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--- Quote from: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on September 11, 2013, 03:35:30 PM ---I don't find that a particularly interesting subset of alternate history because there is really an enormous volume of it already out there, people have already explored options there in great depth and detail. (I've been on panels where everyone concerned just referred to it as the Civil War, and if people push me for my opinion on the Civil War, it's "Get over it, Cromwell won.")  There's quite a lot of alternate WWII stuff out there; insofar as i am interested in working in AH, I am really more interested in other divergence points that have not been used anything like as much (Qeng Ho colonising California, or the timing of the French envoys to the Mongol court working out differently such that the Mongols end up joining the later Crusades.)

--- End quote ---
Cool, I had no idea.

LizW65:
One of my favorite alt-history novels is John Ford's The Dragon Waiting, in which the Battle of Bosworth Field goes the other way. It also has wizards and vampires.

the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:

--- Quote from: LizW65 on September 12, 2013, 06:27:48 PM ---One of my favorite alt-history novels is John Ford's The Dragon Waiting, in which the Battle of Bosworth Field goes the other way. It also has wizards and vampires.

--- End quote ---

Oh, I love that book possibly more than any other novel in the English language; it does some of the most impressive things I have ever read, and I have to ration how often I read it so I can still enjoy it rather than just having it committed to memory entirely.  I had the privilege of meeting John M. Ford a couple of times, and he was an amazing person; everything he wrote is worth reading, even to the extent of seeking out things like GURPS Time Travel when I have no intention of playing GURPS any time soon.

Sully:

--- Quote from: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on September 11, 2013, 03:35:30 PM ---I don't find that a particularly interesting subset of alternate history because there is really an enormous volume of it already out there, people have already explored options there in great depth and detail. (I've been on panels where everyone concerned just referred to it as the Civil War, and if people push me for my opinion on the Civil War, it's "Get over it, Cromwell won.")

--- End quote ---

Assuming the conferences were in the US, I don't think it's that unusual to have a USA-centric view of history.

And you're right, there's already so much out there for the Union vs Confederacy.  Not much to say.

I do enjoy some of S.M. Stirling's stuff.  I'd like to read more people dropped into societies of another time, that I enjoy.  Along with the Destroyermen series, whoever writes that.

I'm not sure how I would write it though.  I don't feel I'm educated enough to do a credible job.

(And I don't think very many people would be interested in a music pedagogy/history theme, either)

[/quote]
  There's quite a lot of alternate WWII stuff out there; insofar as i am interested in working in AH, I am really more interested in other divergence points that have not been used anything like as much (Qeng Ho colonising California, or the timing of the French envoys to the Mongol court working out differently such that the Mongols end up joining the later Crusades.)
[/quote]

Finding a Chinese Colony in California could be a fun western.  I'd read the Mongol idea, definitely.  The Mongols successfully conquering and holding territory for more than a couple generations could be good too.

Oh!  Oh!  The Chinese don't complete The Great Wall, the Mongols take over, and keep rolling East.  Three sided war on the Great Plains from the American East vs the Mongols with the First Nations tribes being caught between a rock and a hard place.  Or maybe earlier, Mongols vs Conquistadores, Incan/Mayan conscripts led North by Conquistadores fighting an Eastern(Japanese, Chinese, Mongol, whatever) aligned empire in the Southwest.

Or perhaps Russia has expanded south from Alaska and is now working East, post American Civil War.

...yeah, even USA centric AH has plenty of room besides The Confederacy winning 'The War of Northern Aggression'.

KevinEvans:
Something that could help for city information, use Google Earth, with the street view option. This lets you see the location like you are standing there, doesn’t help with the feel and emotion of the place, but you can see what it looks like.

Kevin

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