An Updated Guide to Lurking on AlternateHistory.com

Last year I published a guide for lurking on AlternateHistory.com, by sharing what I thought were the best threads to follow for those who don't always want to be active contributors. People really seemed to like it so I decided to create an updated list. Besides the threads I mentioned in my last article, here are few other good threads to subscribe to:

Map Thread XIII: Wow have things changed since February 2014. Back then the alternate cartographers of AlternateHistory.com were only on Map Thread XI. XIII, however, is the current map thread for the forum and if you want to see the best maps of the community, this is the place for them. Of course, you can also find some good maps elsewhere, like...

Map of the Fortnight: This is the main thread for the unofficial forum map contest. Contestants have a fortnight (14 days) to create a map usually based on the current contest theme. All MotFs have their separate submission and voting threads, but the main thread is where you can get your updates on the contest. The most recent contest was MotF 122: And the Meek Shall Inherit the Earth.

Oneshot Scenarios: Similar to Bruce Munro's ASB settings, this was a thread started by Rvbomally for short alternate history scenarios, that often come with maps. Unlike Bruce's thread, this is opened to multiple users and it is a great place to find bite-sized alternate history goodies usually based on pre-existing universes. Bon appetit!

PlatoonSgt's Artwork: Maps are very important to my lurking at AlternateHistory.com, as you can probably tell from above. One of the best places to see high quality maps is Lynn Davis' (PlatoonSgt/ToixStory) artwork thread. Here Lynn will share completed maps, WIPs and other updates. If you like what you see, you should also check out Lynn's Patreon profile as well.

Flag Thread IV: If you have an interest in alternate vexillology you are not going to want to miss AlternateHistory.com's main thread for flags. Admittedly I don't know much about alternate history flags, but I am trying to learn more in case I reach my Flag Friday milestone on Patreon.

Stand-alone timelines: I have two timelines to recommend for those who want quick, easy reads in case you don't have time to commit to long and detailed alternate histories. The first is An Examination of Extra-Universal Systems of Government by Ephraim Ben Raphael, where the main character travels between different timelines to study various forms of government. There haven't been updates to this in a while, but Rvbomally has been making cover maps for a lot of the scenarios and those are always good.

The next one is False Dmitri's Affiliated States of Boreoamerica. In this timeline an alternate outcome to European colonization of North America leads to a more ethnically diverse America. This thread focuses more on culture and social issues instead of geopolitics, which already makes it unique compared to other alternate histories out there.

Are there any other threads you would recommend to a lurker? Let us know in the comments. Also let me know if you would like a lurking guide for other alternate history communities, like the AltHistory Wiki.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a blogger on Amazing Stories and a Sidewise Awards for Alternate History judge. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the day when travel between parallel universes becomes a reality. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Learn how you can support his alternate history projects on Patreon.

A Practical Guide to Lurking on AlternateHistory.com

At this year's Capricon I had a short talk with Kier Salmon about "lurking". I know it sounds sinister, but it is actually an innocent term for being a member of an online community without actively participating. Hell they even have a Wikipedia article about it.

Anywho, the conversation gravitated to AlternateHistory.com (AH.com) where I do most of my lurking. What with my own alternate history website, my career and wife, I don't have loads of time to participate as an active contributor to the mammoth forum. Thinking about it some more, I wondered whether someone who is new to the forum and not ready to participate as well would even know where to start looking for threads to follow. So without further ado, here are some good threads for the beginning lurker:

Map Thread XI: This is the main thread for new maps from the creators on AH.com. Every day there are new maps to check out, both stand alone or else linked to the timelines they are a part of. Currently it is 491 pages long and probably ready to become Map Thread XII.

Alternate Wikipedia Infoboxes: There are a lot of ways to tell a story. Have you ever tried to do it with a Wikipedia Infobox? I like this thread for the unique way the forum members describe an alternate timeline without large blocks of text.

ASB settings: My favorite map maker on AH.com is Bruce Munro, but did you know he has a long running thread of short scenarios? Bruce uses cynical humor and pop culture references (with a healthy dose of Lovecraftian horror) to fill in the gaps of well-known franchises. Plus he has maps!

Rememberences of Map Contests Past: Did I mention I like maps? AH.com has regular map contests, but linking all the individual threads would just be silly. Luckily, they are all archived in this thread. Enjoy!

Stand-alone timelines: There are a lot of timelines on AH.com. Many good, many bad, a few great. Check out our past showcases to get some recommendations, but I would also like to give shout outs to Damsels and Dirigibles, The Rise of the Tri-State World Order and The Rise and Fall of the Amerikaner Republics.

The Official Weird Dream Thread: This thread was suggest to me by Jon Davis on Alternate History Online. Not exactly my cup of tea, but this thread about people describing their weird dreams is already 110 pages long. Might be fun to check out at least once...

Are there any other threads I should have listed? Leave a comment below.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. His new short story "Road Trip" can be found in Forbidden Future: A Time Travel Anthology. 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.