Is there any relationship between Alternative history and Historical novels??

hello,

I read somewhere this "Alternative history is in general classified as a type of science fiction,but it also bears some relation to historical fiction.....Alternative histories might describe worlds in which Roman Empire had never fallen, ...........or in which the south had won Civil War....."

In fact I have no idea about this kind of writing can anyone please, give me an example of a book on Alternative history and historical novel as well? What is the realtionship between the two?

Thanks :santasmil

Hi Ranoo,
well i'm not sure about it but one example of alternative novel could be "The Big Brother" or also "the Animal farm" both By G. Orwell infact they both talk about "fiction" but contextualing the plot into the society of that time. While (and i'm sure about it)examples of historical novels could be "Ivanohe"by sir Walter Scott and the "Promessi Sposi" written by Alessandro Manzoni. In both the novels we find the denounce of the evils of thei agges but are covered just by talking at the past, i mean both Scott and Manzoni descibe their societies as if they were in the old age and not during the time they lived.

Thanx michela.Hope to hear from others too.

Philip K. Dick's novel "The Man in the High Castle" is speculative literature (not science fiction) that uses alternative history. In the story the Axis powers have won World War II, Nazi Germany controls the eastern U.S. and Imperial Japan controls the western U.S. But the plot twist is the main character is only vaguely aware of this fact and thinks consciously that the Allies won the war.

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Originally Posted by michela

Hi Ranoo,
well i'm not sure about it but one example of alternative novel could be "The Big Brother" or also "the Animal farm" both By G. Orwell infact they both talk about "fiction" but contextualing the plot into the society of that time.

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Nope. Orwell's works are not alternative history - when "1984" was written it was a date in the future.

Alternative history basically means:

*to take a (historical) situation in the past, where things could possibly have gone two ways
*to watch the way how it didn't go (e.g when Remus named the city and not Romulus(Strata by Terry Pratchett) or when Indians had won , not the conquistadors(The Indians Won by Martin Cruz Smith), or when that Russian czar who wanted to have a new religion would have chosen islam instead of the Byzantic religion - there are a lot of possibilities)
*or put a new variable in (for example, magic) and watch how history went then

A good alternative history book is Pavane by Keith Roberts - set in a Britain where Queen Elizabeth I was assassinated and the Spanish Armada landed. Starwriter mentions Philip K. Dick's the Man in the High Castle - also one of my favourites, and then there's practically every book written by Harry Turtledove, who has written a series of books where WWII earth is invaded by aliens and books about what would have happened if the South had won the American Civil War. You're right in saying they usually fit into the Science Fiction genre.

Examples of historical fiction would be I, Claudius, Claudius the God and Count Belizarius all by Robert Graves. Although they deal with real historic characters and events, the author pretty much makes up what was said and their motivations and day to day lives. I suppose you could sub-divide historic novels into the kind written by Bernard Cornwell and Simon Scarrow, where you have a totally fictional character but a real historic background.

Yes...wait. I have a question...i read an amazing book about what happened in the US when the government went crazy and all of this strange stuff. It was a lot like 1984, but it was recently published, and took place in the past. would that be considered alternative history?? Well...the title was Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood, and i thought that it was amazing!

I appreciate it :D .

Handmaid's Tale isn't considered alternative history, because it's in an un-named future. In fact Atwood even denied it was science fiction (science fiction is a dirty word in some literary circles). Great book though.

Well I think there is a connection between the two. Umberto Eco has writen "Baudolino" which could be categorised as both a historical novel and aa alternative history.
The "hero" Baudolino tells his own version of the history in Europe, but since it is his version it sometimes becomes rather alternative. Later in the book he also comes across some of the monsters, that where believed to exist by the catholic church at the time.
So even if nothing really serious happens, that changes the fate of the world as we know it, it still can't be considered to be a historical novel, because it basically is a lie.

thanks all for helping!
I've one more quetion ,Can a novel be classified as historical and romantic one at the same time ?If so,How can this be explained?

I would say yes in rare cases to your second question.
If a historical novel deals with a romantic event in history, or if the main characters are romantically involved. This would make the novel both historical and romantic.

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Originally Posted by Ranoo

thanks all for helping!
I've one more quetion ,Can a novel be classified as historical and romantic one at the same time ?If so,How can this be explained?

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hehe I acttually know the answwer to this one.
Ok you have basically 2 types of historical romantic fiction.
Historical and the other type which is I think correctlly called historica anyway both are romances mills and boons type ( cant think of an american hisorical romance (sorry) anyway so the Historicals tend to be more historically accurate , speach behaviour, the authours words and style are all etc are all historically accurate the books are more of a trip through history where there happens to be a good deal romance going on ( Georgette Heyer I think is an example of this could be wrong but Im sure thats what I read anyway moving along, or Elizabeth peters Amelia peabody series )

while Historica as I think they are called are a bit bogus basaically a romance that just happens to be in the past actually come to think of it you would usally find them seperate in the libarary if its decent but ocassionally youl find historica in the historical section ok more thann occasionally

:rolleyes:

A historical and romantic novel, in my opinion, would be "Uncle Tom's Cabin". The story takes place in a real historical setting, but the main character is very romantized. Would anybod agree with me on this one?

Bruce Sterling and William Gibson - "The Difference Engine".

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Originally Posted by Diceman

Bruce Sterling and William Gibson - "The Difference Engine".

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I forgot about that one - it's a really great read.

Also, just remembered Kim Stanley Robinson wrote an alternative history book - The Years of Rice and Salt . I highly recommend it, it starts in the ancient world, I think around about the time Ancient Greece was in the ascendancy. Western culture and society is wiped out by a plague and history takes a very different turn with, among other things, China discovering the new world and the Ottomans colonizing much of Europe.

hehe At work today I rembered I was mixing thngs up It Romance and romanica
not historical and historica but there are definetly 2 types of historical novels

:D

a big thanks to you all! ;)