Map Monday: The World of "The Grasshopper Lies Heavy" in 1962 by Bruce Munro

I am still excited about The Man in the High Castle getting a full season on Amazon Prime, but the next episode is still months away. So I have been craving content from that universe and when I saw Bruce Munro's map featuring the in-universe alternate history, The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, I had to feature it today on Map Monday:

In Dick's fake novel, the Axis Powers lose WWII just as they did in OTL, but the world becomes locked in a Cold War not between the USA and the Soviet Union, but instead the USA and the British Empire. In the 1960s, the British and Americans are more rivals then enemies (the ideological differences between the US and the UK just aren't extreme enough) and both are vying for the top spot. The British have swung to the far right in order to maintain their Empire, while America leads the nations of the Pacific Rim in their effort to oppose colonialism.

We see from Bruce's description that he has removed some of the sillier aspects from Dick's original work (British troops on the Eastern Front, etc.) and managers to reference many other works of pop culture like James Bond. The fun part about The Grasshopper Lies Heavy is that America will lose this alternate Cold War, and I really would like to see Bruce share his version of how that could happen. Graphically the map is very well done, with the usual detailed work found in a Munroist map.

Honorable mentions this week go out to Ephraim Ben Raphael's hand-drawn map of North America, featuring various myths from the Age of Exploration (which I almost gave the top spot to, if only it was easier to read), and Rvbomally's The Red and the White featuring a world where the Russian Empire fragmented after WWI. You should also check out Vox's map of where the world's migrants go when you get the chance. If you want to submit a map for the next Map Monday, email me at ahwupdate at gmail dot com with your map attached and a brief description in the body of the email.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.