Are there any fans of alternate history stories here? I enjoyed SM stirling's Nantucket and Emberverse series of novels. Revolution, the tv show, was a rip-off of Stirling's work and stank pretty much. The Man in the High Castle, based on Philip K. ****'s novel, has promise. It's an Amazon Prime show, but you can find and watch it online for free.
The Man in the High Castle
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I didn't even realize this was it's own genre, but yeah this concept has always intrigued me.
I think it does very well as a plot device within an existing science fiction story eg Star Trek has done this several times.
It will be interesting to see if an entire movie about an alternate history can hold enough interest.
I think it does very well as a plot device within an existing science fiction story eg Star Trek has done this several times.
It will be interesting to see if an entire movie about an alternate history can hold enough interest.
The "what if this had happened instead?" concept that is at the core of alternate history stories, lends itself especially to dystopian, futuristic tales. The stories may or may not cross over into sci-fi, fantasy or horror.
Another book series that started out promising, but jumped the shark, or rather the lemur in this case, is Taylor Anderson's Destroyermen series. Funny you should mention Star Trek, as the reboot and its sequel themselves are alternate history stories within the ST canon. V is for Vendetta could be considered an alternate history story of the modern UK, although I think the story lacks the meat to be considered one. The story's focus is on revolution against oppression and not on how and why things turned out the way they are. The same thing goes for The Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner.
Interest seems rather widespread, and there are even forums with this topic.
Another book series that started out promising, but jumped the shark, or rather the lemur in this case, is Taylor Anderson's Destroyermen series. Funny you should mention Star Trek, as the reboot and its sequel themselves are alternate history stories within the ST canon. V is for Vendetta could be considered an alternate history story of the modern UK, although I think the story lacks the meat to be considered one. The story's focus is on revolution against oppression and not on how and why things turned out the way they are. The same thing goes for The Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner.
Interest seems rather widespread, and there are even forums with this topic.
I didn't love the book, but I read it recently. I'm looking forward to the show being released next month.
I'm the same way with ****. I also didn't really like Do Androids Dream of Elextric Sheep, but I managed to finish it. I didn't read the last part of The Man in the High Castle.
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
I love alternate history, but could never get through the book...just don't like Phillip ****'s writing style.
Well, the Amazon TV series doesn't seem to be a whole lot better in that respect... watched the first two episodes. Couldn't really get into it. Way too convoluted and slow moving. Alas, I guess they can't move too fast or else the series would end too quickly.
Anyone remember Jericho?
I love alternate history, but could never get through the book...just don't like Phillip ****'s writing style.
Well, the Amazon TV series doesn't seem to be a whole lot better in that respect... watched the first two episodes. Couldn't really get into it. Way too convoluted and slow moving. Alas, I guess they can't move too fast or else the series would end too quickly.
Anyone remember Jericho?
Jericho was awesome.
I plan on watching this one when it comes out.
I plan on watching this one when it comes out.
I keep seeing the teasers on YouTube and Amazon wants me view the first episode "free". I probably won't bother, but thinking about it I was curious how the Nazis won WWI in this alternate history. Did the Nazis not invade Russia and Russia not enter the fray for some reason?
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Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Jericho was awesome.
I plan on watching this one when it comes out.
It was pretty good. I did sign the petition to brig it back for another season, which actually happned after mass peanut mailings to the studio.
Jericho was awesome.
I plan on watching this one when it comes out.
It was pretty good. I did sign the petition to brig it back for another season, which actually happned after mass peanut mailings to the studio.
Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
I keep seeing the teasers on YouTube and Amazon wants me view the first episode "free". I probably won't bother, but thinking about it I was curious how the Nazis won WWI in this alternate history. Did the Nazis not invade Russia and Russia not enter the fray for some reason?
In this alternate history the Nazis have conquered the Soviet Union.
I keep seeing the teasers on YouTube and Amazon wants me view the first episode "free". I probably won't bother, but thinking about it I was curious how the Nazis won WWI in this alternate history. Did the Nazis not invade Russia and Russia not enter the fray for some reason?
In this alternate history the Nazis have conquered the Soviet Union.
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
I'm the same way with ****. I also didn't really like Do Androids Dream of Elextric Sheep, but I managed to finish it. I didn't read the last part of The Man in the High Castle.
****'s writing style is somewhat incongruous. That's why nobody ever quotes him.
I'm the same way with ****. I also didn't really like Do Androids Dream of Elextric Sheep, but I managed to finish it. I didn't read the last part of The Man in the High Castle.
****'s writing style is somewhat incongruous. That's why nobody ever quotes him.
Originally Posted By: Benito
I didn't even realize this was it's own genre, but yeah this concept has always intrigued me.
I think it does very well as a plot device within an existing science fiction story eg Star Trek has done this several times.
It will be interesting to see if an entire movie about an alternate history can hold enough interest.
High Castle is considered a classic of the alternate-timeline or alternate history genre. The usual suspects have all been treated: the South wins the Civil War in Ward Moore's Bring the Jubilee, for instance, or Queen Elizabeth I is assassinated leading to a 20th-Century Catholic England in Keith Roberts's Pavane. There's a short novel by Poul Anderson, one of his Time Patrol stories, in which Hannibal defeats Rome and thus changes all of Western history. And there's a neat collection of "What if Nazi Germany had won WWII?" stories, Hitler Victorious, which contains another and haunting Roberts story, "Weinachtsabend."
The last section of Stephen King's wonderful time travel novel 11/22/63 details his suggestions of what might have happened if John Kennedy had not been killed in Dallas on that Friday. (Hint: It ain't pleasant.)
I didn't even realize this was it's own genre, but yeah this concept has always intrigued me.
I think it does very well as a plot device within an existing science fiction story eg Star Trek has done this several times.
It will be interesting to see if an entire movie about an alternate history can hold enough interest.
High Castle is considered a classic of the alternate-timeline or alternate history genre. The usual suspects have all been treated: the South wins the Civil War in Ward Moore's Bring the Jubilee, for instance, or Queen Elizabeth I is assassinated leading to a 20th-Century Catholic England in Keith Roberts's Pavane. There's a short novel by Poul Anderson, one of his Time Patrol stories, in which Hannibal defeats Rome and thus changes all of Western history. And there's a neat collection of "What if Nazi Germany had won WWII?" stories, Hitler Victorious, which contains another and haunting Roberts story, "Weinachtsabend."
The last section of Stephen King's wonderful time travel novel 11/22/63 details his suggestions of what might have happened if John Kennedy had not been killed in Dallas on that Friday. (Hint: It ain't pleasant.)
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