what is the most ludicrous alternate history story you've ever read?

Petike · Sep 9, 2011

lukedalton said:
the fact that all the study and theory about Eurabia seem basically lifted from the same kind of study who predicted an italian overthrow of America a century ago is not a think who make me really confortable with the story.

It's amusing to see how history repeats : After a hundred years, we're once again living in a world saturated by that crap invasion literature genre (e. g. the one pre-WWI Brits and French used to adore). Well, by "crap" I mean, that the genre is crap as far as plausible human threats go, I'm not talking alien invasion stuff now.

The Red · Sep 9, 2011

Flashman said:
... WTF? That was awful

I considered making a video response but it would need to be around 8 hours long.

T-rex blood · Sep 9, 2011

The Red said:
I considered making a video response but it would need to be around 8 hours long.

what are you two talking about?

Flashman · Sep 9, 2011

It seems odd communism would even develop or world wars would start if the entirety if north America never existed.

Aelita · Sep 9, 2011

Flashman said:
It seems odd communism would even develop or world wars would start if the entirety if north America never existed.

I guess that makes him a total Marxist then. You can't fight the dialectic of history

Flashman · Sep 9, 2011

No but simply all of the butter flies, plus all of the colonial agreesion that would be stored up in england with out north america would lead to very different history.

Enigmajones · Sep 9, 2011

That one where all those kids were stranded on the Moon. That one was creepy.

Flashman · Sep 9, 2011

What was that?

Marc Pasquin · Sep 9, 2011

The Red said:
Granted it isn't published but this is just wrong on basically every level. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwAtNILh6uY

It even fails on it's internal logic.

I think its one of those situation where you have to tell yourself that someone was taking the piss. The alternative is too horrible to comtemplate.....

Enigmajones · Sep 9, 2011

Flashman said:
What was that?

This one

https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=210130

Lurksalot · Sep 10, 2011

"American Empire" and later novels by Turtledove. Just didn't buy the whole American Hitler idea.

Marc Pasquin · Sep 10, 2011

Lurksalot said:
"American Empire" and later novels by Turtledove. Just didn't buy the whole American Hitler idea.

I think my problem with TL-191 wasn't the begining but the later which followed OTL european history too closely. It just made it too predictable if you knew anything about WW2 and its origins, all that you had to do was replaced a few names. And then at the end, he switch back to late ASW history with the same problem.

I guess I would have liked to have been surprised a bit more.

Advernt · Sep 10, 2011

Code Geass , for it's magical butterfly nets from Ceasar to Napoleon. After that , the Butterflies run rampant.

The Red · Sep 10, 2011

T-rex blood said:
what are you two talking about?

Watch the link on my first post.

Flashman said:
It seems odd communism would even develop or world wars would start if the entirety if north America never existed.

Those are the less plausible things if anything.

Petike · Sep 12, 2011

I'm not completely sure whether it's supposed to be written like an AH with a recent POD in the 1990s, but the premise and setting of Harry Coyle's God's Children is downright hilarious.

Yeah, sure, dude. We were (or are) on the verge of becoming an insta-clone of 1990s Yugoslavia.

Dream on and stop murdering plausibilty, please.

lukedalton · Sep 12, 2011

Petike said:
I'm not completely sure whether it's supposed to be written like an AH with a recent POD in the 1990s, but the premise and setting of Harry Coyle's God's Children is downright hilarious. Yeah, sure, dude. We were (or are) on the verge of becoming an insta-clone of 1990s Yugoslavia. Dream on and stop murdering plausibilty, please.

Slovakia Slovenia ...are the same

Petike · Sep 12, 2011

lukedalton said:
Slovakia Slovenia ...are the same

But even frakking Slovenia didn't participate in the wars beyond 1991 !

They had a bit of border fighting that year, declared independence and pretty much stayed out of the whole messy business for its entire duration. So double-fail on Harry's part.

tonsofun · Sep 12, 2011

I haevn't read any alt-history books, but after reading this thread I think I'll stick to what is written here.

Andrew Hudson · Sep 12, 2011

Lycaon pictus said:
Stars and Stripes Forever, by Harry Harrison.

When the Duke of Cambridge (who must have been eating a huge bowl of Stupid-Os for breakfast) said "Let's declare war on the South too!" I laughed until I cried.

The Stars and Stripes trilogy is bad largely because it is far feteched and the early assualt that united the Confederacy and Union seems unlikely. Stars and stripes forever is bad but Stars and Stripes Triumphant is even more absurd however I wouldn't say its the worst AH ever. Michael Moorcocks Land Leviathan and Steel Tsar are worse. Not all Harrison's AH are bad Transatlantic tunnel Hurrah is a good read. Probably Harry Turtledoves works could qualify although he has produced a few good stories such as the Two Georges and his the war that came early is readable. Turteldove's problem seems to be sacrificing quality for quantity.

lukedalton · Sep 12, 2011

Petike said:
But even frakking Slovenia didn't participate in the wars beyond 1991 ! They had a bit of border fighting that year, declared independence and pretty much stayed out of the whole messy business for its entire duration. So double-fail on Harry's part.

Ehm big booming voice...Harry Coyle You Failed your Research...Burn in the hell of the sloppy writer.
Joke aside he probably just needed an european country with an exotic name so go Slovackia go.