| Both sides previous revisionPrevious revisionNext revision | Previous revisionNext revisionBoth sides next revision |
| alternate_history:alien_space_bats [2014/07/25 13:20] – Petike | alternate_history:alien_space_bats [2018/07/06 00:04] – [Strict definition of ASB timelines and scenarios] petike |
|---|
| ====== Alien Space Bats ====== | ====== Alien Space Bats ====== |
| |
| Often abbreviated to [[ASB]], this is a term given to a subgenre of alternate history concerning points of departure which aren't actually based on the course of factual human history. These include alternate history scenarios based on fictional or fantastical worlds, and more contentiously, on deviations in the evolution of life on Earth and on the Earth's geology. Simply put, any sort of event or timeline which would be impossible, or ludicrously unlikely, without divine intervention or "the activity of alien space bats". The name predates AH.com and apparently comes from the now defunct alternate history site [[offtopic:Soc-History-What-If|Social History What If]]. | Often abbreviated to [[ASB]], this is a term given to a subgenre of alternate history concerning points of departure which aren't actually based on the course of factual human history. These include alternate history scenarios based on fictional or fantastical worlds, and more contentiously, on deviations in the evolution of life on Earth and on the Earth's geology. Simply put, any sort of event or timeline which would be impossible, or ludicrously unlikely, without divine intervention or "the activity of alien space bats". |
| |
| The wide umbrella of ASB includes scenarios involving magic and, by AH.com convention, also any AH writings based on divergences from existing fictional universes, such as Star Wars. | The name predates AH.com and comes from the now defunct alternate history site/newsgroup [[offtopic:Soc.History.What-If]]. One of the main creators of the term was the late, great [[https://web.archive.org/web/20070611004248/http://www.flin.demon.co.uk/|Alison Brooks]], a British member of said site and long-term AH fan. This hasn't been overlooked in more wider fiction-writing and fiction-reading circles, and the term even appears [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_space_bats|on Wikipedia]]. Ken MacLeod's 2005 SF novel //[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_the_World|Learning the World]]// outright uses the ASBs as side characters and an in-joke part of the novel's cast. |
| | |
| | The wide umbrella of ASB includes scenarios involving magic and, by AH.com convention, also any AH writings based on divergences from existing fictional universes, such as //Star Wars//. Nowadays, this particular subset has its own separate forum, though in the past it was lumped under the ASB forum. |
| |
| Probably the most common ASB scenario involves the [[alternate history:ISOT]] and variations thereof. The [[shared worlds:Mosaic Earth]] concept developed from the ISOT. | Probably the most common ASB scenario involves the [[alternate history:ISOT]] and variations thereof. The [[shared worlds:Mosaic Earth]] concept developed from the ISOT. |
| |
| There is a heated debate as to whether scenarios that involve small or large geological changes in the world count as ASB or not. A good example of such a geological change is the [[http://rocketpunk-observatory.com/tarrantry.htm|eponymous island]] of the Tarrantry series (a series of alternate history naval warfare fiction). | There is a heated debate as to whether scenarios that involve small or large geological changes in the world count as ASB or not. A good example of such a geological change is the [[http://rocketpunk-observatory.com/tarrantry.htm|eponymous island]] of the [[timelines:Tarrantry]] series. As a rule of thumb, AH.com administration considers geological PODs and works with such PODs to be a form of ASB scenario, so they should be posted in the ASB forum. |
| |
| It has recently been theorized by [[offtopic:the_lyniezian]] that Alien Space Bats [[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showpost.php?p=1577737&postcount=26|come from a planet called Cvidarrki]]. | More on the basics of the ASB concept in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-uuofTKwbI|this video]] from [[offtopic:Mitro]]'s site [[offtopic:The Alternate Historian]]. |
| |
| ---- | ---- |
| * //**1. ANYTHING involving aliens**// | * //**1. ANYTHING involving aliens**// |
| * //**2. ANYTHING involving massive geological changes**// | * //**2. ANYTHING involving massive geological changes**// |
| * //**3. Things so unlikely that they would require the intervention of deity**// | * //**3. Things so unlikely that they would require the intervention of a deity**// |
| * //**4. Fantasy**// | * //**4. Fantasy**// |
| |
| ---- | ---- |
| |
| ==== In AH.com Culture : AH.com's ASB forum reputation ==== | ==== In AH.com Culture ==== |
| |
| In recent years the [[offtopic:ASB forum]] has developed something of a reputation for frivolous, creepy or careless threads. After several earlier abortive attempts to do something about this, the [[offtopic:Landshark Offensive]] was launched in 2009. | It has been theorized by [[offtopic:the_lyniezian]] that Alien Space Bats [[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showpost.php?p=1577737&postcount=26|come from a planet called Cvidarrki]]. |
| | |
| | == AH.com's ASB forum reputation == |
| | |
| | In recent years the [[offtopic:ASB forum]] has developed something of a reputation for frivolous, creepy or careless threads. After several earlier abortive attempts to do something about this, the [[offtopic:Landshark Offensive]] was launched in 2009. Since then, the forum has gotten much better again. The introduction of threads created specifically for frivolous and non-frivolous ASB scenario ideas has had a fair share in improving the situation. |
| |
| ---- | ---- |
| ==== ASBs in AH.com Fiction ==== | ==== ASBs in AH.com Fiction ==== |
| |
| The Alien Space Bats have appeared as powerful villains in the //**[[stories:AH.com The Series]]**//, first being mentioned in the episode [[stories:AH.COM THE SORTA-KINDA-MAYBE NEXT GENERATION]]. | The Alien Space Bats have appeared as powerful villains in the //**[[stories:AH.com The Series]]**//, first openly mentioned in the episode [[stories:AH.COM THE SORTA-KINDA-MAYBE NEXT GENERATION]]. They have since appeared as recurring antagonists throughout the series, as well as its other sequels and spinoffs set in the "AH.comverse". |
| |
| ---- | ---- |
| ==== See Also ==== | ==== See Also ==== |
| |
| **[[timelines/asb_timelines|The ASB Timelines List]]** | **[[timelines:asb_timelines|The ASB Timelines List]]** |
| |
| **[[AH.com's AH Writing Slang]]** | **[[alternate_history:ah_slang_and_acronyms|AH.com's AH Writing Slang]]** |
| |
| **[[ISOT]]** - The "mass teleportation" type of ASB. | **[[ISOT]]** - The "mass teleportation" type of ASB. |
| **The [[offtopic:ASB Forum]]** - Where scenarios like this show up. | **The [[offtopic:ASB Forum]]** - Where scenarios like this show up. |
| |
| **[[offtopic:Soc-History-What-If|Social History What If]]** - The lads and ladies who coined the term. | **[[offtopic:Soc.History.What-If]]** - The lads and ladies who coined the term. |
| |
| **[[offtopic:Who_s_who_of_asbs|Who's Who of ASBs]]** - A [[offtopic:Running jokes|tongue-in-cheek list]] of the most often reccuring Alien Space Bats characters. Meet the annoying but cute chiropteran pals of AH.commers ! ;-) | **[[offtopic:Who_s_who_of_asbs|Who's Who of ASBs]]** - A [[offtopic:Running jokes|tongue-in-cheek list]] of the most often reccuring Alien Space Bats characters. Meet the annoying but cute chiropteran pals of AH.commers ! ;-) |
| | |
| | **[[offtopic:Bats]]** - Other references to our furry winged friends. |
| |
| ---- | ---- |
