Weekly Update #51

Editor's Notes

Long note today, so bear with me.  I will get to the news in just a second.

I will be volunteering over at Alt Hist.  Thanks to Mark Lord for giving me the opportunity.  My main duties will include being a filter for submissions and proofreading upcoming issues.  I might even do some guest posting, so keep an eye open for that.

Some of you might have noticed that recent reviews are not exactly alternate history.  After some soul searching I decided that I would be doing a disservice to you, the reader, if I did not also cover works that would be of interest to an alternate historian, even if they do not fit the generally accepted definition of alternate history.  Some of you might be a little irritated that I waited this long to make this decision (sorry Korsgaard), but hopefully you guys will enjoy the new direction Weekly Update is taking.  If you do not like it, let me know.  I appreciate any kind of feedback you can give me.

We are less than 600 page views away from 40,000 page views.  I am very excited about reaching this milestone, especially before the blog's one year anniversary.  If you guys want to help us reach 40k sooner, please retweet or share our posts on Facebook.  Spread the word!

And now the news...

Submissions Wanted

Do you want to be a published author?  I would argue that all alternate historians have a writer just itching to get out.  Well here are a few opportunities to become published that you should apply for.

Twit Publishing is looking for dieselpunk stories.  Stories should be between 4000 to 9000 words, but you will need to hurry.  The deadline is April 30th.  If you need more time to write you should check out Alchemy Press and their upcoming anthology of pulp heroes stories.  Submissions need to be between 2000 to 6000 words and be submitted by May 30th.  If you rather take a shot at writing  a steampunk story, the Memory Place is running an anthology for steampunk stories featuring lesbians.  Stories should be between 3000 to 10000 words and they are looking for queries first.  Submissions must be in by June 15th.

Or perhaps you would like to try writing an alternate history with a horror setting? Ticonderoga Publications is looking for a non-traditional urban fantasy between 1000 to 7500 words by May 15th.  Or perhaps you have a story about the fear of the dark, werewolves, the undead or what happens to us after we die?  Sometimes the best alternate history stories are the ones that cross genres to give alternate historians a whole new vista of possibilities.  Be creative, you never know what will come from your imagination.

As always, good luck.

Convention Watch: Global Steampunk Map

Want to attend a steampunk convention, but do not where to find one?  Check out Airship Ambassador's Steampunk Conventions Google map.  The map pinpoints dozens of steampunk conventions in North America and Europe.  A steampunk convention could be coming up in your hometown, so go and check the map out.

Help a filmmaker out

If I can help someone make an alternate history, then I will consider that a good day's work.  So why not check out this blog entry by "El Alamein" who wants to produce an AH video featuring three what ifs: "Alexander the Great, had he been killed in battle; Napoleon Bonaparte if he hadn't been exiled after his disastrous Russian winter fiasco, and remained in power; and Adolf Hitler if he chose not to attack the Soviets at Stalingrad, fortified his Western border, and waited until the following spring to launch Operation Barbarossa."

He needs some advice, so go leave a comment on the blog if you can help him out.

Links to the Multiverse

Article

The Palin Counterfactual by Ross Douthat at The New York Times.

What is this Steampunk of which you speak? by Clay & Susan Griffith at Steamed!

Interview

John Joseph Adams interviewed by Far Beyond Reality.

John Birmingham interviewed by Shawn Speakman at SUVUDU.

Books

STEAMPUNK WEEK: The Iron Duke - Meljean Brook at Falcata Times.

STEAMPUNK WEEK: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel: The Janus Affair - Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris at Falcata Times.

Review of An Oblique Approach – Eric Flint & David Drake at Kilobooks.

Review of The Tears of the Sun by S M Stirling at Thinking about books.

Online Alternate History

1636 The Kremlin Games – Snippet 26 and Snippet 28 by Eric Flint.

An Alternate History of the Baptist Name by Rick Patrick at SBC Voices.

Historia Mundi: An Alternate History by Christopher Brielman.

Snippet: Hitler’s Mages by Chris Nuttall.

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Mitro is founder, editor and contributor of Alternate History Weekly Update. When he is not busy writing about his passion for alternate history, he spends his time working as a licensed attorney in the state of Illinois and dreams of being a published author himself one day.