AHWU #12

Editor's Note

Yesterday I had a long conversation with my brother on Facebook. It began with him questioning a flaw in the famous time travel film trilogy Back to the Future. In attempting to answer his question I shared with him my theory that the only way time travel could work is that Marty was actually travelling to alternate timelines. Essentially, Doc did not create a time travelling DeLorean, but a multiverse travelling DeLorean. After a half hour conversation my brother summed up his feelings when he messaged me saying his brain had exploded. He implored me to share my idea with others, so expect a posting in the near future as soon as I have a chance to express my theory in a more coherent form.

Meanwhile, we got our first reader from Poland. We are starting to fill in Eastern Europe rather nicely.

Also if you like this place than follow us on Google, Facebook or Twitter. More importantly, tell your friends about this place. Heck, tell your enemies as well, the more the merrier.

Dr. Turtledove Speaks at Comic Con

For those of you who did not attend the San Diego Comic Con (which is probably most of you) Harry Turtledove did a short interview with Suvudu. Turtledove discussed his new novel, The Big Switch, and shared some experiences dealing with fan criticism. If you happen to be "Cedric" perhaps you should write your own damn story before Turtledove decides to immortalize you into an ax-murderer!

You can see the interview here or here. Sadly the quality is not very good. While Turtledove comes in strong and clear, the background noise washes out whatever the interviewer is asking.

The Alternate History Track at Dragon*con

Speaking of cons, Dragon*Con (or Dragon Con) is a multigenre convention that will be held from September 2-5 in Atlanta, Georgia. Alternate historians should be excited due to the Alternate History Fan Track, which covers not only alternate history but also steampunk, time travel and historical romance. The track includes a long list of guests, including Eric Flint and S. M. Stirling.

What is probably more exciting is that they will have a debate featuring one of the two most written alternate history topics in English speaking world: the American Civil War. The topic will be whether the South was within its rights to secede from the Union, and will include and pre- and post-polling of the audience to see whether the panelists were able to change anyone's opinion. You can check out the Facebook page for the debate here. Usually when alternate historians debate this topic it happens in a form and inevitably ends in a flame war. Hopefully, in real life, the debators will be more respectful of each other.

Sadly I will not be able to attend what sounds like a wonderful event. Not having the money to travel across the country is becoming a real drag.

New Releases: Amerikan Eagle



Today, Amerikan Eagle by Alan Glenn will be released. Set in 1943, the novel involves a murder mystery in a world where Huey Long became president after Franklin Delano Roosevelt was assassinated.

In case you are wondering who Alan Glenn is, it is actually the pseudonym for Brendan DuBois. This is not DuBois' first foray into alternate history. In 1999, he published the novel Resurrection Day, which won the Long Form Sidewise Award that year. That novel, set in 1972, also was a murder mystery, but set 10 years after the Cuban Missile Crisis escalated into nuclear war.

I thoroughly enjoyed Resurrection Day and I have a good feeling we can expect another masterpiece from DuBois with Amerikan Eagle. As soon as I finish After America I will be picking this up.

Links to the Multiverse

Crafting Another Earth’s Heartbreaking Take on the Multiverse - Interview with Another Earth's writer-producer Brit Marling and writer-director-producer, Mike Cahi.

Learn to Forgive Yourself in a Parallel Universe - Another review of Another Earth along with some commentary on the multiverse theory.

Alternate History: What Would Have Happened If Jonnie Marbles’ Pie Had Actually Hit Rupert Murdoch’s Face - a humorous article that discusses what would have happened had Murdoch gotten a face full of shaving cream.

A Political Counterfactual: Prime Minister Portillo... - Iain Dale wonders what might have been if Michael Portillo had become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.