alternativehistory

Alternative history, also known as alternate history or allohistory, is a genre of speculative fiction that depicts an event or series of events that differ from those of recorded history. In these narratives, the author imagines a point of divergence, a "what if" scenario, where history took a different course. This divergence can be a single significant event, such as a battle won or lost differently, a ruler surviving when they historically died, or an invention appearing at an earlier or later time.

The genre explores the potential consequences of these altered historical trajectories. Authors often use this framework to examine societal, political, technological, and cultural developments that might have arisen from a different past. The focus is on plausibility, with successful alternative history stories often grounding their divergences in established historical context and extrapolating logically from the altered premise.

Common themes in alternative history include empires that never fell, different outcomes to major wars, the survival of extinct species, or the development of technologies along different paths. It allows readers to engage with history in a new way, prompting reflection on the contingency of historical events and the myriad possibilities that lay dormant in the past. While fictional, the genre can serve as a thought experiment, highlighting the interconnectedness of historical forces and the impact of individual or collective decisions.