Sliding Scale of Alternate History Plausibility: Difference between revisions

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* [[Eric Flint]]'s ''[[Trail of Glory]]'' series starts off with an arrow that hit Sam Houston being a minor injury instead of the [[Groin Attack|major one]] it was in [[Real Life]], and follows through from there.
* [[Eric Flint]]'s ''[[Trail of Glory]]'' series starts off with an arrow that hit Sam Houston being a minor injury instead of the [[Groin Attack|major one]] it was in [[Real Life]], and follows through from there.
* Jared's ''[[Decades of Darkness]]'' hyper-detailed AH which diverges due to Thomas Jefferson dying of a heart attack in 1808. New England secedes and the US becomes a hyper-expansionist slaveocracy. There is a very loose overall direction to the timeline ("make something like the Draka series, only plausible") but this is decidedly secondary to the "POD, then events follow" approach.
* Jared's ''[[Decades of Darkness]]'' hyper-detailed AH which diverges due to Thomas Jefferson dying of a heart attack in 1808. New England secedes and the US becomes a hyper-expansionist slaveocracy. There is a very loose overall direction to the timeline ("make something like the Draka series, only plausible") but this is decidedly secondary to the "POD, then events follow" approach.
* ''Lighter Than A Feather'' by David Westheimer. The US carries out Operation Olympic and invades Kyushu in 1945. Mostly presented as a series of vignettes evenly divided between US and Japanese, the book also sets out in some detail the general course of the invasion. The Japanese are more than just cartoonish buffoons to be mown down, and come arcoss (to this troper, at least) as thoroughly rounded and interesting characters representative of the time, further pushing it into Type I territory.
* ''Lighter Than A Feather'' by David Westheimer. The US carries out Operation Olympic and invades Kyushu in 1945. Mostly presented as a series of vignettes evenly divided between US and Japanese, the book also sets out in some detail the general course of the invasion. The Japanese are more than just cartoonish buffoons to be mown down, and come arcoss (to this troper, at least) as thoroughly rounded and interesting characters representative of the time, further pushing it into Type I territory.
* Thande's ''[[Look to the West]]'' (though there is something of a background artistic 'theme' which sometimes leads it to dip into Type II).
* Thande's ''[[Look to the West]]'' (though there is something of a background artistic 'theme' which sometimes leads it to dip into Type II).
* The online ''1983: Doomsday'' takes its POD from a real-world event - a false nuclear launch alert in Russia that could have turned into a full-blown nuclear exchange. In this timeline, it does. The timeline's authors allow for some play, making it a soft Type I, but work hard to keep things relatively authentic (any "real world" people presented as surviving Doomsday must have been verified as being in an unaffected area. For instance, Barack Obama was a student at Columbia in September 1983, and was almost assuredly killed when NYC was obliterated, but George W. Bush was in rural Texas and survived.)
* The online ''1983: Doomsday'' takes its POD from a real-world event - a false nuclear launch alert in Russia that could have turned into a full-blown nuclear exchange. In this timeline, it does. The timeline's authors allow for some play, making it a soft Type I, but work hard to keep things relatively authentic (any "real world" people presented as surviving Doomsday must have been verified as being in an unaffected area. For instance, Barack Obama was a student at Columbia in September 1983, and was almost assuredly killed when NYC was obliterated, but George W. Bush was in rural Texas and survived.)
** In one particularly interesting case, authors discovered that John F. Kennedy, Jr. was actually in India on the projected POD, and would have survived, becoming an important figure in the new timeline.
** In one particularly interesting case, authors discovered that John F. Kennedy, Jr. was actually in India on the projected POD, and would have survived, becoming an important figure in the new timeline.


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* Geologic PoD example: Turtledove's (again) ''Down in the Bottomlands'' where the Mediterranean sea is dry desert. Geologically plausible [[wikipedia:Messinian salinity crisis|since it happened periodically in history]] Major climactic and cultural butterflies, including the continued existence of Neanderthal Man. Arguably Type I.
* Geologic PoD example: Turtledove's (again) ''Down in the Bottomlands'' where the Mediterranean sea is dry desert. Geologically plausible [[wikipedia:Messinian salinity crisis|since it happened periodically in history]] Major climactic and cultural butterflies, including the continued existence of Neanderthal Man. Arguably Type I.
* Robert Graves' historical fiction fit firmly into this category. They are extremely well researched but he willfully changes or distorts events and personalities to tell the story he wishes to tell. Fact and Fiction are often so well blended, especially in regard to events(far less so with characterization) that you pretty much have to be an expert in the subject matter to tell the two apart or to know that events that went a, b, c, d in real life go b, d, a, c in the novel.
* Robert Graves' historical fiction fit firmly into this category. They are extremely well researched but he willfully changes or distorts events and personalities to tell the story he wishes to tell. Fact and Fiction are often so well blended, especially in regard to events(far less so with characterization) that you pretty much have to be an expert in the subject matter to tell the two apart or to know that events that went a, b, c, d in real life go b, d, a, c in the novel.
* ''Iskriget'' by Anders Blixt. This espionage adventure mixes hard sociology (by creating a credible alternative 20th century in which Britain had failed to reach ascendancy in the 18th century) by a [[Rule of Cool]] approach to technology ([[Studio Ghibli]]-style cloudships and ice juggernauts) and geography (Antarctica and Australia are replaced by two more pulpish continents). However, the author's 1940s approach to racism and sexism is strictly Type I, the protagonist being a well-educated Euro-Indian man who encounters a lot of prejudice.
* ''Iskriget'' by Anders Blixt. This espionage adventure mixes hard sociology (by creating a credible alternative 20th century in which Britain had failed to reach ascendancy in the 18th century) by a [[Rule of Cool]] approach to technology ([[Studio Ghibli]]-style cloudships and ice juggernauts) and geography (Antarctica and Australia are replaced by two more pulpish continents). However, the author's 1940s approach to racism and sexism is strictly Type I, the protagonist being a well-educated Euro-Indian man who encounters a lot of prejudice.
* World E4 in Ian McDonald]'s ''Planesrunner'' in which 9/11 didn't happen, Al Gore ran in 2004 and won. The only thing that keeps it from being Type 1 is an unexplained "something" that happened to the moon.
* World E4 in Ian McDonald]'s ''Planesrunner'' in which 9/11 didn't happen, Al Gore ran in 2004 and won. The only thing that keeps it from being Type 1 is an unexplained "something" that happened to the moon.


== Type III: Soft Alternate History ==
== Type III: Soft Alternate History ==
* The latter books of Harry Turtledove's ''[[Timeline-191]]'', where [[In Spite of a Nail]] really sets in, historical characters multiply (Churchill, Patton, etc.) and the historical parallelism strains some reader's suspension of disbelief.
* The latter books of Harry Turtledove's ''[[Timeline-191]]'', where [[In Spite of a Nail]] really sets in, historical characters multiply (Churchill, Patton, etc.) and the historical parallelism strains some reader's suspension of disbelief.
* ''Journey to Fusang'' by William Sanders: [[Rule of Cool]] and [[Rule of Funny]] AH [[Picaresque]] whose historical liberties are notable. Another "everyone that Cryptohistory assumes could have colonized America does" setting. Every [[Historical Domain Character]] has dodged the [[Butterfly of Doom]]. Arguably a Soft Type II, and when written probably would have been considered one, but [[Science Marches On|the science of history marched on]].
* ''Journey to Fusang'' by William Sanders: [[Rule of Cool]] and [[Rule of Funny]] AH [[Picaresque]] whose historical liberties are notable. Another "everyone that Cryptohistory assumes could have colonized America does" setting. Every [[Historical Domain Character]] has dodged the [[Butterfly of Doom]]. Arguably a Soft Type II, and when written probably would have been considered one, but [[Science Marches On|the science of history marched on]].
* ''[[Years of Rice and Salt]]'' by Kim Stanley Robinson. The bubonic plague kills 90% of all European life, conveniently not moving into North Africa or the Middle East despite intricate trade networks at the time, and somehow not burning itself out before mass death (as plagues which fail to leave at least some people alive to be carriers tend to do). Also severe [[In Spite of a Nail]]: the Yongle Emperor of China and Tokegawa Shogunate of Japan still rise despite a PoD centuries earlier. There's also an ASB element in the "Bardo" framing story. Considering how well written it is, many find the [[MST3K Mantra]] applies. Arguably a Type II or IV, depending on your Butterfly Effect interpretations.
* ''[[Years of Rice and Salt]]'' by Kim Stanley Robinson. The bubonic plague kills 90% of all European life, conveniently not moving into North Africa or the Middle East despite intricate trade networks at the time, and somehow not burning itself out before mass death (as plagues which fail to leave at least some people alive to be carriers tend to do). Also severe [[In Spite of a Nail]]: the Yongle Emperor of China and Tokegawa Shogunate of Japan still rise despite a PoD centuries earlier. There's also an ASB element in the "Bardo" framing story. Considering how well written it is, many find the [[MST3K Mantra]] applies. Arguably a Type II or IV, depending on your Butterfly Effect interpretations.
** The first point may or may not be explained by the generally higher hygienic standards in the Islamic world at the time - better hygiene, less rats, less fleas. The second one, however...
** The first point may or may not be explained by the generally higher hygienic standards in the Islamic world at the time - better hygiene, less rats, less fleas. The second one, however...
*** Actually, North Africa was pretty thoroughly Muslim in that period, as it largely remains. Spain was conquered by way of ''Morocco'' before the Middle Ages even properly began, let alone the plague hitting. So it was in fact an important part of the Muslim world. Which got pretty whacked by the Black Death in actual history, as did China under the 'Pax Mongolica.' Its social consequences just weren't as dire.
*** Actually, North Africa was pretty thoroughly Muslim in that period, as it largely remains. Spain was conquered by way of ''Morocco'' before the Middle Ages even properly began, let alone the plague hitting. So it was in fact an important part of the Muslim world. Which got pretty whacked by the Black Death in actual history, as did China under the 'Pax Mongolica.' Its social consequences just weren't as dire.
* S.M. Stirling's ''[[The Draka|Draka]]'' series, where a [[Social Darwinist]] South African slave-based superpower emerges and eventually {{spoiler|conquers the earth}}. Many in the AH community find the history implausible, though it remains one of the modern classics of AH. Arguably a Type IV.
* S.M. Stirling's ''[[The Draka|Draka]]'' series, where a [[Social Darwinist]] South African slave-based superpower emerges and eventually {{spoiler|conquers the earth}}. Many in the AH community find the history implausible, though it remains one of the modern classics of AH. Arguably a Type IV.
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* ''[[Temeraire]]'' is the Napoleonic Wars... {{smallcaps|with dragons}}! Otherwise a Type II: The society is still reminiscent of the equivalent time period and technologies are much the same, though there are some significant political deviations. (The Incas were never conquered because they ''also'' had dragons, for instance).
* ''[[Temeraire]]'' is the Napoleonic Wars... {{smallcaps|with dragons}}! Otherwise a Type II: The society is still reminiscent of the equivalent time period and technologies are much the same, though there are some significant political deviations. (The Incas were never conquered because they ''also'' had dragons, for instance).
* The [[Ciem Webcomic Series]] postulates that Boonville, Indiana is overtaken by aliens who are obsessed with [[Genetic Engineering Is the New Nuke|engineering]] [[Hybrid Monster|monsters]] [[Bio Punk|for political gain]]. It is attacked by the National Guard and the town of Gerosha is built in its place - so-named after [[Reality Subtext|a seashell with a letter "G" carved into it that was found on a beach in Florida]]. After that, the [[Feuding Families|growing feud]] between Gerosha's founding Flippo family and the Hebbleskin Crime Family results in more [[Biological Mashup|monsters]], more explosions, and even a radioactive [[MacGuffin]] or two. Since it aims to become a comic book film, it's very steered and [[They Just Didn't Care|doesn't seem to care]] about how hard or soft the AH is.
* The [[Ciem Webcomic Series]] postulates that Boonville, Indiana is overtaken by aliens who are obsessed with [[Genetic Engineering Is the New Nuke|engineering]] [[Hybrid Monster|monsters]] [[Bio Punk|for political gain]]. It is attacked by the National Guard and the town of Gerosha is built in its place - so-named after [[Reality Subtext|a seashell with a letter "G" carved into it that was found on a beach in Florida]]. After that, the [[Feuding Families|growing feud]] between Gerosha's founding Flippo family and the Hebbleskin Crime Family results in more [[Biological Mashup|monsters]], more explosions, and even a radioactive [[MacGuffin]] or two. Since it aims to become a comic book film, it's very steered and [[They Just Didn't Care|doesn't seem to care]] about how hard or soft the AH is.
* ''[[Command and Conquer|Red Alert]]'' seems to be Type X-IV. It ''starts'' with [[Albert Einstein|Einstein]] building a [[Time Machine]] [[Hitler's Time Travel Exemption Act|and going back to kill Hitler]]. [[Dirty Communists]] led by [[Josef Stalin|Stalin]] invade Europe with [[Shock and Awe|Tesla coils]] and [[Tank Goodness|superheavy tanks]]. [[America Wins the War]] - but some thirty years later, we have a second Soviet invasion of USA... ''with [[Everything's Squishier with Cephalopods|giant battlesquids]], [[Weather Control Machine|Weather Control Machines]], tanks masquerading as trees, [[Frickin' Laser Beams|Frickin Prismatic Beams]], [[Cloning Blues]], [[Teleporters and Transporters]], ''' [[Cool Airship|bomber blimps]], [[Mind Control|Mind-Controlling]] soldiers and psychic possession via telephone''''', all served with a side order of [[Large Ham|Ham]] and [[Camp|Cheese]]. And then, when it seemed it was over, [[Serial Escalation|Red Alert 3 comes-a-knockin'...]]
* ''[[Command & Conquer|Red Alert]]'' seems to be Type X-IV. It ''starts'' with [[Albert Einstein|Einstein]] building a [[Time Machine]] [[Hitler's Time Travel Exemption Act|and going back to kill Hitler]]. [[Dirty Communists]] led by [[Josef Stalin|Stalin]] invade Europe with [[Shock and Awe|Tesla coils]] and [[Tank Goodness|superheavy tanks]]. [[America Wins the War]] - but some thirty years later, we have a second Soviet invasion of USA... ''with [[Everything's Squishier with Cephalopods|giant battlesquids]], [[Weather Control Machine|Weather Control Machines]], tanks masquerading as trees, [[Frickin' Laser Beams|Frickin Prismatic Beams]], [[Cloning Blues]], [[Teleporters and Transporters]], ''' [[Cool Airship|bomber blimps]], [[Mind Control|Mind-Controlling]] soldiers and psychic possession via telephone''''', all served with a side order of [[Large Ham|Ham]] and [[Camp|Cheese]]. And then, when it seemed it was over, [[Serial Escalation|Red Alert 3 comes-a-knockin'...]]
* The ''[[West of Eden]]'' trilogy is probably an X-III, with the fantastic element being that the dinosaurs were never wiped out. Realistically speaking, the extinction of the dinosaurs is probably what allowed mammals to gain dominance and thus humans to come to be, but of course in that case the humans versus lizard-women plot couldn't happen.
* The ''[[West of Eden]]'' trilogy is probably an X-III, with the fantastic element being that the dinosaurs were never wiped out. Realistically speaking, the extinction of the dinosaurs is probably what allowed mammals to gain dominance and thus humans to come to be, but of course in that case the humans versus lizard-women plot couldn't happen.
* In John Birmingham's novel ''Without Warning'', a [[Colony Drop]] of a mysterious energy field called the Wave wipes out all human life in most of the continental United States and much of Canada, Mexico and Cuba in 2003 just before the invasion of Iraq but after that it's pretty much a Type I including Sadaam Hussein's reaction to "the Great Satan" gettiing it's legs chopped out from under it and what springs from that.
* In John Birmingham's novel ''Without Warning'', a [[Colony Drop]] of a mysterious energy field called the Wave wipes out all human life in most of the continental United States and much of Canada, Mexico and Cuba in 2003 just before the invasion of Iraq but after that it's pretty much a Type I including Sadaam Hussein's reaction to "the Great Satan" gettiing it's legs chopped out from under it and what springs from that.
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