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Alternate History Books by Canadians
April 15, 2022
If you’re looking for a fascinating read for Canada Book Day, consider the often overlooked category of alternate history books by Canadians. Alternate history – also called alternative history – is a genre of speculative fiction that explores what might have come to pass if particular historical events had happened differently. Alternate history involves a point of divergence from actual history: a moment at which the fictional timeline departs from the historical record. Alternate history books explore questions of “what if,” or what might have been. Canadians are among the most prominent writers in the genre.
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Alternate History by Napoleon
February 3, 2017
In view of all the alternate history written about Napoleon, of which Napoleon in America is an example, it is worth noting that a prolific speculator about Napoleonic “what-ifs” was Bonaparte himself. Napoleon often posited counterfactuals, particularly when he was in exile on St. Helena. Here are some of Napoleon’s alternate history scenarios.
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Alternate History Books by Women
May 27, 2016
The BBC Radio 4 “Open Book” program recently characterized alternate history as “an exclusively male domain in terms of authorship.” To clear up the BBC’s misconception, and to introduce you to some novels you may not have come across, here’s a list of alternate history books written by women.
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What if Napoleon won the Battle of Waterloo?
June 19, 2015
Napoleon winning the Battle of Waterloo is one of the ten most popular scenarios in English-language alternate history, and the most popular one in French. The Waterloo “what if?” pops up repeatedly in alternate history forums and has been the subject of numerous books, stories and articles. Broadly speaking, exploring what might have happened if Napoleon had won at Waterloo involves pursuing one or more of the following questions.
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Napoleon in Alternate History
November 28, 2014
What if Napoleon won the Battle of Waterloo? What if he defeated Russia in 1812? What if he escaped from exile on St. Helena? The Napoleonic era offers many opportunities for divergence from the historical timeline, and authors have let their imaginations roam. Here are some of the results.
We must confess that fate, which sports with man, makes merry work with the affairs of this world.
Napoleon Bonaparte