hometown of Dixon. While his career in Washington was looking good for a while- his great oratory skills had one him reelection by a wide margin in 1940, and his passionately conservative beliefs had one him national attention- he couldn't stay home while America's boys were going of to war, so off he went as well.

Of course, due to his eyesight, they wouldn't let him go overseas, so they just stuck him in "public relations", which essentially amounted to him going around to various army posts, giving speeches (his status as a former politician also made it unlikely that he would be put into anything TOO dangerous).

But suddenly, just a couple months ago, he had been honorably discharged. But the funny thing was, they didn't give him a reason. They just said that he would be of no further use to the country in this fashion at the time. Now, Ron was just a regular guy, but he knew they couldn't just do that, right? Even after he repeatedly tried to reenlist? Well, they told him to go back home, so here he was...

While staying at his mother's house, he got a very special phone call: it was Dwight Green, Governor of Illinois! Turns out, the good Governor may or may not have pulled some strings to get him out of the military, which for the smallest fraction of a moment absolutely disgusted Reagan- this man was the one who made his career fighting the Chicago machine- but Green waved aside these concerns, saying that "Dutch" could better serve his country back in Washington. But instead of running for his old seat...

Late 1944

Illinois Senate election, 1944:
Scott W. Lucas (D)(inc)- 48.2%
Ronald Reagan (R)- 51.4%

...

Nearly four years later...

Senator Ronald Wilson Reagan of Illinois (known as "Dutch" by now to his constituents and supporters), was about to give the keynote address to the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was a warm June night, the first of the convention, and there was a bitter divide between the conservative, pro-Taft delegates and the liberal, pro-Dewey delegates (Stassen was a much weaker force by now). There was a dangerous possibility that there wouldn't be a nominee on the first ballot...

Well, Dutch thought to himself, it's my job not to let that happen. He'd become renowned across the country for the strength of his speeches, and he was going to make sure that this would be the best of his career by a mile.

Across the convention hall, Senator Robert Taft waited contently. Ronald Reagan was one of the most conservative members of the Senate. Hell, if you took race out of the mix, he was farther right than many of the Dixiecrats Thurmond was whipping into a frenzy down South. At the very least, Reagan could win over enough delegates to make it a long, drawn out fight. At best, we could be seeing President Taft come...

Wait, what? What? "THAT BASTARD!" Taft screamed, standing up, which surprised many in the hall, even among Taft's staff; the Senator was known for being an austere figure. But how could he stay calm now when that two-faced son-of-a-bitch Reagan was endorsing Dewey?

In the end, though, Reagan did what he thought was right. He was in agreement with the Taft faction on domestic policy, but he couldn't abide by their isolationist. A nice long conversation with diplomat George F. Kennan had convinced him of the danger that the Soviet Union posed, and how could he support a candidate who wouldn't fight that?

It worked; Dewey narrowly won on the first ballot. However, he noted the popularity of Reagan among the delegates at the convention. In a way, he really was something of a unifying candidate: he shared the domestic beliefs of the Taft faction, but the internationalist beliefs of the Dewey faction. Even with the semi-public falling out Taft and Reagan had, putting Reagan on the ticket would be a good way to unite the badly divided party. Dewey badly, BADLY wanted California Governor Earl Warren on the ticket... but in the end, the man wasn't much of a campaigner, and Dewey's advisers told him not to risk the election by making a gaffe on the campaign trail. Reagan could be the speech-giver; the attack dog, if you will.

And in the end, Reagan was an average American from an average background. That had a way of resonating with voters.

On July 25th, the last day of the convention, Dewey nominated Reagan to be the Vice Presidential nominee of the Republican Party in 1948...

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To be continued!
 
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Ok, not even asking for contributions at the moments or comments for my spur-of-the-moment mini TL, but is there a general support for the concept of this thread?
 
Ok, not even asking for contributions at the moments or comments for my spur-of-the-moment mini TL, but is there a general support for the concept of this thread?

It sounds awesome. I'd like to contribute something myself tomorrow or the day after.
 
Oh, I'm flattered.:p

I completely endorse this effort. Trust me, mini-timelines are much easier to write, although I've kinda given up AH writing lately (focusing on my game in the Sandbox:D).
 
If I wasn't so concentrated on getting one of my RPGs running in the Sandbox, I might have polished some of the material I had from "Left at the Start" here. Unfortunately it is still open ended so that would leave a big hole to fill as well.​
 
This may be too short for this thread, though I thought it may be to long for another thread for TL ideas.

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PoD: A young man works for Edison films, starring in some of his shorts, then goes on to make a fortune (first in Wall St, then in oil speculation). He uses this money to set up a film studio, that make several groundbreaking films across the decades, as well as a larger media empire.

Effects: Well first there's the matter of the films made -- there's Dracula (1913) which has groundbreaking special effects and face licking; The Glory (1915), competing with Griffiths Birth, portraying the Union soldiers, both black and white, in a heroic light; as well as later films, one in 1922 graphically portraying a lynching, and a graphic gangster talkie in 1928.

Then there's the politics -- this rising media mogul is a huge TR fan, joins the Republicans, and pushes hard for Leonard Wood to get the nomination in 1920, offering promotional films to be in theaters across the country. Wood gets the nod, the Presidency, with Harding as VP -- dies in 26. Subsequent events include the US pushing for keeping a strong navy at the 1921 Washington Conference; an anti-lynching bill in 1922 (that, despite our protagonists coverage, initially gets little enforcement); no Teapot Dome, and subsequent win by Roosevelt Jr for NY Governor in 1924; and a tax overhaul in 1926, like OTL, only it leaves a 41% tax on income over a million. During all of this, our protagonists media empire is pushing a strong socially liberal agenda, and building a rough Progressive coalition. The Depression still hits as OTL, with Harding as President and Al Smith as newly returned Governor of New York. Smith runs and wins the 1932 Presidential Election, and begins something like a New Deal. Eight years later, a Moderate Republican narrowly takes the White House.

On the plus side, US response to the Manchurian incident is more forceful, butterflying away the breakout of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937 and the wider Pacific War. Meanwhile, in Europe, the Nazis still come to power, and WWII begins as OTL. However, due to a stronger Royal Navy, the Invasion of Normandy fails. This has two immediate effects: it helps Halifax to become Britain's next Prime Minister, and it makes Hitler more insistent that Allied forces are crushed on the Continent, leading to much larger losses at Dunkirk. The result is a sort of peace between Germany, Britain, and France (now ruled by the fascist *Vichy regime). The Nazis come to focus their attention later on the Soviets, taking them out as a power by the decades end, but getting stuck in a protracted guerilla war...
 
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Oh, I'm flattered.:p

I completely endorse this effort. Trust me, mini-timelines are much easier to write, although I've kinda given up AH writing lately (focusing on my game in the Sandbox:D).

Well, at the very least you should post some of your old scenarios here!
 
Here are some quotes and excerpts from an ASBish timeline of the future I'm writing for a book I want to write one day...:rolleyes:

"Why, Mr. President? Why does America fight for the right of Brazillian and Indonesian lumber barons to rape the lungs of the Earth? If America had a single shred of respect for the 'rights of nations', we would be cheering on the Chinese and Europeans..."
-Marilyn Verrity, the last representative of the Green Party in the United States Congress, on May 12th 2115. Verrity had just heard that the United States had declared war on the European Confederation and People's Republic of China over the later's bombing of Brazillian logging camps in the Amazon.

"The Amazon Rainforest is not Brazillian. It belongs to the entire world, for the fate of the world hangs on the fate of those forests..."
-Chinese enviromentalist Kong Tu speaking on renewed the Brazillian logging that sparked the Third World War, 2nd May 2115

"The days of Russia are numbered. Our silence will fall..."
-Anoyomous Russian politician on learning of the European Confederation's crossing of the Volga, c. June 2116
 
I really don't have the historical knowledge nor the planning skills to write a full timeline. So I may write for your big book Vultan :D
 
Excerpt from "Confederacy of Confederacies: A Sidewinder's Journey Through Southern America".

I have to make a quick trip back to my home Earth so I can take take the Zip to Washington. While I am thankful to be out from under the eyes of State Servitude, I am anxious to visit this next Earth.

The timeline I am visiting next is not your usual Confederacy. Richmond is still the capital of the Confederate States of America, but I avoiding them this time to visit their unique neighbor to the north. This state is very rare in the multiverse, which makes my visit even more of a delight.

I jump the lighting and arrive at the Multiverse Travel Authority's local arrival area. After another long wait through security, I finally am allowed to enter the timeline and tour a different version of Washington, D.C., capital of the Ohio Confederacy.

Though I have seen the Stars and Bars fly over several White Houses, this is the first time I have seen the triangle of Ohio prominently displayed over the iconic structure. It flies there after this timeline's version of Lincoln proposed peaceful coexistence angered abolitionists and Radical Republicans enough to lead to his impeachment. This touches off a civil war among the free states after the moderates in the Midwest and Border States decides they are unwilling to be dragged into a war of aggression against their southern neighbors.

I wait to meet my contact by the Hicks Memorial...
 

d32123

Banned
I called this The Real Americans and I'm not really sure what the PoD is. It's pretty implausible but I thought I'd post it anyway.



Amy, Angelica, Christian, Benjamin, and Abby all sat in front of the television, transfixed with whatever mindless cartoon they happened to be watching at the time. Sure, cartoons these days were supposed to teach moral values as well as entertain, but Eric wanted to make sure that his children grew up to be proper Americans and not mindless cartoon moralists. Eric picked up the remote control and muted the television.
“Daddy!” they all groaned simultaneously.
“Kids,” Eric began, “there is something more to life than sitting around watching cartoons. To be a real American, you have to get involved in the American political system. It’s time to watch the Presidential Debate!”
“Daddy!” they all groaned simultaneously.
Eric changed the channel, and suddenly the room filled with the national anthem as patriotic imagery flashed across the screen. All of his children’s mouths were slightly agape at the bright, stimulating colors. The male half of the nation’s favorite TV anchor woman appeared on the screen in tight, patriotic garb. The woman’s face lit up in a bright, cheery, perky expression as she began.
“Hi, America! I’m Jill Lang and this is the American News Network, News of the Free from the Home of the Brave!” She bounced ever so slightly to match the cheerleaderesque inflection that she gave to her voice. “Today, we have live coverage of the 2012 Presidential Debate between President Greg Smith,” she said with her perkiest smile yet, “and opposition candidate Leftist Bobby Buck.” The camera cut closer to her face as she denounced the words “opposition” and “Leftist” in a sinister voice.
The camera cut to a stage where the two presidential candidates stood side by side behind tall podiums. The leftist stood on the left. He was balding and graying and hunched over. President Smith stood on the right. He was tall, handsome, and had perfect posture to match the perfection of his smile. He barely looked a day older than he had during his first inauguration. This astounded Eric, who had only been fifteen years old back in 1992.
The camera zoomed in on the Leftist. The guy just looked shady. You could tell that his politics were unsound just by his appearance. Some godforsaken district had elected this man to congress a number of years back and he had soon become the leader of the opposition.
“Daddy,” Eric’s youngest child, Abby, turned towards her father with a concerned look on her face. “That man looks scary.”
“That’s because he is scary,” Eric replied. “There are people in this country that hate America, and he’s their leader. If he gets elected, we will lose our freedom.”
The children all looked towards their father in horror. A voice started on the television.
“Well first of all,” the Leftist began, hands clasped together with a crooked smile across his face that just screamed of serial rapist, “I’d like to extend greetings to our good friends in Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan.”
Jeers came from the crowd as the camera switched over to President Smith, who was shaking his head in disgust. “How dare you make such an unpatriotic statement. How dare you make such a statement on this day of all days. America, as I’m sure each and every one of you are aware, today is the sixtieth anniversary of the Bombings. Let’s have a moment of silence in memory of the more than nine hundred thousand lives lost on that day.”
President Smith put his head down as Taps began while the screen faded to images of the mushroom clouds over Washington D.C., New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. More graphic images followed, with displays of charred bodies and other scenes from the fiery inferno on the ground. Eric’s children just stared at the screen, unmoved. They saw much worse on the news all of the time from Mexico, Africa, India, and Australia.
The moment of silence soon ended along with the audio and the screen faded back to President Smith. “Thank you,” he said. “It is vital for us all to draw the correct conclusion from the happenings of that day and for us all to never forget the horrors brought unto us from those who hate our freedom. This is why we must stay strong. This is why we must never let up.” Cheers filled the room.
“Excuse me,” Buck rebutted. “but can’t we all just forgive and forget?” Jeers filled the room.
The camera cut back across at the President shaking his head. “Your last of patriotism never ceases to amaze me.”
“First question,” the host announced. The camera stayed on the two candidates, with Buck looking even shiftier than before with a creepy grin etched across his rough features and his hunched stance. “to both candidates. What is your stance on the Mexican?”
“Daddy, what’s the Mexican?” Benjamin asked innocently.
“A terrorist people that live south of our country,” Eric replied. “They hate our freedom.”
“Can I start?! Can I start?!” Buck inquired gleefully. The camera zoomed in on him as his eyes lit up and his expression got even shiftier. “I think we should knock down the wall and open the border. Make the border wiiiiiide open,” his arms were spread as wide as his poor stature allowed for, “and let all of our little brown cousins in. In fact, last year I introduced a bill to congress that would make mandatory Spanish classes so we can better understand their funny way of talking and make them feel more at home.”
The camera moved over to President Smith while the crowd jeered in disgust. “Bobby, if it wasn’t clear in the First Mexican War, it should have been made pretty obvious in the Second and Third one. The Mexican hates our freedom, and will never make a proper American citizen. Under my administration, suicide bomber rates and rockets have reduced to zero due to the wall and strategic air strikes. America has no use for their terrorist language or their backward, lazy, fascist and Jap-loving culture.” Cheers filled the room but soon turned to jeers as the Leftist opened his jacket to reveal a Free Mexico t-shirt.
“Next question,” the host said. “What is your stance on the Homophile?”
“The Homophile is an abomination and a disgrace to America. It is unnatural and ungodly. Under my administration, every individual who chooses to become a Homophile will be brought to justice for their unpatriotic behavior.” A raucous cheer followed.
“The Homophile,” Buck began dreamily as he looked towards the sky. “We, I mean, they - deserve the same rights as every other citizen. Homophilia is completely natural and actually a lot of fun, or so I’ve heard.”
The camera cut to horrified members of the audience with their jaws dropped, concluding with President Smith himself.
“Are you implying that you are a Homophile?” The President asked of his opponent.
“No, of course not, Mr. President,” Buck replied, giving the camera a look that seemed as if he were mentally undressing every single person watching the live broadcast. He followed that up with a wink before raising his eyebrows provocatively.
A horrified gasp filled the crowd followed by a gap of silence before the host chimed in.
“Uh....I think that concludes today’s Presidential debate. God bless America!”
The camera cut first to President Smith who waved at the camera, accompanying it with a charming smile. It cut second to the Leftist who repeating his wink and eyebrow combination before declaring, “Heil Kunstmann!”
Eric’s children all looked towards him in horror as the television cut to a commercial break.
“Kids,” Eric declared, “it’s people like that who are the enemy. The Nazi, the Jap, the Mexican, and the Homophile. Never forget it.”
The children all nodded and simultaneously turned back towards the screen as Eric changed the channel back to Jimmy the Jap.
 
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