Alternate history

Alternate history (also called "alternative history", "allohistory", "uchronie" (French)) is a subgenre of SF that takes Earth history and changes some aspect of it. Compare with historical fantasy, in which there is an earth-history setting with fantastic elements (e.g., Sorcery and Cecilia, or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot)

Works of alternative history have been written almost as long as works of history and fantasy. Modern science fiction has added time travel and parallel universe stories to the panoply of "what-if" stories.

Selected alternate history works

• Steven Barnes, Lion's Blood and Zulu Heart
• Elizabeth Bear, New Amsterdam
• Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policeman's Union
• Mary Gentle, White Crow & Ash: A Secret History
• Ian R. MacLeod, The Summer Isles
• Jo Walton, Farthing, Ha'Penny, Half a Crown

Alternate history works with non-real elements

These are arguably historical fantasy but they don't feel fantastic.

• Naomi Novik, Temeraire (His Majesty's Dragon in the US), Throne of Jade, Black Powder War, Empire of Ivory (alternate history + dragons)
• Kim Stanley Robinson, Years of Rice and Salt (alternate history + reincarnation)

Discussions, critiques

• A Crash Course in Alternate History Novels, Annalee Newitz, io9 2008/4/28
• Alternate History As Conceived Of By Fan Boys, al-zorra, 2008/4/28 (commenting on io9 post)

See also

• Sidewise Awards for alternate history works
• Category:Works of alternate history
• Historical fantasy
• Multiverse (aka "parallel universes")