Thinking Sidewise

Tips for building an Alternate History collection

By Adam Snider -- School Library Journal, 4/1/2004

Alternate history is a subgenre of science fiction that is often ignored during collection development. It contains elements of historical fiction and sometimes time travel, but is unique in that it extrapolates upon how, if a given event is changed, the course of history will be altered from that point forward. Whereas a time-travel story might revolve around saving President Lincoln from assassination, or about being stranded in the past or even the future, it does not examine the effects of those actions. The genre has been around since the 17th century, but it was the 20th century that saw a surge of interest in science fiction, which in turn offered writers an opportunity to better explore this type of writing. The increased interest, especially in the 1950s, came about as a result of several coinciding events: developments in science and technology following World War II, paranoia brought on by the Cold War, and the expansion of television that later brought programs such as the Twilight Zone into millions of homes. In 1996, the science-fiction community initiated the Sidewise Award for outstanding Alternate History fiction. This annual award is named for a 1934 short story, "Sidewise in Time," by Murray Leinster, who is considered the father of modern Alternate History.

Two people most responsible for advancing the genre are H.B. Piper and Harry Turtledove. In addition to publishing several short stories with various alternate history themes, Henry Beam Piper (1904-1964) created a series called "Paratime" in which a multitude of alternate Earths exist. In this series, one of the planets discovers the existence of others and sends out people to bring back new ideas, technologies, and resources from these alternate worlds. The most famous in this series is Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen (Ace, 1975; o.p.). Piper was a skilled writer whose philosophy about the nature of man and his place in the universe makes his books as enjoyable today as when they were first written.

Harry Turtledove's latest book, Gunpowder Empire (Tor, 2003), is an homage to Piper's novel. His titles are meticulously researched, and he is considered the most prolific writer of this genre. His stories range in theme from the South winning the American Civil War to space aliens trying to take over the Earth in the midst of World War II. His attention to historical detail has made him a favorite of science fiction and historical fiction readers alike.

In spite of this genre's long history, high school libraries devote barely a half-dozen volumes to it. Philip K. Dick's The Man in High Castle (Berkley, 1974), in which the Germans win World War II; Turtledove's Guns of the South (Ballantine, 1993), in which the Confederacy uses weapons from the future to win the American Civil War; and Harry Harrison's "East of Eden" trilogy (Bantam), which takes place 65 million years ago with intelligent dinosaurs ruling the Earth and prehistoric man needing to find a way to coexist with them, are the most commonly held titles.

Student interest in history and related subjects can be heightened through the use of these materials. Alternate History provides a wonderful opportunity for teens who have learned the facts to be introduced to the concept of "What if?" What if the colonies had remained loyal to Britain? What if Germany had won World War II? Besides building critical-thinking skills, these titles can also be used to spark creative-writing exercises based on an actual historical event from the recent past. For example, if 9/11 hadn't happened, would there be a war on terrorism, an invasion of Iraq, or a Patriot Act? An alternate assignment might be to have students work on a computer to map out an alternative time line that would include hyperlinks that give small blurbs about the changes.

The reading of Alternate History can extend beyond the novel format. Comic books, though they are often light on historical accuracy and literary content, do offer another popular format. Currently, DC Comics has an ongoing series called "Elseworlds," which places the heroes in situations that might have arisen if things had been different. Their major competitor, Marvel Comics, actually had a series called "What If." This series clearly illustrates the ramifications of changing one event in history. It has been discontinued but back issues can still be found.

The premise of Alternate History has more of a place in our society than many people realize. The military make projections for possible war scenarios. Local governments make plans for disasters such as tornadoes, earthquakes, fires, flooding, and terrorist attacks. The private sector tries to project stock-market movement, as well as individual company forecasting. In fact, there are job positions for forecast analysts. For recreation, adults like to build and reenact famous war scenes and discuss what could have been done to change the outcome of any given battle. The adult obsession with war games also carries over to young people who play video or PC versions of war games. Primary and secondary education rarely incorporates or explores the idea of "What if?" or has students speculate on future events.

Besides print, there is a considerable amount of audiovisual material that can be added to a library collection. The advent of DVD technology has made it possible to obtain television programs and movies with Alternate History themes. Libraries can purchase individual television episodes of Star Trek, Stargate, Twilight Zone, Quantum Leap, Early Edition, and Sliders or movies such as Time Cop, Red Dawn, or Terminator, along with other television shows and movies that play with the idea of a changed history. My suggestions for locating such episodes are: one, find a fan of the show; two, locate an online database that lists all the shows with synopses, such as imdb.com; and three, when doing keyword searches, use "alternate history," "allohistory," "parallel world" or "parallel history," before trying the term "time travel." There are other online reference tools; it is just a matter of accessing the right one.

Where does one begin to build such a collection? It is best to consult with the history teachers to determine who is receptive to the exploration of history through the use of this literature. The Web site Uchronia, www.uchronia.net, provides the most thorough treatment of this genre. The site has several user-friendly tools. Searches can be done via author or title. Also, there is a chronological index of stories with a time frame that extends from 4.5 billion years ago—"What If the Sun Were More Massive?"—to the present. All entries have a brief annotated record that includes synopses; publisher information; and, sometimes, comments about the book or author. The Web site also posts the Sidewise Award winners and honorable mentions. It concentrates on literature more suitable for high schools than for middle or elementary schools. For more age-appropriate books for younger readers, librarians can consult Diana Tixier Herald's Genreflecting (2000) and Herald and Bonnie Kunzel's Strictly Science Fiction (2002, both Libraries Unlimited). Other resources include local science-fiction bookstores and organizations, as well as their Web counterparts.

The 2003 award will be announced around Memorial Day 2004. The entries for 2003 cover a greater range of subjects than usual. David Brin's graphic novel The Life Eaters (DC Comics, 2003) takes place during World War II and involves Marvel Comic superheroes. Jai Sen's picture book The Golden Vine (Shoto, 2003) examines possible events if the son of Alexander the Great had not been assassinated after his father's death. It features outstanding illustrations by three well-known Japanese artists. Steven Barnes's Zulu Heart (Warner, 2004) has black Africans colonizing the New World and using white people as slaves. Larry Kirwan's Liverpool Fantasy (Thunder's Mouth, 2003) imagines what would have happened if the Beatles had broken up in the beginning of their career and then reunited 25 years later.