Customer Reviews

The Mammoth Book of Alternate Histories

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The problem here is that the editors do not seem to know what Alternate History stories are, and instead picked quite a few Speculative Fiction tales.

Now, here is what I think Alt Hist is:
There is a crucial point in history, a crux, where if one (perhaps minor) thing changed, it would significantly change History as we know it. A classic Alt Hist story has believable characters with normal human reactions and emotions. Scientific advancement may have well changed significantly also, along with the usual political changes. It can add Fantasy or magic, as long as that is explained in the terms of the new alternate timeline. Often, people who we know from history are shown as their "what if" counterparts. The story is usually set long enough after the crux for the changes to ripple through. Now, that's just my opinion, of course.

So let's look at the three new stories specially picked for this compilation:
(WARNING, there might be some SPOILERS ahead!)

The Raft of the Titanic, by James Morrow. The author is well known for his Speculative Fiction series about a world where the giant body of the Deity is found and must be towed through the ocean. His short story here seems to be similar- the Titanic sinks, and the survivors (nearly all the passengers and crew survive) build a huge raft, which they then pilot through the sea of the world for years, setting up a society of sort, utilizing cannibalism as one of the primary food sources. Well, you see- the characters (as is common in Spec Fic) do not react as normal humans, natural science is more or less trampled and there's no "alternate timeline". The story is not "Alternate History" by my definition. I also did not care for it at all.

Sidewinders, by Ken MacLeod. This is a pretty good story and could be classic Alt Hist. The idea here is that some individuals can slip sidewise through various alternate timelines. It would serve well as the introductory chapter in a full length book set in that universe. But it's not long enough for us to get our teeth into the characters or the world.

Darwin Anathema, by Stephen Baxter is indeed classic Alt Hist. Here the timeline is one where Galileo did not commit "heresy", thus the Church was never challenged, thus Darwin (or his memory) is being charged with Heresy four hundred+ years later. Not bad.

Then we have a number of reprints, some which I have read, and a number which I am not familiar with. Harry Harrison has an interesting tale about a crux point in history. It's well done, but it's not about what the alternate timeline would be like should the crux change- it's about the crux point itself. Similar with Roncesvalles by Judith Tarr, although it is a well written story. Both worth reading, mind you.

Two stories I have read before and are pretty classic Alt Hist: Catch That Zeppelin, by Fritz Leiber (I have always found Leiber to be a good choice) and Weinachtsabend by Keith Roberts. Both are great.

I am going to cover one more story, as it shows whatI think may be wrong with the idea behind this collection. The Lucky Strike, by Kim Robinson. The story is set in the last days of WWII, where the primary crew for the Atomic Bomb attack can't go, thus a alternate crew must go. SPOILER! The bombardier has a crisis of conscience and deliberately misses Hiroshima. Japan surrenders anyway, as the bomb is quickly touted as a "example". Wow, what a great idea for a crux point! There could be several interesting alternate timelines from here- obviously the Cold War would be different, but how? Would no one build up a nuclear arsenal? Or, maybe by not having the horrors of Hiroshima to warn us, would Atomic bombs be used in a later conflict, perhaps against North Korea? Either could make a interesting Alt Hist timeline and world. But the story ends with the crux point. I don't think that is Alternate History, Mr Watson & Mr Waites- that's the crux point from which a real Alt Hist story would come from.

Now, there's some gems here, and if you have not read all the stories, this volume might be worth getting. But be prepared to be frustrated several times, even with some of the better authors, due to what I think is the Editors misunderstanding of this genre.

I am in violent agreement with my fellow reviewers that this collection is both uninspired and that many of the tales do not fit the alternate history genre. This begins with the first story: The Raft of the Titanic which could be classified as pure science fiction. However, it was engaging and provided some short-lived hope for the rest of the book. Catch that Zeppelin and The Lucky Strike were two other bright spots in an otherwise barren collection. Unfortunately, the majority of the tale's scenarios were unimpressive so simply did not engage me. Like the zombie genre, alternate histories abound but only a precious few are ingenious and memorable.

I'm about 200 pages into this turkey and I can't believe how bad this book is. The Pope calls a crusade after the 6 Day War which results in an assualt on Istanbul that escaltes into a nuclear war? Less than 50 Aztec warriors returning with Columbus (there couldn't be more than that coming back on the one ship that is carrying them) intervene in the Spanish siege of Moorish Granada and route the forces of both sides, capturing the Moslem ruler and both Ferdinand and Isabella? The U. S. becomes a totalitarian dictatorship because Bob Dylan did not go to Chicago in 1968?

I enjoy alternate histories, but I require that they be based on a rational, plausible alternatives not wild speculation based on the authors' failure to due even basic research.

Huge disappointment and an even bigger waste of time and money. Kept starting a new story thinking it would be an improvement on the one I'd just given up on and, guess what, it was worse. Eventually just gave up on the entire, awful collection. Can't remember ever buying a book as bad as this one. Threw it out. Life's too short.

This collection contains one extremely good story and a handful of very honest ones, but most of them are average or weak. Also I must say that I was surprised how many of stories are deep fried in anti-Christian bigotry and sometimes also a virulent strain of anti-white racism. Below you will find some information about all the stories, with as little spoilers as possible:

THE RAFT OF THE TITANIC by James Morrow. The best story in the collection and an absolute treasure! Vaguely inspired by the famous painting "The raft of La Meduse" and enriched by citations from Coleridge's poem "The rime of ancient mariner", wickedly twisted and full of wit, this is a marvel, which could proudly figure in any collection of main stream literature short stories. I never read anything by James Morrow before, but after swallowing this story I am going to remedy to it very fast.

THE SIDEWINDERS by Ken MacLeod. A honest story about infinite parallel worlds, attempting to launch a debate between progress/intervention and conservatism/isolation and with some funny moments happening in a parallel UK, governed by a kind of super-leftist Labour Party, but definitely not a master piece.

THE WANDERING CHRISTIAN by Eugene Byrne and Kim Newman. This story will be almost certainly incredibly offensive to any believing Christian, but will probably delight all Christian-haters. It is well written, I must give the authors that, but I was deeply offended by their these, that Christianity triumphed in Europe only because of ONE "lucky break" and that if that did not happen, it would fatally decline and ultimately vanish, when in the same time ALL other religions would prosper and progress. I wonder if both authors would dare to write something like that about Islam...

HUSH MY MOUTH by Suzette Hayden Elgin. A rather interesting story about an alternate United States where all the whites were exterminated and only black population remains. Quite well written, but I just wonder if any editor would have nowadays the courage to print a story in which the contrary happens...

A LETTER FROM THE POPE by Harry Harrison and Tom Shippey. Another deeply anti-Christian story which occurs in Alfred the Great times. Again it is quite well written, but it places on the same level Nordic paganism and the Christianity and clearly hints that the first was more sympathetic - a claim that on a personal level I am absolutely not comfortable with.

SUCH A DEAL by Esther M. Friesner. That one happens in 1492, during the siege of Grenade, it is seen from the perspective of local Jews and author tries to be humoristic - but once again Christians (in this case Spanish kings) play the role of super villains. I must admit that I was deeply shocked by the sheer joy with which author described the massacre of Christians - and I would certainly be as shocked if anybody wrote about a massacre of Jews with the same level of pleasure and satisfaction...

INK FROM THE NEW MOON by A.A. Attanasio. A rather interesting alternate history in alternate America in XV century, but once again damaged by an incredible display of anti-white racism. The first contact of the hero with first European explorers is the occasion to shoot a salvo of ethnic hatred and contempt of a magnitude which I believed was no more used in letters since the end of III Reich!

DISPATCHES FROM THE REVOLUTION by Pat Cadigan. That one is VERY interesting and very well written and I liked it a lot even if its general line is really not favourable to my politics. A story seriously left wing oriented but so brilliant that even a conservative like me enjoyed it. Absolutely no spoilers here.

CATCH THAT ZEPPELIN by Fritz Leiber. The oldest story in this collection, it is centred around an alternate Germany in the 30s and is told by a major player in world history, but who in this reality has a life very different and humbler but ultimately much more satisfying.

A VERY BRITISH HISTORY by Paul McAuley. An alternate history of space race from 1950s to 1990s, as seen from British perspective - a good idea in the beginning, but sadly it is also one of the weakest stories in the book.

THE IMITATION GAME by Rudy Rucker. The least interesting in the whole book, it is basically a story about two homosexual lovers living in a strongly homophobic society. It is however mercifully short.

WEINACHTSABEND by Keith Roberts. This story about a world in which III Reich won the WWII is very famous amongst SF fans and I was expecting a lot from it - but I found it surprisingly disappointing and even by moments ridiculous. Now I am certain that in 1972, when it was first published, it could be a shocker - but since then there were so many "III Reich victorious" stories that the subject lost much of its "fire power". And the story itself is simply weak, with actions of the protagonists not making much sense. But, if you do not know it yet, read it and make up your own mind.

THE LUCKY STRIKE by Kim Stanley Robinson. The story is linked to the first nuclear attack against Japan. It is very well written and a good read, no argument there. But it is also - in my modest opinion - the MOST BIASED and the least satisfying in the whole anthology. Author looks at the situation in July 1945 in Pacific with the eyes of a far left peacenik from the 70s and as a result the whole story horribly and (in my modest opinion) unfairly insults a great American soldier, brigadier general Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. (1915-2007) and a great American president, Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). The last two pages are so incredibly stupid and naive that I laughed out loud. I will not reveal more, but if after reading this short story you feel like agreeing with the author, I propose you to watch a great Japanese movie "Japan's longest day" (1967) and/or read the extraordinary book "Hell to pay: Operation Downfall and the invasion of Japan 1945-47" by D.M. Giangreco. They are I believe a sufficient rebuttal to Mr Robinson's views.

HIS POWDER'D WIG, HIS CROWN OF THORNS by Marc Laidlaw. A rather dull and a little weird story about an alternate America after the British victory against rebelled colonists in Independence War. For reasons unexplained, this version of America is devoid of any white population and populated only by Indians and African-Americans...

RONCESVALLES by Judith Tarr. That one is, in my personal opinion, the most offensive in the whole book. It occurs in times of Charlemagne, but this time Roland and Oliver are homosexual lovers, Charlemagne and his knights are all pagans and only Ganelon the traitor is a Christian, plotting with Byzantines. And ALL Christians appearing in this story are smelly dirty wicked traitors and murderers trying to turn pagan Charlemagne against evolved and peace loving Muslims... No more comment needed.

THE ENGLISH MUTINY by Ian R. MacLeod. Now that is a very good and very interesting story about England as part of the Great Mughul Empire and the great rebellion of native population and especially native soldiers against Indian sahibs. It could be a masterpiece, if there was not a totally idiotic and useless twist in the last two pages.

O ONE by Chris Roberson. In a world dominated by the Chinese Empire a savant from European Provinces tries to obtain an audience with the Emperor to demonstrate an important invention. That is a very clever story about the complex and merciless mechanisms of the great imperial courts in the whole human history and this particularity of China which made it occasionally go backwards in technology and development without any invasion or civilisation collapse...

ISLANDS IN THE SEA by Harry Turtledove. The great master of alternate history can do no wrong, so this is another very good story. In the first paragraph we learn the time and place of action - 769AD, just after the fall of Byzantium to the conquering Arabs, in the Balkans, among the still pagan Bulgars (today we would say Bulgarians)... Nothing more will be said on the plot. Very well written, very erudite (Mr Turtledove is a recognized expert on Byzantine history) but the idea of the great Greek city falling to the Muslims already in VIII century makes it a heartbreaking reading to any Christian...

LENIN IN ODESSA by George Zebrowski. A story about first years of Soviet regime in Russia featuring Lenin, Stalin and a famous British secret agent Sidney Reilly (in real world executed in Soviet Union in 1925). I must say that I did not like it, as it showed all the three protagonists as complete caricatures of real people.

THE EINSTEIN GUN by Pierre Gévart. Third best story in the collection, it may seem a little dull in the beginning and even in the middle and even towards the end - but please READ IT TO THE END and you will be greatly rewarded! Not even a shadow of spoiler here - it is too good for that!

TALES FROM THE VENIA WOODS by Robert Silverberg. The basic idea about the survival of Roman Empire and its conquest of the world was interesting, but I found this story surprisingly boring, especially coming from such a giant of SF.

MANASSAS AGAIN by Gregory Benford. There is some alternate history in the distant background but this is mostly a story about a war of humans against robots. A rather dull read - if you skip it you will not loose anything.

THE SLEEPING SERPENT by Pamela Sargent. Another story about extermination of white population of America and once again it is described with such an enthusiasm that I was sick when reading it. I especially appreciated the scene with little white children being taken in slavery once their parents were exterminated and the comment of the main character "soon there will forget and have a better life with new families..."

WAITING FOR THE OLYMPIANS by Frederik Pohl. Second best in the whole collection, which comes as no surprise, considering the author. It is really well written and also, after so many anti-Christian stories in this book, that one put at least some balm on my heart. This story of the First Contact made with aliens in a world in which Roman Empire survived but Christianity never occurred is really clever - and the final punch line is a very powerful one.

DARWIN ANATHEMA by Stephen Baxter. That one explores one of the most famous "what ifs" in the whole SF: what if the Invincible Armada succeeded in 1588? Although critical towards Catholic Church, this story is however quite moderate (especially if compared to the openly heinous "Roncevalles") and has some surprising twists. Although I do not agree with the thesis that Catholic victory in England in 1588 would have catastrophic consequences (after all the first declaration of human rights in Europe took place in Catholic France in 1789), I liked this story - and especially I liked one of the Inquisitors..)))

Terrible waste of money. I breezed through this book in about 15 minutes. None of the stories were any good. Each one seemed vague with no contextual detail to make a reader aware of really when and where you were. I actually almost through it in the trash, but maybe I can get a store credit at a local bookstore for it. Don't buy this !!

Most of the stories have some interesting underlying assumption which is not very clear.
The ideas are mostly not fully developped and stories are mostly not very conclusive.
Altogether a mediocre collection of stories.

If you are into alternate history-type stories, this book is a good read. A few stories have been re-printed elsewhere, but each story is a engaging tale of just how it could have been.

Unlike most of the other reviewers, It thought this book contained some good stories and some average stories but no bad stories. It does concentrate more on alternative histories using religion as a base for the story. However, this is science fiction based on possible historical events and is worth the read

I figured since no reviews this was going to be a ne book IT WASN'T. It was from other books combined into one, so if you bought any books on alternete Historys DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME.......