The "Create Alternate People" Thread (After 1900 version)...

[The Admiral Hook]

Create Alternate People.

Alright, a lot of talk is made about butterflies changing which sperm makes it to the egg, etc. but rarely is there much talk about the possibilities of such a genetic ATL. Also lacking is discussion of different "hook-ups" of parents or grandparents of notable historical figures resulting in hybrid historical figures.

Without getting heavily into the details of "how" these parents or grandparents got together let's create some alternate people and discuss the possibilities if their lives are anything similar to OTL's respective analogs.

I'll get the ball rolling with some cool starting-point examples. Keep in mind: plausibility is slightly less important than the results. So...

1. Joe Kennedy Jr. + John F. Kennedy = ?

2. Will Smith + Johnny Depp = ?

3. Cassius Clay + Bruce Lee = ?

4. James Dean + Marlon Brando = ?

This could be fun...

Sock it to me.

 

[The Admiral Hook]

Bump. There's some stellar stuff in the Before 1900 forum and this one needs to catch up!

 

[Rediv]

To be honest, the rules of the challenge seemed kind of vague in the OP, but looking through some examples of the pre-1900 version, it seems like you're asking for OTL people who were born a bit differently (different sex, etc.), and then seeing how they turned out?

Nevermind. Read through the "different parents" part again, and it makes more sense now. Sorry 'bout that.

 

[The Admiral Hook]

To be honest, the rules of the challenge seemed kind of vague in the OP, but looking through some examples of the pre-1900 version, it seems like you're asking for OTL people who were born a bit differently (different sex, etc.), and then seeing how they turned out?

Nevermind. Read through the "different parents" part again, and it makes more sense now. Sorry 'bout that.

Hahaha, yeah sorry. I should get more sleep.

Different combinations of parents or grandparents, different genders, different whatever.

Simply put, just create alternate people.

 

[Glass Onion]

Julia Smith-Dykins
British Poet Novelist and Humorist.
1940-1971
Julia Dykins has been compared to both Jane Austen and Dorothy Parker, Dykins is considered both one of the best writers of the latter half of the twentieth century. She was renowned for her biting wit, and was a frequent guest on various 60's era comedy shows. Suttcliffe was born Julia Stanley Lennon on October 9th 1940, to Alfred Lennon and Julia Stanly. Julie had a difficult childhood, she was often separated from her father. Partially her fathers absence was a result of his career, but the Stanley family's disapproval, and his wife's frequent infidelity, also played a role in keeping him away from young Julie. Julia was raised for the most part, by her Aunt, who felt that her mother was a poor influence on her. Ironically, even under the care of her Aunt, Julie increasingly resembled her rather flamboyant mother, with whom she spent an increasing amount of time in her teenage and college years.

After considerable effort, Julie's first collection of poetry was released in 1963. A collection of Austen and Parker inspired witticisms in poetic form, a long with simple nonsense inspired by the Alice in Wonderland books Julie adored. Entitled "Ranged Rhymes" the book met with some success thanks largely to the post profumo affair British cultural climate. Because of the distance between herself and her father who had long since disappeared in a world of menial work, Julie decided to use the pen name "Smith-Dykins" to honor the men she felt functioned as her "true fathers" George Smith and Bobby Dykins, her mother's long time lover.

Julie's first novel, entitled "Wild Times" in her words was an attempt to adopt the cultural world of the music that had dominated her youth (Both Julie and her mother were fond of the Rock and Roll fad of the nineteen fifties, and Elvis Presley in particular) into a more literary form. Julie would spend the remaining decade releasing several more novels including "Time Minister" "On Treading Literature". Julia Smith Dykins was a frequents guest on various UK comedic shows. Smith-Dykins married actor/comedian John Cleese in 1968. She died in childbirth On December 8th 1971. She was survived by her husband and her daughter Elizabeth.

 

[The Admiral Hook]

Julia Smith-Dykins
British Poet Novelist and Humorist.
1940-1971
Julia Dykins has been compared to both Jane Austen and Dorothy Parker, Dykins is considered both one of the best writers of the latter half of the twentieth century. She was renowned for her biting wit, and was a frequent guest on various 60's era comedy shows. Suttcliffe was born Julia Stanley Lennon on October 9th 1940, to Alfred Lennon and Julia Stanly. Julie had a difficult childhood, she was often separated from her father. Partially her fathers absence was a result of his career, but the Stanley family's disapproval, and his wife's frequent infidelity, also played a role in keeping him away from young Julie. Julia was raised for the most part, by her Aunt, who felt that her mother was a poor influence on her. Ironically, even under the care of her Aunt, Julie increasingly resembled her rather flamboyant mother, with whom she spent an increasing amount of time in her teenage and college years.

After considerable effort, Julie's first collection of poetry was released in 1963. A collection of Austen and Parker inspired witticisms in poetic form, a long with simple nonsense inspired by the Alice in Wonderland books Julie adored. Entitled "Ranged Rhymes" the book met with some success thanks largely to the post profumo affair British cultural climate. Because of the distance between herself and her father who had long since disappeared in a world of menial work, Julie decided to use the pen name "Smith-Dykins" to honor the men she felt functioned as her "true fathers" George Smith and Bobby Dykins, her mother's long time lover.

Julie's first novel, entitled "Wild Times" in her words was an attempt to adopt the cultural world of the music that had dominated her youth (Both Julie and her mother were fond of the Rock and Roll fad of the nineteen fifties, and Elvis Presley in particular) into a more literary form. Julie would spend the remaining decade releasing several more novels including "Time Minister" "On Treading Literature". Julia Smith Dykins was a frequents guest on various UK comedic shows. Smith-Dykins married actor/comedian John Cleese in 1968. She died in childbirth On December 8th 1971. She was survived by her husband and her daughter Elizabeth.

And if you'll look closely... you'll see where this was almost about her marrying Stuart Sutcliffe...

 

[Glass Onion]

And if you'll look closely... you'll see where this was almost about her marrying Stuart Sutcliffe...

Yes, but then I realized that the temperamental differences between Julie and John mean that she wouldn't brush aside the tests that occurred at the end of Quarry Bank, and as such she probably wouldn't end up in Art School. As such, she probably wouldn't meet Sutcliffe as painters and writers have different social circles. That's why I changed that outcome, but sometimes my editing isn't perfect as you noticed.

 

[The Admiral Hook]

Yes, but then I realized that the temperamental differences between Julie and John mean that she wouldn't brush aside the tests that occurred at the end of Quarry Bank, and as such she probably wouldn't end up in Art School. As such, she probably wouldn't meet Sutcliffe as painters and writers have different social circles.

Interesting stuff nonetheless. If she had hooked up with Sutcliffe and had a baby it would doubtless take over the twentieth century...

 

[Thande]

Good thread idea. Remember that because names often run in families (especially with aristocrats) you can have people with the exact same name (and even birth date) as OTL but who are different in personality and appearance from their OTL versions.

 

[JoeMulk]

this should probably be in "Before 1900" but i'll keep it here anyway since this person's career is largely "After 1900."

Benjamin Pierce Jr 1875-1934

Benjamin Pierce Jr, the grandson of President Franklin Pierce was born on April 14, 1875 in Boston, Massachussetts, the third child of Attorney Benjamin Pierce Sr. Pierce spent most of his childhood growing up at the family estate just outside of Boston and attending boarding school in New Hampshire. From 1893-97 he attended Harvard where he was the member of many organizations and editor of the Harvard Crimson. After graduating he spent several years traveling in Europe and at one point courted the Dutchess of York but ended up breaking off the engagement because many in the royal family disapproved. Brokenhearted he returned to the United States and attended Columbia law school where he met Franklin Delano Roosevelt who would become his closest confidant and political advisor and his distant cousin Elanor who he ended up marrying. After working for several years Pierce was elected to congress in 1908. He was an unusual fixture in Massachussetts politics, a Boston Brahman WASP who was also a Democrat and had the support of the largely Irish-Catholic machines.

After supporting Woodrow Wilson's presidential campaign in 1912 he was appointed ambassador to England where he remained through the course of the First World War. In 1920 he was selected as James Cox's runningmate but they lost in a landslide, two years later he was elected Governor of Massachussetts where he was a popular progressive and served two terms. In 1932 during the midst of the great depression he was elected president in a landslide but was tragically assasinated two years later. His Vice-President John Garner took over and received a primary challenge two years later from Pierce's former campaign manager FDR who went on to be elected president.

 

[The Admiral Hook]

Good thread idea. Remember that because names often run in families (especially with aristocrats) you can have people with the exact same name (and even birth date) as OTL but who are different in personality and appearance from their OTL versions.

Thanks!

Yes, that was a part of the thought process behind this.

Any ideas, Thande?

 

[La Grande Asperge]

MARGARET PATTON (b. 1885)
George Smith Patton Sr. - Ruth Wilson
Margaret Patton (George Patton born female, named after his mother's mother)
George S. Patton III (Patton's parents keep trying so they can have a boy to carry on the family name)
However, due to the time scale, Margaret (who would have been our George from OTL) is still the one who grows up hearing stories of war and guerrilla fighting from her father's friend John Mosby; whereas this ATL Georgie, three years younger than ours, does not inherit the military tradition of his family and is more concerned about managing the estate and financial affairs.
Maggie (short for Margaret), the daughter of a wealthy Wilson Democrat family after all, ends up wedding to Wilson's
Franklin Roosevelt meets his cousin Eleanor for the first time in 1902 as in OTL, and she expands his social consciousness as in OTL, but their relationship sours. The ultimate path to their OTL 1905 marriage above the objections of his mother takes such a bad turn that he garners the disapproval of Theodore in place of Eleanor's deceased father. No longer feeling welcome in New York society, after graduating from Harvard he goes to Stanford in California instead of Columbia in New York. Alienated by his political hero, uncle Theodore, while practicing law in California he naturally floats into the anti-Roosevelt progressive scene of Wilsonian Democrats, and is introduced to Margaret, her being the daughter of the wealthy George Patton who was a few years previous the mayor of Pasadena and a prominent Wilsonian.
In need to wed despite his earlier emotional wounds never truly healing, he enters into a practical marriage with the still unwed (to her parents' chagrin) Margaret in 1907, a rushed marriage. They are both, by the society of the time, long past due for marriage at their wedding day - he at age 25 and she at 22.
When FDR gains the Assistant Secretary of the Navy post in Wilson's cabinet in 1913, as per OTL, Maggie's enthusiasm for war stories invigorates their marriage and her interest in using her husband vicariously as a vehicle for her own ambitions.
From then just imagine FDR's path to the presidency and the shape of his administration, with a wife as hawkish and militaristic as Eleanor was internationalist and humanitarian.