10 fascinating books in the genre of alternative history that allow you to see the world from a different angle

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Everyone knows that it is impossible to change the past, and history does not know the subjunctive mood. However, speculations about how events might develop if other decisions were made at important moments in history are invariably interesting. Artistic works in the genre of alternative history not only captivate, but also make one think, analyze and look at the world from a different angle.

"Hell, or the Joy of Passion", Vladimir Nabokov

Despite the fact that the events of this novel are developing on the antipode of the Land of Anti-Terra, the author offers to look at the world in which the British Empire and the alliance of the United States and Russia shared power. Many admirers of the author consider this work of Vladimir Nabokov to be the most difficult and deepest in his work, and readers will have to plunge into the world of philosophy, fantasy and forbidden love.

"He is here again", Timur Vermesh

The German journalist builds his story around the situation when Adolf Hitler suddenly finds himself in the modern world and tries to conquer the minds of people in the era of the dominance of Internet technologies. To some, the work of Timur Vermesh will seem scary and controversial, but at the same time it will make every reader smile.

The Man in the High Castle by Philip Dick

Philip Dick's novel builds events based on the admission of Germany's victory in World War II and the surrender of the USSR, the United States and other countries. It is quite possible that completely different people would appear before the Nuremberg court in this case, and the development of technology took a completely different path.

The Late Bell by Stephen Vincent Bene

The American science fiction writer invites the readers of his story to follow the fate of Napoleon if he had been born 30 years earlier. Could he then make a military career, take place as a talented commander and unleash a bloody war?

11/22/63 by Stephen King

The topic of time travel is not new, but in his work, Stephen King provides his hero with the opportunity to change history by preventing the assassination of John F. Kennedy. True, the past itself rebels against this scenario and confronts Jake Epping, a simple school teacher.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Suzanne Clarke

The reader from the very first pages will be immersed in the atmosphere of good old England. Even the language is more reminiscent of the works of Dickens or Austin. The events of the novel unfold in the 19th century, only now time seems to be turning back: instead of science and technology, ancient magic develops, gradually capturing the world.

"Variant BIS", Sergey Anisimov

How could the events of World War II have developed if the Soviet Union had been more prepared for the attack of Nazi Germany in June 1941? The author admits the likelihood that the allies of the USSR, frightened by the military might of the Land of the Soviets, could conclude a separate peace with the Germans and join the battle, uniting against a new enemy. Will a socialist society be able to withstand such a blow and what will the situation lead to when the whole world enters into a rivalry for global domination with one country?

Time and Time Again by Ben Elton

Full of the most incredible events, the plot of the novel about a retired special forces soldier revolves around the desire of the protagonist to turn the story back, preventing the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and sacrificing the German Kaiser Wilhelm. Can the main character single-handedly change the course of the story, and will it not entail even more dramatic consequences? You can find out about this only after reading the novel by Ben Elton.

The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson

What could have happened if the entire population of Europe had been destroyed as a result of a plague epidemic in the 14th century? Then a Chinese would go to discover America, and the industrial revolution could begin its march across the planet from India. In this case, it would not be Christianity at all that would become the dominant religion, but rather Islam and Buddhism. However, the author invites readers to get to know the alternative world themselves, plunging into a new atmosphere and seeing familiar things from an unusual angle.

How to Make History by Stephen Fry

In this novel, the author will not give his readers the only correct answers to questions, but will force fans of his work to go in search of an alternative solution with him. In the world created by Stephen Fry, two scientists were able to run into the water supply of the city, where Adolf Hitler was to be born, a special substance that sterilizes men. And the dictator no longer had a single chance to be born. However, as you know, a holy place is never empty, and instead of Hitler, a completely different person appears, and already another person becomes the creator of history. But will this unexpected replacement of the leader prove to be a blessing for humanity?

Newsweek's book ranking of the best books is of particular interest to readers because during its creation, similar lists of different publications were collected and analyzed, and reading lovers were attracted. We offer get to know the top ten, all the more so since it includes two works by Russian authors at once.