Richard Nixon the Used Car Salesman: Difference between revisions

* In the ''[[His Dark Materials]]'' series, the Protestant Revolution never took place in Lyra's world, which somehow resulted in John Calvin becoming ''pope.'' (And apparently that world's popes don't use their full first names rather than regal titles, too. [[Don't Explain the Joke|Go figure.]])

* In a (currently unidentified) short story, Western pop culture needed only a few nudges to be completely different. Our hero, who goes by Aaron (he finds his [[Elvis Presley|real first name]] embarrassing), is head of security for the opening ceremonies of the world's first spaceport in 1964. Captain Burt Reynolds has returned from his triumphant landing on the moon, a victory for private enterprise (it was funded by Boeing instead of NASA); Nixon is just finishing his term as President after beating Kennedy in 1960; Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, and Buddy Holly are the reigning kings of rock-and-roll, and a struggling rock ''quintet'' [[The Beatles|from England]] are just beginning their first American tour.

* Another Turtledove example: In the short story "Joe Steele," [[Joseph Stalin]]'s parents had emigrated to the United States before he was born. He becomes president of a U.S. that, under his leadership, changes into a country so different that it [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|just might remind you of something.]] Leon Trotsky becomes leader of the Soviet Union.

* In the ''[[Lord Darcy]]'' series, set in a world where the automobile was never invented, Ferarri of Milan is a noted manufacturer of firearms. The [[Nero Wolfe]] pastiche even extends this to a ''fictional'' car company; Lord Bontriomphe's gun is a Heron .38, reflecting Wolfe's 1938 Heron sedan.