Task #2: An alternate history novel

[Jess]

Does anyone want to weigh in on whether they think The Three-Body Problem would count for this? I just finished it and would love to count it as a double dip for alternate history and space tales by AOC...

[Chickadee]

I read Crooked

[Diane]

Jess wrote: "Does anyone want to weigh in on whether they think The Three-Body Problem would count for this? I just finished it and would love to count it as a double dip for alternate history a..."

I've seen it listed in various spots as an alternate history. Here is one: https://theportalist.com/5-of-the-mos...

[Tracie Margaret]

Judith wrote: "Anyone here read Jackaby? Would it fit for this category? Is it good?"

Just finished this series. Easy fun read.

[Mandie]

I just discovered Mary Robinette Kowal via suggestions in the Reading Women group for a task on that challenge, so I'm thinking of conquering her book - The Calculating Stars.

[Malvina]

Would The Passage by Justin Cronin fit here, do you think?

[Genie]

Do you all think Conne Willis’ time travel series - I am reading her To Say Nothing Of The Dog- would work for this item? It is all about trying to keep from changing history by time traveling.

[Alicia]

Andrea wrote: "I am currently reading the Ex Machina series by Brian K Vaughn. It has an alternate history element to it. It is set within a time period where things in history are changed due to this NY mayor wh..."


I just started Ex Machina and I was wondering the same thing.

[Julia]

If you want it to, is my answer Genie. In my opinion, Connie Willis's historians try very hard not to change history. But if you haven't read #14 a cozy mystery yet, I think To Say Nothing of the Dog could comfortably fit there.

If you want to read a science fiction author for #2 may I recommend Farthing by Jo Walton?

[Genie]

Julia wrote: "If you want it to, is my answer Genie. In my opinion, Connie Willis's historians try very hard not to change history. But if you haven't read #14 a cozy mystery yet, I think [book:To..." THanks, Julia- that is an excellent point, i will try Farthing. I have already read a Maddie Day/Edith Maxwell book for the cozy mystery. I appreciate the quick feedback.

[Jennifer]

I read Dread Nation which I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. I am also nearly finished with The Calculating Stars - which I am loving as a fan of the space program.

[Rachael]

What about The Hunger?

[Kate]

I finished My Real Children yesterday and really enjoyed it! I'm not a science fiction reader at all so this was a great pick for me. I think the science of it kind of falls apart if you think about it too hard, so my advice is not to, and just to enjoy the family relationships aspect, which is the primary focus anyway.\

Thanks BookRiot for putting this on your list for this category! Wouldn't have found it otherwise.

[Frank]

Started The Yiddish Policemen's Union for my AH read. Where would Jewish survivors of the Holocaust and Isrealis have gone if they had last to the Arabs in the late 40s?

[Carolina]

Frank wrote: "Started The Yiddish Policemen's Union for my AH read. Where would Jewish survivors of the Holocaust and Isrealis have gone if they had last to the Arabs in the late 40s?"

My mom read this one for her challenge. I didn't really fancy it.

I'm thinking a YA, Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine. It's the 4th in the series. Ink and Bone is the first. It's set in an alternate world where the Library of Alexandria didn't burn down and is now controlling the world.

[Sarah Ruth]

Just finished Dread Nation for this task.

I have to say, I really enjoyed it, though I didn't realize it was YA going into it? Noticed when I first started reading it that it seemed a bit young?? But once I figured out that it was intended to be written that way it didn't really bother me much at all. Probably not the type of book I would normally pick up, but glad I read it all the same. :)

[Victoria]

Hi! Would you consider that Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" fits into this task?

[Lavanya]

Does watchmen count in this category?

[Bonnie G.]

Victoria wrote: "Hi! Would you consider that Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" fits into this task?"

I don't recall any sort of alternate history in Atlas Shrugged. If I recall correctly its a soap opera which teaches us that the world would be better if everyone acted based solely from self-interest and personal pleasure. But maybe I am misunderstanding the prompt?

[Pascale]

I think I'm going to use Those Who Knew for this category. It's set on an unnamed island I think may have been inspired by Cuba since they had a former dictator Cato (Castro - Cato, is that what she was going for?).

Also, this was a stunner of a novel. Leni Zuma blurbed it and I think if you liked Red Clocks (which would also work in this category, and The Power but I read those last year) this would also be a great fit.

[Liz]

I’m going to read A Gathering of Shadows

[Brandy]

Just stumbled upon this book. No idea if it is any good but I think I might give it a go Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo: What if the history of the transatlantic slave trade had been reversed and Africans had enslaved Europeans?

I read her Mr Loverman last year for the romance category and enjoyed it more than I would have expected.

[Sherri]

I finished The Man In The High Castle by Philip Dick.

[Bobby]

Would the definition of "alternative history" include works that present an alternate reality that exists only within the personal, fictional experience of a character in the story rather than as a major change in the real world? I'm thinking of works such as "The Greatest Gift," by Philip Van Doren Stern (source of "It's a Wonderful Life"); "The Secret Miracle," by Jorge Luis Borges; and "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," by Ambrose Bierce. These are all short stories, but I don't want to name any specific novels as examples because they could be major plot spoilers if you haven't read them.

[Judith]

I just finished "The Infinities" by John Banfield. It's definitely set in an alternative history (mentions are made of the execution of Elizabeth I and her replacement on the English throne by Mary Queen of Scots, among other things, plus cars running on salt water).

However, the alternative history seems only incidental to the novel, which is more of a family drama (plus some Greek gods thrown in).

Would you count that or not?

[Anna]

I listened to Dread Nation and it was a good audio book.

[Erin]

Jane wrote: "Azrah wrote: "Any YA suggestions?
(I've already read My Lady Jane)"

You could try Wolf by Wolf which I read for a Reader Harder challenge a few years ago - it's set in the 1950s after WW2 was won..."

Seconding Wolf by Wolf. A great alternate history! Note, though, it's a two book story.

[Jane]

I read Farthing by Jo Walton for this prompt. It's an engaging mystery that is well-grounded with a specific divergence point in history. I quite enjoyed the read and may actually pick up the sequels (Ha'penny and Half A Crown) later in the year!

[Leslie (updates on SG)]

I highly recommend Kiersten White's And I Darken, YA which features a female Vlad the Impaler.

[Priya]

Would Lost Boy by Christina Henry work for this prompt? It's an alternate history version of Peter pan.

[Bonnie G.]

Any thoughts on whether Neverwhere fits this prompt?

[Rebecca]

Bonnie wrote: "Any thoughts on whether Neverwhere fits this prompt?"

I would say no because it sounds more like an urban fantasy, and that there really isn't a change in how history unfolds. Plus, it doesn't look like anyone has put it on an "alternate history" shelf in Goodreads.

[Rebecca]

Lavanya wrote: "Does watchmen count in this category?"

I never really think of Watchmen as an alternate history, but since Nixon is never impeached, and it serving something like a 4th term in office, I guess it is. It's just not a very big part of the story at all.

[Rebecca]

Malvina wrote: "Would The Passage by Justin Cronin fit here, do you think?"

Isn't that just set in the present day where vampires are created and then fast forwards a whole bunch into a dystopian nightmare future? It's been a while since I read it, but I don't think it has a bit of alternate history in it.

[Stephanie]

Emily wrote: "I just finished Early Riser by Jasper Fforde. I think it will work for this task, an alternate history in which humans hibernate through winter."

I agree this fits and it is good

[Bonnie G.]

Rebecca wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Any thoughts on whether Neverwhere fits this prompt?"

I would say no because it sounds more like an urban fantasy, and that there really isn't a change in how history u..."

Thanks. Back to my first choice, The Plot Against America.

[Thegirlintheafternoon]

Brandy wrote: "Just stumbled upon this book. No idea if it is any good but I think I might give it a go Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo: What if the history of the transatlantic slave trade had been reversed and Africans had enslaved Europeans?"

I'm reading this right now, and it's a bit of a mixed bag, but I'm finding it a pretty interesting read, overall.

[Mandie]

I just finished The Calculating Stars and it's perfect for this prompt.

[L Y N N]

Mandie wrote: "I just finished The Calculating Stars and it's perfect for this prompt."

I didn't even realize this was alternate history! It is scheduled for one of my IRL book clubs. Thanks for this information!

[Jenn]

Julia wrote: "Ashley, mythological books are #15.

Of the books I have read I don't think American War or Dragonfly in Amber count as alternate histories. I liked, even loved them bot..."

I loved The Underground Airline!

[Darlene]

I read Dread Nation for this challenge.

[Jenny]

Just wondering, but do the Kushiel books by Jacqueline Carey count?

[Julia]

Jenny,

It's been a lot of years since I read the Kushiel books, but I think they are fantasy, so no.

If you like fantasy try The Golem and the Jinni for this prompt. I get that some readers hate history, but in this novel, it's a realistic New York City in ~1900, but there's a golem and jinni there, but only for those who are aware of them.

[Rebecca]

In April I read two alternate history books. First, I read A Different Flesh by Harry Turtledove which was written in 1988 and deals with the idea of what would have happened if Jamestown colonists had found Homo Erectus in the New World instead of Native Americans. The book is divided into short stories that start in 1610 and end in the 1980s and really grapples with how the absence of Native Americans and the presence of Homo Erectus in North and South America would have really changed history. Just watch out that there are some stuff in the book that we might find offensive in 2019 compared to 1988. I am using this for the Under 100 Goodreads Review category since it only had about 35 when I reviewed.

I just finished The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson which is also in a short story format though the stories follow a few souls that keep getting reincarnated from the 14th century through to the end of the 21st century. The premise is that the plagues in Europe killed 99% of Europeans instead of only 33% and thus the world is dominated by China, Dar-es-Islam, India, and a league of Native American nations. Thus, without European influence, how would the world be different? The book is super dense, not a fluffy read at all, and is full of long discourses on philosophy, ethics, religion, and science. I am using this for the Alternate History category.

[Lisa]

I have read Uber, which is a self-published alternative history graphic novel. . . . Would that count in this challenge?

[Megan]

Just watch out that there are some stuff in the book that we might find offensive in 2019

LOL.

[Poonam]

Can anyone please suggest a good history novel for a starter?

[Barbara]

I just read The Plot Against America by Philip Roth and enjoyed it.

[AJ]

Another option for this task would be Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Supernatural and suspenseful and brilliantly worked out.

[Sarah]

Thank you to the person who recommended The Mirage by Matt Ruff! I loved Fool on the Hill many years ago and didnt realize how many other books he'd written.