Alternative fiction: description, history, features, books and reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Alternative fiction is a genre that is steadily gaining popularity these days. Its founder is considered to be the ancient Roman scientist Titus Livius, who was born in 59 BC. In his works, the historian dared to make an assumption about what would have happened to the world if Alexander the Great had not died in 323 BC. Thanks to his work, a genre was born, to which writers have been turning for more than two millennia.

Alternative Fiction: Genre Description

First of all, you should understand what this literary movement is. The authors working in this genre are wondering what would have happened if this or that historical event had not happened. For example, what would the modern world be like if Napoleon's empire had not ceased to exist in 1815?

Alternative fiction is a genre that has nothing to do with alternative historical theories. itthe direction does not call into question the reliability of the picture of the past, does not consider erroneous information about a particular event that is available to modern people. The books simply invite readers to use their imaginations and think about what would have happened if history had gone a different way.

A bit of history

Alternative fiction is a fascinating genre that originated before our era. This happened thanks to the scientist Titus Livius and his famous History of Rome. The historian in his writings discusses what would have happened to our planet if Alexander the Great had carried out his intention to attack Rome.

Macedonsky's personality attracted the interest of other writers who worked in this genre. For example, Sir Arnold Toynbee, who lived at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, created several works in which he "extended" Alexander's life and described the events that took place in connection with this. The author also considered a version of the world in which the great commander was never born.

In the middle of the 19th century, patriotic utopias became very popular, the creators of which tried to “influence” history, focusing on the interests of their native states. For example, the French writer Louis Geoffroy spoke about a world in which the empire of Napoleon did not fall apart. English author Nathaniel Hawthorne "did not let" Byron and Keats die.

Features of the genre

Alternative fiction - works that deal with events that are the result of a change in the course of history in the distant or recentpast. The incident that influenced the development of the world can be absolutely anything, depending on the will of the author. Some writers prefer to intervene in the fate of historical characters, others offer an alternative development of historical events (wars, revolutions), others even resort to the intervention of external forces (for example, an alien invasion). As a result, the world becomes different in the books.

Action in works can develop not only in the present, but also in the past or future. Some authors talk about the events that followed the change in history, others about how the world became many centuries later. Also popular is the plot, which implies the attempts of the characters to travel in time and intervene in the events of the past in order to change the picture of the present.

Subgenres

Complete freedom of action is an advantage that authors working in such a genre as science fiction have. Alternative history is a direction that has broken into many subgenres over more than two thousand years of existence.

• Cryptohistory. The author calls for help supernatural forces (vampires, werewolves, witches and magicians), organizes an alien invasion. The actions of these forces have an impact on historical processes that begin to develop in an alternative way. Suppose aliens conquer the Earth, the population is enslaved, destroyed. An example is the novel "The Eye of Power" about the intervention of aliens in the life of the inhabitants of our planet, written by AndreyValentinov.
• Alternative biochemistry. By the will of the writer, the natural conditions on the planet are changing. Let's say changes affect the atmosphere, temperature. The development of human society is also under the yoke of changes, civilizational and cultural differences appear.
• Post-apocalyptic. Without this subgenre, it is difficult to imagine such a phenomenon as science fiction. An alternative reality is the result of certain global cataclysms. For example, a writer can invent an ecological catastrophe, a nuclear war, an epidemic. In this case, events take place after the planet's population has survived this crisis.
• Alternative geography. The author makes some changes to the geography of the planet, as a result of which the history of the world also becomes different. For example, we can recall the work "Island of Crimea", written by Aksenov. The writer suggests that Crimea is an island, which helped Baron Wrangel establish an independent state.
• Steampunk. The focus is on a society whose technology is stuck at the level of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Key Points

What are the themes most often covered by alternative fiction? Combat fiction, which focuses on the biggest battles, enjoys unwavering popularity with readers. The undisputed leader is the Second World War, and the authors like to consider the option in which victory remains with the Nazis.

A vivid example of such a work is the novel "The Man in the High Castle", written by PhilipK. Dikom, who was awarded the Hugo Award. The events unfold in the former United States, the action begins in 1962. The author tells about the world in which the victory in the Second World War remained with the Nazi coalition. Germany has become a colonial empire, practicing the liquidation of "inferior peoples".

Of course, not only World War II is of interest to people whose efforts create an alternative history. Fighting fiction often touches upon the civil war that took place in the United States. There is also a high demand for events that took place on the territory of Russia at the beginning of the 20th century.

Books by Harry Harrison

What to read for those who like alternative fiction? Harry Harrison's books will appeal to many connoisseurs of this fascinating genre. For example, the trilogy "Eden", which came out from the pen of the author, deserves attention. Garrison wonders what the world might have been like had the dinosaurs not died out over 60 million years ago. As a result, humanity remained at the level of development of the Stone Age, forced to fight with intelligent lizards that flooded the planet.

The work "Transatlantic Tunnel", created by the same writer, is also of interest. In it, the author suggests that the British defeated the Americans in the American War of Independence, which took place at the end of the 18th century.

What else to read?

What other books deserve the attention of those who like science fiction? An alternate history is offered inthe work "Let not the darkness fall", created by de Camp. The main character is an archaeologist who has moved into the distant past. The character's goal is to prevent the Dark Ages that hit Italy.

The book "11/22/63" is a work in which Stephen King allows John F. Kennedy to survive. "Time Patrol" - Poul Anderson's cycle, in which the author creates a secret organization that does not allow aliens from the future to rudely interfere in the development of history.

Reviews

At the moment, the following works related to the genre are most popular with readers: "The Man in the High Castle", "Time Patrol", "11/22/63". Of course, along with positive reviews about these works, there are also negative characteristics. The authors of the latter argue that writers are poorly oriented in historical events.

Reviews also show that for several decades post-apocalyptic, which many perceive as a separate genre, has been consistently popular. An example of a sought-after piece is Roadside Picnic.

A large number of fans have all the books described in this article - fantasy, alternative history.