Weekly Update #41

Editor's Note

Not much to report other then we got our first reader from Taiwan.  Welcome!

And now the news...

Gingrich Writes More Alternate History on Wikipedia

So the results are in for whether our readers could recommend any of Newt Gingrich's alternate history.  35% of you said you could not recommend them and 30% of you did not even know Gingrich wrote alternate history.  On the positive side, 20% of you said you could recommend some of them and 15% said you could recommend all of them.

For those interested in reading more works of alternate history by Newt Gingrich, you should check out his Wikipedia page.  Newt Gingrich's communications director has been criticized by editors on Wikipedia for dozens of edits he has made and requested in defense of his candidate.  This kind of behavior is not unknown to Wikipedia.  Even a member of Vice President Joe Biden's staff was caught once editing his boss' Wikipedia page.

This just goes to show you that you can get a fancy title and earn a salary just because someone is wrong on the Internet.

New Book: Mirage by Matt Ruff

A new alternate history novel has hit the mainstream media.  It is called The Mirage by Matt Ruff and below is the product description from Amazon:

A mind-bending novel in which an alternate history of 9/11 and its aftermath uncovers startling truths about America and the Middle East.

11/9/2001: Christian fundamentalists hijack four jetliners. They fly two into the Tigris & Euphrates World Trade Towers in Baghdad, and a third into the Arab Defense Ministry in Riyadh. The fourth plane, believed to be bound for Mecca, is brought down by its passengers.

The United Arab States declares a War on Terror. Arabian and Persian troops invade the Eastern Seaboard and establish a Green Zone in Washington, D.C. . . .

Summer, 2009: Arab Homeland Security agent Mustafa al Baghdadi interrogates a captured suicide bomber. The prisoner claims that the world they are living in is a mirage—in the real world, America is a superpower, and the Arab states are just a collection of "backward third-world countries." A search of the bomber's apartment turns up a copy of The New York Times, dated September 12, 2001, that appears to support his claim. Other captured terrorists have been telling the same story. The president wants answers, but Mustafa soon discovers he's not the only interested party.

The gangster Saddam Hussein is conducting his own investigation. And the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee—a war hero named Osama bin Laden—will stop at nothing to hide the truth. As Mustafa and his colleagues venture deeper into the unsettling world of terrorism, politics, and espionage, they are confronted with questions without any rational answers, and the terrifying possibility that their world is not what it seems.

Acclaimed novelist Matt Ruff has created a shadow world that is eerily recognizable but, at the same time, almost unimaginable. Gripping, subversive, and unexpectedly moving, The Mirage probes our deepest convictions and most arresting fears.

Early reviews of the book are positive.  Cory Doctorow from BoingBoing said: This is one of those books that you read while walking down the street and long after your bedtime, a book you stop strangers to tell about.  I may post a review of this novel in the near future, but in the meantime, if you would like to learn more about the author and the novel check out this interview with Ruff at CBS News.

More Shattered World e-books

The next two Shattered World ebooks by Bobby Hardenbrook (Storm in the West and Global War), covering up through part 43 of his WWII alternate history timeline, are now published on the Amazon kindle store for $.99.  Those sections of the timeline are no longer available online, you will have to buy the e-books instead. The rest of the existing timeline will be released as e-books in the near future. Bobby has also stated that he will begin working on new Shattered World content as well.

Links to the Multiverse

Articles

Chrysler, Dirty Harry and the bailout by Jon Talton at The Seattle Times.

Class, cricket and the French Revolution by BBC News.

A Counterfactual Buildup by Michael Bevacqua at Marianas Variety.

Deathless prose: the vampire novel of the century by David Barnett at The Guardian.

Pastwatch Reflections: Cause, Counterfactual and Fracturing the Past by Trevor Owens at Playing the Past.

Interview

Jacqueline Carey at Gollancz Blog.

Online Alternate History

Alternate History: Super Bowl XXI by Jesse Lamovsky at The Cleveland Fan.

Books

Review of Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood done by Axie at The Figment Review.

Review of 1635: The Cannon Law by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis done by Master of All Things at Geeky Scifi.

Review of Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention by Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett done by Ay-Leen at Tor.com.

Weekly Update #39

Editor's Note

When I first started Weekly Update, I used a series of Google Alerts to keep me updated on what was going on in the alternate history community.  Now I have discovered that Twitter is much more helpful on keeping track of what is happening in the larger world of fake history.  Most of the big news stories you see below you are a result of that social networking site.

Speaking of social networking, do not forget to follow us at our new sub-reddit.  We only got one reader so far (guess who it is), so help us build up the number of our subscribers.

This week I will be announcing the start of Balkanized North America month, plus I will be reviewing Hitler Invades England by George Crall.  I also started reading New Frontier by Cliff Ball and you can expect a review about that next week.

And now the news...

Could Compensation Have Ended Slavery?

It is very common to find alternate histories that bring up the idea of a compensated end to American slavery.  Sometimes this is a solution to avoid the American Civil War altogether or a scheme that the Confederacy would eventually adopt when they decided to free their slaves.  Ta-Nehisi Coates of The Atlantic, however, questions whether such a scheme would have been feasible.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul (W) speaks during a Compensation Day Celebration.

In a two-part article (here and here) Teri discusses the history of this option and the counterfactual economics involve.  In short, the total cost of the American slave population in 1860 was $3 billion ($70-75 billion today), making it near impossible for the government to pay for all of the salves at once.  Even figuring in payments spread over 25 years and other cost-saving measures, government expenses could triple, especially since the slave owners would have no reason to accept the minimum price since it is the government that is attempting to avoid bloodshed and not them.

I highly reccomend any alternate historian who is writing a timeline during this period to check out these articles.

More Calls for Submissions

Want to be a published alternate history writer?  Well here are a few open calls for submissions that you should keep in mind:

• Nevermet Press has open submissions going for their Stories in the Ether series.  Stories will be published online first and then published in book form later.  They are looking for science fiction, fantasy and steampunk stories.
• Echelon Press is accepting queries for a fairy tale/steampunk mashup.  All queries must be sent before February 15.
• Strange Chemistry is going to be accepting novel-length submissions for young adult literature in fantasy, science fiction and horror.  Submissions must be sent between April 15-30 and follow these requirements.
• Fantasy Fiction is going to be publishing an anthology of fantasy stories, which does include steampunk stories.  Deadline in June 30 and you can find more details here.

Gingrich Returns

With Newt Gingrich once again one of the frontrunners for the 2012 Republican nomination, it was only a matter of time before someone used Twitter to poke fun at the former Speaker of the House.  The best part of Newt Gingrich is that his alternate history background provides some interesting fuel for laughs.  Just check out this Tweet from @gingrichfiction:

“His Satanic rituals complete, President Roosevelt resumed work on the architecture of The New Deal.”

Hilarious, though not as bad as this review of Newt's 1945, which was called "a fairly primitive example of the kind of speculative fiction known as 'alternate history'.”

Speaking of Gingrich's alternate history, check out the poll I have going at the top right.

Convention Watch: Harry Turtledove at A-Kon 23

Do you live in Dallas, Texas and want to meet Harry Turtledove?  Well you can!  The master of alternate history will be a guest at A-Kon 23, which will run from June 1st to the 3rd.  Those interested in attending can find more information here.  In the meantime, why not check out this review of Homeward Bound done by Emma at Em and Emm Expound on Exposition.

Links to the Multiverse

Articles

Doomsday Speeches: If D-Day and the Moon Landing Had Failed by Dominic Tierney at The Atlantic.

An exercise in insanity (or: an alternate history of the New York Rangers by Joe Reiter at Blueshirt Banter.

It’s Time to Rethink Steampunk by Jess Nevins at io9.

Shortlists revealed for British Science Fiction Awards by Alison Flood at The Guardian.

Interviews

Greg Ahlgren done by JeanzBookReadNReview.  (You can check out my interview with Greg as well)

Books

Fantastical Fake Machines, Rendered With a Historian's Eye for Detail by Steven Hellr at The Atlantic.

Review of The Great Game by Lavie Tidhar done by Traveler at The Traveler's Steampunk Blog.

Review of Soulless by Gail Carriger done by Weirdmage's Reviews.

Steampunk at Audible.com by Steampunk Scholar.

Online AH

Eagles and Hawks by LSCatilina.

Odessa by Christian Rubiano and Louie Chin.

Media

Alternate History: Three Mile Island by Troy Larson at Exodus North.


Gifts

Alternate History Jewelry at Etsy.

* * *

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.

Weekly Update #34

Editor's Note

As promised here is the late edition of Weekly Update.  Sorry guys, but with the holidays and all, I have been very busy.  Some of the other contributors may be publishing something this week, but I am not making any promises.  The good news is we got our first readers from Kuwait and Réunion.  Welcome!

And now the news...

Coming Soon: Infinity Ring

Scholastic Books announced a new alternate history/time travel 7-book series called Infinity Ring  for 7-12 year olds. Like the 39 Clues series, Infinity Ring will combine books and an online game that allows kids to go back in time and try to “fix” historical events that have gone wrong. Six different authors will write the series.  James Dashner will write the first book, A Mutiny In Time (to be published in September 2012), and a yet untitled final book.  Other authors include Carrie Ryan, Lisa McMann, Matt de la Peña, Matthew J. Kirby and Jennifer A. Nielsen.  The final book will be published in March 2014.

For information about the plot, here is the press release from Scholastic:

History is broken, and a long-feared Cataclysm seems imminent. The capital of the United States is Boston. Lincoln’s face is nowhere to be seen on Mount Rushmore. Everyone’s buzzing about the French royal wedding. And an international group of men and women known as the SQ is more powerful than kings, richer than nations, and more fearsome than armies. When best friends Dak Smyth and Sera Froste stumble upon the key to time travel – a hand-held device known as the Infinity Ring – they’re swept up in a centuries-long secret war for the fate of mankind. Recruited by the Hystorians, a secret society that dates back to Aristotle, the kids learn that history has gone completely, and disastrously, off-course. Now it’s up to Dak, Sera, and teenage Hystorian-in-training Riq to travel back in time to fix the “Great Breaks”… and to save Dak’s missing parents while they’re at it. First stop: Spain, 1492, where a sailor named Christopher Columbus is about to be thrown overboard in a deadly mutiny!

The online gaming experience, however, is key to this new series.  Each book in the series will be packaged with a unique "Hystorian's Guide," a collectible map that includes a special code to unlock exclusive content on the online game. Readers can go to http://www.infinityring.com/ (site currently under construction) and play as the main characters from the books as they attempt to fix history. The online game, which will be available through most platforms, features a virtual world, where players can interact with other characters, and explore key events in history alongside historical figures.

There are few alternate history books for children currently.  Even Harry Turtledove's Crosstime Traffic series is geared more to young adults.  Whether this new series will be a success, however, remains to be seen.  Still it is good we are starting the kids young on this particular unhealthy obsession!

Update: Newt Gingrich

Alternate history author and politician Newt Gingrich continues with his campaign to be the Republican nominee for President of the United States, but things are not going well.  His policy for the courts has been likened to that of fictional President Jake Featherston of the Confederate States of America.  You heard that right, Gingrich has been compared to a Harry Turtledove character that is an analog to Adolf Hitler.  Meanwhile another reviewer has attacked Gingrich's works for being both historically inaccurate and overly pro-Confederate.  Ouch!

Links to the Multiverse

Articles

Alternate Hollywood History: Nick Nolte, Al Pacino and Burt Freakin' Reynolds Almost Played Deckart in Blade Runner by Alex Pappademas at Grantland.

Imagining a world without Hanukkah by Lawrence M. Pinsker at Winnipeg Free Press.

The Implications of Less Devastated Empires by Silver Goggles at Steampunk News.

Stimulus Counterfactuals by Matthew Yglesias at Slate.

Thoughts on Animating "Coil Gun." by Matthew Quinn at The World According to Quinn.

Interview

Arlan Andrews with Mark Lord at Alt Hist.

Online Alternate History

Ad Astra Per Aspera Wiki page.

The Use of Dragons In Warfare - Part One by Luka Novak at AH Fiction.

Wal-Mart Tests Online Music Site at Express After Deadline.

A Wasteland Yuletide: A 1983 Doomsday Special Tale by mdc1957.

Books

New Cover for the German Market by Sebastian P. Breit (a.k.a. War Blogger).

Review of the Emberverse series by S. M. Stirling done by Fabulous Realms.

Weekly Update #33

Editor's Note

Got some good stuff coming up this week.  With the 2012 US Presidential Election getting closer and with an alternate historian running for the Republican nomination (see below) I thought it was time to share my opinion on politics and alternate history.  Plus I should have a new Airship Update, Korsgaard may be posting his review of Roswell, Texas this week and we can always expect Henry Martin to publish something interesting.

Currently I am reading The Phoenix Gambit by Douglas McDonough, an alternate history involving a plan by the Confederate States to relocate to Mexico following their defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg.  Will it hold considering my position on American Civil War alternate histories?  We can only wait and see, so keep your eyes open for a review and perhaps even an interview.

Meanwhile we got our first reader from Panama.  Bienvenida!

And now the news...

New Short Story Writing Contest with $1,000 Prize by David Farland and East India Press

There is a new writing contest open to all participants that is being sponsored by East India Press and David Farland, author of over fifty published novels and anthologies.  Now as far as I know, Farland has not written any alternate history works himself, but he was responsible for discovery Eric Flint, author of the 1632 series.  So alternate historians should take notice.

Stories can take place in any time period, and can take place anywhere, even on on another world. You also have the option of placing your story in the world of Farland's new story, Nightingale (sample chapters and a description of the magic system should be available soon).  Farland will personally read your story, along with many other judges,  including Kevin J. Anderson and Tracy Hickman.  Farland will also edit the winning story to help ready it for publication.

Remember, you can choose not to use the Nightingale setting, though there are good reasons to do so obviously. East India Press may also ask the winner and other finalists in the contest to submit manuscripts for review.  Deadline for submissions is March 1, 2012.  More guidelines can be found here and those interested in attending a writing workshop taught by Farland can find more information here.

Update: Newt Gingrich

With the Iowa Republican primary just weeks away, alternate historian and politician Newt Gingrich is one of the top contenders.  As expected, more mainstream news outlets are discussing Gingrich's alternate history works, but not always in a positive manner.

George Mason's University's History News Network published a short comic last week imagining an alternate history where Gingrich is a History Department Chair (spoiler alert: he is not very good).  Hendrik Hertzberg of The New Yorker also used Gingrich's alternate history works as an intro into his rant about Gingrich and the positions he stands for (ouch).

Still some good has come out of Gingrich's rise to the top.  Amy Davidson of The New Yorker wrote "Nine Stories from a Year That Might Have Been", which if taken together, paints a very grimdark version of the year 2011.  This alternate historian is very happy to know that no matter how bad things were in 2011, they could have been a lot worse!

Links to the Multiverse

Article

China and the shadow of German history by Francesco Sisci at Asia Times Online.

A Healthy Alternative to Fascism (or: Putting Your Dieselpunk Look on the Right Side of Alternate History) by Miriam at Steampunk Emma Goldman.

List of published AH.com authors

Rethinking History by Richard Ridley at CreateSpace.

Interviews

Charles Stross by Locus.

Harry Turtledove by SF Signal.

Books

Forbes Library Alternate History selection

Review of Enigma: A New Life of Charles Stewart Parnell by Paul Bew Gill done by Alan Titley at Irish Times.

Review of The Hidden Nature of Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos by Brian Greene done by A. Jurek at Seattle pi.

Review of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro done by Emily at Em and Emm Expound on Exposition.

Review of Opening Atlantis by Harry Turtledove done by Emily at Em and Emm Expound on Exposition.

Update on Clash of Eagles by Sebastian P. Breit a.k.a War Blogger.

Online Alternate History

The British Raj by Sebastian P. Breit (a.k.a. War Blogger).

Upper Peninsula War by various authors.

Video Games

'BioShock' creator talks history, writing and 'nerdity' by Larry Frum at CNN Tech.

Theater

2011 year in review: Best in theater  by Charles McNulty at the Los Angeles Times (see "Peace in Our Time").

Weekly Update #31

Editor's Note

We broke our monthly page view record last month.  The most page views in a single month is now at 4404.  That is the second time in the row this blog has broken the record and I assure you we are going for three in the row this month.  Got some good stuff coming to you this week in an effort to reach that goal, including a new showcase by Korsgaard.  War Blogger also might have some posts next week once he finishes writing the first chapter to the sequel of Wolf Hunt.

If you have not seen it already, take a look at the new poll in the right side column.  I am planning on putting ads up on this blog, but I wanted to get the readers' opinion on this.  So please, answer the poll and help me make an important decision about the future of this blog.

Meanwhile we got our first reader from Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Blangadesh.  Welcome!

And now the news...

What Can President Gingrich Do For Alternate History?

I and others have mentioned before that alternate history is an obscure genre.  It helps, however, when a well known mainstream author, like Stephen King, writes an alternate history novel.  The spotlight shines on everyone who works in the genre, but only for a little while.

So...what if an alternate history author becomes President of the United States of America?

For those not paying attention to the upcoming United States presidential election of 2012, one of the current front runners for the Republican nomination is former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.  Not only is Gingrich a history professor, but he is also an author of alternate history.  He has co-authored several alternate history novels with William R. Forstchen and Albert S. Hanser, usually set in either the American Civil War and World War II.

Now that Gingrich has become the new front runner in the Republican race, the news agencies have been buzzing about his alternate history credentials.  Mark Whittington at Yahoo! Voices discussed several of Gingrich's works and said they symbolized Newt's "fascination about how history can be shaped by individual decisions by people who happen to be in the right place at the right time." William Bradley at The Huffington Post described Gingrich's alternate histories as being "filled with colorful mavericks, technophilia, loathing for bureaucratic norms, and an evident zest for conflict."  Otis L. Sanford at The Commercial Appeal, however, has a different view of Gingrich's fondness for alternate history when he quotes Andrew Ferguson by saying "a counterfactual account of history appeals especially to people who are disappointed in the real thing. Settled fact is unsatisfying; history as it occurs seems somehow a cheat...It is true that history hasn't worked the way Newt Gingrich envisioned it."

This blogger cannot help but speculate what would happen if Gingrich not only won his party's nomination, but also defeated President Obama in 2012.  What would a President Gingrich do for the genre?  Would his novels act as gateways to a larger library of fiction as people read them to see what the new President did before he was elected?  As I have stated before, Alternate History Weekly Update has a "No Cross, No Crown" policy, but such a future does not seem that bad to this blogger.

Coming Soon: Boneshaker the film

Perhaps the film industry is experiencing a love affair for alternate history films.  Just last week I learned that Hammer Films has acquired the rights to make a film based on Cherie Priest's Boneshaker.  According to Uchronia, Boneshaker is a steampunk adventure set in a world in which the American Civil War has dragged on for 20 years...and there are zombies!  While the idea of steampunk zombies hunters in a war-torn America excites me to no end, we should not get our hopes up.  Many successful novels are optioned all the time and are never made into films, it is just part of the business.  Still I congratulate Priest on her success and if Hammer films notices that there is  a strong interest in this film being made we might just see Boneshaker on the big screen.

You can learn more about this story here and here.

Baen Books Christmas Carol Contest

Baen Books is holding a contest to see who can make the best alternate history Christmas Carol.  Submissions should include at least a verse and chorus. You also have to name the OTL traditional carol on which your lyrics are based.  Alternate history author Robert Conroy and the Baen editorial staff will pick the winning submission.  Lyrics will also be published in the January newsletter. The winner will receive an advanced reading copy and hardcover of Robert Conroy’s Himmler’s War, both signed by the author.

If you plan to enter the contest, please inform Alternate History Weekly Update.

Links to the Multiverse

Articles

Alternate History: A Lesser Known Genre Of Literature Which I Love by Dan Levy at Levy News Network.

Some Thoughts on Writing Steampunk Fiction by Frank Chadwick at Space 1889 Blog.

In an alternate reality, this pyramid is the Lincoln Memorial by Cyriaque Lamar at iO9. 

When novels change history by Stuart Kelly at The Guardian.

Online Alternate History

A counterfactual history of Tim Tebow as a Jacksonville Jaguar by Jeremy Stahl at Slate.

What if ... the FIFA World Cup had been played in a different year by Adam Bate at SI.com

Books

Lois Tilton reviews Short Fiction, late November (two alternate history short stories are present in the review)

Review of 11/22/63 by Stephen King, reviewed by Ron Capshaw at Big Hollywood.

Review of The Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove, reviewed by Rosboch Book Reviews.

Review of The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge, reviewed by San Jose Public Library.

Well Lit: Alternate histories by Umapagan Ampikaipakan at New Straits Times.

Video Games

Preview: BioShock Infinite by Duncan Geere at Wired.co.uk.

* * *

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.