Interview: Rvbomally

For the next installment in my my interview series featuring my favorite alternate cartagraphers, I got a chance to talk with Rvbomally of AlternateHistory.com. He is the author of "Ad Astra Per Aspera", but I wanted to talk to him primarily for his map work. Check out what he had to say below:

Who is Rvbomally?

Just some random guy on the Internet.

What got you interested in alternate history?

I was first introduced to the concept by the Dawn of Victory mod. At that point, I was far more interested in conventional science fiction, so the WWII powers in space was a new concept that really got me interested in the genre. I then found out about Timeline-191, which I then picked up and fell in love with. And the rest, they say, is history.

What inspired you to write "Ad Astra Per Aspera"?

No one thing inspired me to write AAPA, although Fallout, 1984, and Warhammer 40K are clear influences. AAPA is, in a way, the final evolution of my science fiction musings dating back to at least 2006. The setting back then was far different, involving space Texans attacking robots on Mars, of all things. It gradually evolved into a more conventional space opera, where the primary civilization was the Holy Dominion of Christendom, a galaxy-spanning theocratic empire that enslaves any aliens it encounters, at war with a communist insurgency.

When I found out about Warhammer 40K, I decided to do something different, so I decided to make a space Cold War story, while retaining some elements of the original "Dominionverse" story. The Dominion became the Coalition of Western Republics, which was pitted against a Sino-Soviet Collective that later became the Conseil. The Technocracies were added later as a neutral kingmaker. You could see some of this evolution in early draft maps I have since posted to my deviantArt account, and I plan on revisiting the first two incarnations of AAPA in a remake.

When did you start creating alternate history maps?

A long time ago! I'd say about 2008, possibly even earlier. Those initial maps were utter garbage; nonsensical recolors of the Wikipedia basemap. Of course, I got better.

What do you think people like about alternate history maps?

For me, it shows a radically different world at a glance. When I see different borders, and different alliances on a key, I start thinking about how different that world's history, culture, and politics must be from our own. It's a very efficient and very effective form of telling a worldbuilding-heavy story.

What software do you use to create maps?

For my oneshots, a combination of Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Paint. Photoshop isn't strictly necessary for the process, it just makes things like adding lots of text, choosing colors and outlining countries easier. All of my oneshots can be replicated on Paint alone. When I decide to get fancy, I use Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.

What is your favorite map that you ever created?

That's a tough one. I tend to adopt a favorite and then drop it. For example, right now I'm a big fan of my cover of Transparent Blue's "Last Living Souls". But my all time favorite would have to be my Union of American Federal Republics map. I love how it turned out!

[Editor's Note: And it was featured on Map Monday.]

Where can people go if they wanted you to commission a map from you?

Nowhere, unfortunately. I'm typically a busy guy, with only enough time to make maps for myself. I'm trying to get through a large list of maps I'd like to make at the moment. I'm still making maps for ideas I had back in 2013. If you like what you see, however, feel to give me a tip on patreon.

Any other map makers you would like to recommend?

Yes! B_Munro/QuantumBranching, ToixStory, RoyalPsycho, vongreif, zalesky, 1Blomma, and Silas-Coldwine are some of my favorites. Check them out!

Any other projects that you are working on now?

Aside from my Oneshot Scenarios, I'm working on "Space Cadet", another science fiction setting which is my attempt to take just about every genre of science fiction at once and stick it in a blender.

What books are you reading?

These days, nothing but boring textbooks and legal codes, unfortunately.

Any advice for aspiring alternate cartographers?

The best way to learn is by trying to imitate maps you like. Most of my progress has been made trying to replicate an aesthetic I see on a map thread, or even on a map in real life. I find that I never replicate the aesthetic perfectly, but I learn a lot in the process, and it helps me develop my own style. Oh, and tutorials are helpful.

Showcase: Ad Astra Per Aspera

Ad Astra Per Aspera (Latin for "through hardships to the stars") by rvbomally is an alternate history timeline can be found at AH.com.  The tag line for this alternate history sums up the general theme of this timeline:

Feeling cheerful? Read Ad Astra Per Aspera and lose a little bit more faith in humanity!

Yes this is a very grimdark dystopia.  The point of divergence of the timeline is the successful impeachment of President Andrew Johnson and the rise of a Radical Republican administration that punishes the southern states for the War on Treason (ATL's American Civil War).  An increasingly militaristic United States transforms itself into the American Empire, dividing the world between itself, Germany and the Soviet Union.  Here is a map of the present day:

Wait a second...did I accidentally put the wrong map up?  No I did not.  The events of Ad Astra Per Aspera are primarily set in the 28th century (hence its inclusion in the Alien Space Bats forum).  Nevertheless, it is an amazing piece of alternate history.  The three great galactic superpowers (the Coalition of Western Republics, Conseil of Workers’ Systems and the United Technocracies of Man) fight over control of the galaxy, while keeping the lesser human and alien nations in line.

While rvbomally does not always follow real science, he still managed to create a realistic future devoid of most sci-fi cliches.  For example, space battles are nothing like what you see in most science fiction films.  Instead, actual physics forces combatants to take into account a 3D, frictionless environment where enemies could be millions of miles away.  Instead of brave space heroes life Honor Harrington, we have math nerds plugging firing solutions into computers while conferring with aliens who evolved underwater and have experience fighting battles in 3D.  Faster-than-light travel also exists, but instead of "hyperdrives" rvbomally uses actual scientific theories to get around the restrictions on intergalactic travel, like an Alcubierre drive. 

There is even a multiverse, but besides "trueline", most timelines are pocket universes (or vacuity pockets) with humanity confined usually to one star system.  All three powers exploit the multiverse, standard practice usually being that you  nuke the world into oblivion after stealing anything of value.  Often these pocket universes are modeled after published or online alternate histories.  I was very entertained when a Draka analogue was destroyed by another group of space fascists.  Nevertheless, there are many dangers located across the multiverse.  Powerful beings roam between the spaces between realities and mankind's doom could be waiting on the next trip into the unknown.  It is not unusual for someone to go mad travelling through the multiverse.

Meanwhile, all three galactic superpowers are all dictatorships whose leaders appear to model their nations on Oceania from 1984.  Dissent is immediately punished by death since human life is worth very little when their trillion more bodies to feed to the fire of war.  In fact rvbomally makes a compelling argument that when considering the size of the galaxy and territory the superpowers (and even minor states) rule, dictatorships may be the only effective means of governing humans, especially when you have to convince them to support wars that may last a century due to the vast distances involved.

The current thread is 95 pages long and is still growing.  Rvbomally has been kind enough to use stories submitted by other users and with an unlimited number of universes to explore, it is unlikely that this story will end anytime soon.