Alternate
History We
have examined the difficulty of using our own world in science fiction
and fantasy. There is, however, one area in which our own Earth
can provide a most interesting backdrop. That is in the area of
alternate history.
Mankind
has long been plagued with the nagging question of what might have
been if things had been a little different. Here is an area where
we can explore with a great deal of freedom. We begin with an area
of history where the events are recorded. Then, we alter one outcome
and see what would have happened if this one thing was changed.
What would have happened if Hitler had died in childhood? We can
make all kinds of speculation as to where history would have gone
had this one event taken place. The way he died could also play
a part in what happened next.
There
are other scenarios that would greatly alter our world today. Where
would we be if the United States lost the Revolutionary War? What
if the South had succeeded in its secession? What if the Roman Empire
had not fallen? There is an endless string of major and minor events
that could greatly alter the way we live today.
Yet,
this area has its pitfalls. It is tied to actual historical events.
The changes must then be followed through with an eye to actual
possibilities. Human nature and the natural world will remain the
same as it was up to that event and will shape the outcome. The
author is still bound by Earth and its properties as well as its
inhabitants. There will be a finite ways one can go with any one
event change.
Also,
there are a finite number of changes any one event can have. You
can change the lives of humans only so much and still have a credible
story. Still, alternate history is a fascinating area of speculative
fiction that begs to be explored. It is science fiction only if
science plays a role in the outcome of the story. In our history,
inventions have literally changed the world. If anything had been
invented sooner or later or not at all or in a different way, we
would not be the same. It is both a fun and a frightening prospect
to think about.
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