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Alt.History 102
Alt History repeats itself... From the creator of the #1 bestselling Future Chronicles anthology series comes a collection that turns the world you know upside down.
In Alt History 102, the follow-up to the bestselling Alt History 101, twelve top speculative fiction authors re-imagine the world as one where a beautiful actress becomes a spy for the Allied forces, as one where the Internet is tightly held only by an elite few, as one where the Native American population is resistant to European diseases, and nine other compelling stories charting the histories of our world.
Enter worlds so much like our own, yet so different, where everything you know... is history.
In Alt History 102, the follow-up to the bestselling Alt History 101, twelve top speculative fiction authors re-imagine the world as one where a beautiful actress becomes a spy for the Allied forces, as one where the Internet is tightly held only by an elite few, as one where the Native American population is resistant to European diseases, and nine other compelling stories charting the histories of our world.
Enter worlds so much like our own, yet so different, where everything you know... is history.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 29, 2016
49 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Samuel Peralta
70 books104 followersSamuel Peralta is a physicist and storyteller. He is most well-known in publishing as a poet, short story writer, and creator of the "Future Chronicles" anthologies, with over 20 bestselling titles to date.
Peralta's writing has been spotlighted in Best American Poetry, selected for Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy, and has won multiple awards, including from the UK Poetry Society and the Palanca Memorial Foundation.
He is a supporter and producer of independent films, one of which was nominated for a Golden Globe and another garnering an Emmy Award.
Peralta is the founder of the Lunar Codex, launching the works of 30,000 writers, artists, musicians, and filmmakers from over 155 countries, to the Moon.
Peralta's writing has been spotlighted in Best American Poetry, selected for Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy, and has won multiple awards, including from the UK Poetry Society and the Palanca Memorial Foundation.
He is a supporter and producer of independent films, one of which was nominated for a Golden Globe and another garnering an Emmy Award.
Peralta is the founder of the Lunar Codex, launching the works of 30,000 writers, artists, musicians, and filmmakers from over 155 countries, to the Moon.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
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February 1, 2016An excellent anthology! A wonderful collection of "What if?" tales.
One of the things I like most about anthologies is the chance to discover new authors. I've read works by Drew Avera and J.E. Mac, but this gave me a great opportunity to get a taste of some other writers. I'll definitely be checking out their work.
The postapoc fan in me liked The Blackbird Sings by Therin Knite and I especially liked Drought by J.E. Mac.
One of the things I like most about anthologies is the chance to discover new authors. I've read works by Drew Avera and J.E. Mac, but this gave me a great opportunity to get a taste of some other writers. I'll definitely be checking out their work.
The postapoc fan in me liked The Blackbird Sings by Therin Knite and I especially liked Drought by J.E. Mac.
March 7, 2016
Was an interesting read. I initially bought this for my Kindle just for the story by Rysa Walker (I'm crazy about her writing - it was an amazing story as per usual, if you're curious!), but I overall enjoyed the rest of it as well. Some of the more sci-fi stories lost me and I skimmed, but I especially liked the ones with Hedy Lamarr and Colombus. I might check out future collections.
February 12, 2016
The concept of alternate history is fascinating when you think about it. But setting history aside for a moment - just the fact that so many things could have changed on a personal level if you'd answered the phone, gone left instead of right, left 5 minutes earlier, agreed to go out on that first date, majored in something different - a person could spends countless hours just thinking about it. But with history - there are endless possibilities and directions these authors could have taken - and it's a fascinating collection of stories. All of them will get your mind churning, thinking about what if? A few that stuck with me are:
The Blackbird Sings by Therin Knite - This story gives us a glimpse into what could have happened if the Cold War had ended differently. Knite always creates some powerful, kick-ass female characters and Kara is no exception. With cybernetically enhanced agents chasing an assassin, The Blackbird Sings moves along at a brisk pace and comes to a rewarding conclusion.
The Tesla Gate by Drew Avera - Nikola Tesla is attempting to build the Tesla Gate that will traverse time and space, but he stands to lose a part of himself. I've always been intrigued by anything having to do with Tesla and Samuel Clemens being in this story was just a bonus. I enjoyed the dialogue between Tesla and his other personality and would like to see this story continue.
The Black Network by Adam Venezia - In this story, computers exist, but only a select group are given the means to access information - something that's just downright scary to me. This was an admirable portrayal of how far some people will go to gain information and better their lives.
Requiem by Will Swardstrom - What if Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Marie Antoinette had fallen in love as children, that love carried into adulthood, and Mozart attempted to save the French queen? Excellent writing and an engrossing, bittersweet story.
With such a variety of imaginative, thought-provoking stories, there's something here for everyone.
I received a copy of this book from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review.
The Blackbird Sings by Therin Knite - This story gives us a glimpse into what could have happened if the Cold War had ended differently. Knite always creates some powerful, kick-ass female characters and Kara is no exception. With cybernetically enhanced agents chasing an assassin, The Blackbird Sings moves along at a brisk pace and comes to a rewarding conclusion.
The Tesla Gate by Drew Avera - Nikola Tesla is attempting to build the Tesla Gate that will traverse time and space, but he stands to lose a part of himself. I've always been intrigued by anything having to do with Tesla and Samuel Clemens being in this story was just a bonus. I enjoyed the dialogue between Tesla and his other personality and would like to see this story continue.
The Black Network by Adam Venezia - In this story, computers exist, but only a select group are given the means to access information - something that's just downright scary to me. This was an admirable portrayal of how far some people will go to gain information and better their lives.
Requiem by Will Swardstrom - What if Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Marie Antoinette had fallen in love as children, that love carried into adulthood, and Mozart attempted to save the French queen? Excellent writing and an engrossing, bittersweet story.
With such a variety of imaginative, thought-provoking stories, there's something here for everyone.
I received a copy of this book from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review.
February 1, 2016
The two words 'what if' are at the heart of fiction. The stories in this anthology take a look at what actually happened in historical terms, and ask 'what if it had happened differently?' What if Lee Harvey Oswald's weapon had jammed? What if Churchill had died young? These examples are not in the book but you can see the possibilities here. Instead of starting with a clean page, the authors have taken an event, a figure from history, and changed it. We are now used to the theory of parallel universes and these are stories which have split off from the world we know. In this, they are fascinating.
It's the nature of an anthology, even one with a single author, that some stories will appeal to the reader more than others. It was so for me with this book. The stories are long enough for the reader to gain some back-story, some character depth, and, from each introduction, a little of the historical fact or event from which it sprang. I enjoyed reading this selection and it kept my imagination firing right to the end. In fact, the last few stories were among my favourites. Altogether, it is a satisfying read.
I received a review copy of this book.
It's the nature of an anthology, even one with a single author, that some stories will appeal to the reader more than others. It was so for me with this book. The stories are long enough for the reader to gain some back-story, some character depth, and, from each introduction, a little of the historical fact or event from which it sprang. I enjoyed reading this selection and it kept my imagination firing right to the end. In fact, the last few stories were among my favourites. Altogether, it is a satisfying read.
I received a review copy of this book.
February 1, 2016
With the combination of having read several of Samuel Peralta's Chronicles anthologies and being a history teacher myself, I had very high expectations for this collection, and I'm happy to say they were met. I was excited to see stories on two of my favorite subjects from history: Tesla (one of my favorite people to read about) and Carthage (since my senior thesis was on Hannibal) among several very different subjects, and both stories delivered. Even the story about the topic perhaps most explored in alternate history stories, Hitler and WWII, managed to rise above the usual tropes by extrapolating some fascinating real-life facts about the actress Hedy Lamarr and making things very personal for her. I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology, and plan on going back and reading Alt Hitory 101 as soon as possible. The only readers I can see not enjoying this would be anyone who prefers purely "what if?" stories from history, since most of these stories also contain some elements of science fiction and fantasy.
February 1, 2016
I enjoyed reading this anthology.The variety of stories was satisfying.My favorites are The Finest Mask by J J Brown,The Blackbird Sings by Therin Knite and Drought by J E Mac.As a history lover the stories possibilities of what might have been are intriguing.I would recommend this book to any fan of the alternate history genre.I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2020
I might not have selected every one of these same stories - but all of them represent very clever and intelligent takes on a single twist of history. I've thoroughly enjoyed every Chronicles collection, and this is a wonderful addition!
disclosure: I received an ARC from one of the superb contributors, whose contribution to the Columbus legend should be made into a movie posthaste.
disclosure: I received an ARC from one of the superb contributors, whose contribution to the Columbus legend should be made into a movie posthaste.
February 15, 2016
The 'What If' of History
Another great analogy of Author's thoughts on "What if it had happened THIS Way?"
Because I am pressed for 'Time' - I shall mention just now only one of the great stories found within... This is not in any way to state the OTHER stories weren't notable... I am picking this one because I see most of the other reviewers sort of skimmed past it...
Artie Cabrera’s “Diablo Del Mar” was an amazing pirate adventure. Christopher Columbus meets Black Magic then meets up with the Bermuda Triangle sort of thing.... With Johnny Depp's propensity to make strange and unusual movies my Mind visualized him as the lead character while reading this section... It made for quite the Exciting read for me.
Truthfully, there's not a bad story in the lot of them. I enjoyed them all.
I was gratefully given an ARC copy of this book to post an honest review. I am behind on my sitting still to do my reviews... For that, I admit, I am neglectful.
Another great analogy of Author's thoughts on "What if it had happened THIS Way?"
Because I am pressed for 'Time' - I shall mention just now only one of the great stories found within... This is not in any way to state the OTHER stories weren't notable... I am picking this one because I see most of the other reviewers sort of skimmed past it...
Artie Cabrera’s “Diablo Del Mar” was an amazing pirate adventure. Christopher Columbus meets Black Magic then meets up with the Bermuda Triangle sort of thing.... With Johnny Depp's propensity to make strange and unusual movies my Mind visualized him as the lead character while reading this section... It made for quite the Exciting read for me.
Truthfully, there's not a bad story in the lot of them. I enjoyed them all.
I was gratefully given an ARC copy of this book to post an honest review. I am behind on my sitting still to do my reviews... For that, I admit, I am neglectful.
January 30, 2016
Another absolutely amazing collection from The Future Chronicles! The possibility that our world could have been altered so much from one tiny event, even the chance of our past being changed by time travellers. This is a book that definitely makes you think, from authors new and old. Some I enjoyed more than others, though they were all very well done, but as a whole it was hugely entertaining.
*This was an ARC, my opinions are my own.*
*This was an ARC, my opinions are my own.*
November 25, 2017
Some worthwhile stories
There are quite a few very good stories in this collection and a few that didn't work for me personally, but that's often the case in anthologies like this one. Can't please everyone all of the time. But for the most part this was a fine selection of works and I really enjoyed a number of them
There are quite a few very good stories in this collection and a few that didn't work for me personally, but that's often the case in anthologies like this one. Can't please everyone all of the time. But for the most part this was a fine selection of works and I really enjoyed a number of them
May 7, 2017
A solid collection of alternate history, albeit a tad darker than the first collection. There were a couple of really good stories in this one as well.
July 24, 2017
Another good collection of Alternative History shorts. This is shaping up to be a very good set of books, I'm looking forward to the remaining ones.
October 31, 2017
An excellent read.
A lot of what ifs to make you think. Things that almost did or didn't happen. Well worth tbe time.
A lot of what ifs to make you think. Things that almost did or didn't happen. Well worth tbe time.
October 4, 2016
*I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Overall, this was a stellar collection of stories from a very talented group of authors. There are some great characters and stories in this anthology, and I'd highly recommend it.
The Most Beautiful Woman by Jennifer Ellis: This was a very well written story. What if Hedy Lamarr had been taken seriously as an inventor, rather than just looked upon for her beauty? She would have been a force to be reckoned with for sure. Well developed characters and just enough historical facts make this an almost perfect little short story.
Requiem by Will Swardstrom: What if Mozart had been in love with Marie Antoinette all along, and tried to save her from her death in the French revolution? This was another well done story with great characters. Swardstrom did a great job of weaving music into the story as well. Fantastic writing here!
Diablo Del Mar by Artie Cabrera: This was a more quirky and offbeat story about what would have happened if Christopher Columbus had been recruited by a mysterious cult to deliver them to a flying saucer. It was a fun read, and I am looking forward to reading more of this story. There is a lot more to tell in this one.
Whack Job by Rysa Walker: Who really committed the Borden axe murders? What if it was a time traveler, and Lizzie was really innocent after all? This story was a blast to read. It had a very sci-fi feel to it, and the characters were fantastic. Whack Job was a pleasure to read.
Drought by J.E. Mac: An interesting scenario. Decent characters, but they could have used a little bit more development. Not a bad story, but needs a little bit more polishing.
The Elissiad by Asha Bardon: What if the ancient Gods were really aliens? It's not a history channel show, but a very well written story with great characters. I enjoyed reading this one a lot.
The Tesla Gate by Drew Avera: What if Tesla had indeed discovered a way to travel back in time? This was a strange story that was still somehow captivating. The characters were wonderful, and I would like to read more of this story.
The Black Network by Adam Venezia: A great premise, but this one felt like it needed a little more fleshing out. The first half of the story was superb, but the last half felt a little rushed in both the writing and the editing.
The Visitation by Hank Garner: Have aliens shaped human development all along? The premise and characters of this story were both outstanding, and it was very well written. I absolutely loved the little twist at the end. Bravo, Mr. Garner! This might be my favorite story in the collection!
The Finest Mask by JJ Brown: What if the Native Americans had been resistant to the diseases that the European settlers brought with them, and the Europeans were the ones ravaged by disease? I was quickly pulled into this story, and really enjoyed its characters and pace. Another well written little story that I liked very much.
The Blackbird Sings by Therin Knite: A futuristic what-if story about what could have happened if the cold war ended in nuclear war. Great characters and a fun read. This story was easily one of my favorites in the collection and was a blast to read.
The Locked Web by Alex Roddie: What if the world's governments had kept the internet out of the hands of the public? Fantastic characters and a compelling plot in this story. Roddie did an amazing job of world-building in such a short amount of time. Well done, and a great way to end another top notch anthology.
Overall, this was a stellar collection of stories from a very talented group of authors. There are some great characters and stories in this anthology, and I'd highly recommend it.
The Most Beautiful Woman by Jennifer Ellis: This was a very well written story. What if Hedy Lamarr had been taken seriously as an inventor, rather than just looked upon for her beauty? She would have been a force to be reckoned with for sure. Well developed characters and just enough historical facts make this an almost perfect little short story.
Requiem by Will Swardstrom: What if Mozart had been in love with Marie Antoinette all along, and tried to save her from her death in the French revolution? This was another well done story with great characters. Swardstrom did a great job of weaving music into the story as well. Fantastic writing here!
Diablo Del Mar by Artie Cabrera: This was a more quirky and offbeat story about what would have happened if Christopher Columbus had been recruited by a mysterious cult to deliver them to a flying saucer. It was a fun read, and I am looking forward to reading more of this story. There is a lot more to tell in this one.
Whack Job by Rysa Walker: Who really committed the Borden axe murders? What if it was a time traveler, and Lizzie was really innocent after all? This story was a blast to read. It had a very sci-fi feel to it, and the characters were fantastic. Whack Job was a pleasure to read.
Drought by J.E. Mac: An interesting scenario. Decent characters, but they could have used a little bit more development. Not a bad story, but needs a little bit more polishing.
The Elissiad by Asha Bardon: What if the ancient Gods were really aliens? It's not a history channel show, but a very well written story with great characters. I enjoyed reading this one a lot.
The Tesla Gate by Drew Avera: What if Tesla had indeed discovered a way to travel back in time? This was a strange story that was still somehow captivating. The characters were wonderful, and I would like to read more of this story.
The Black Network by Adam Venezia: A great premise, but this one felt like it needed a little more fleshing out. The first half of the story was superb, but the last half felt a little rushed in both the writing and the editing.
The Visitation by Hank Garner: Have aliens shaped human development all along? The premise and characters of this story were both outstanding, and it was very well written. I absolutely loved the little twist at the end. Bravo, Mr. Garner! This might be my favorite story in the collection!
The Finest Mask by JJ Brown: What if the Native Americans had been resistant to the diseases that the European settlers brought with them, and the Europeans were the ones ravaged by disease? I was quickly pulled into this story, and really enjoyed its characters and pace. Another well written little story that I liked very much.
The Blackbird Sings by Therin Knite: A futuristic what-if story about what could have happened if the cold war ended in nuclear war. Great characters and a fun read. This story was easily one of my favorites in the collection and was a blast to read.
The Locked Web by Alex Roddie: What if the world's governments had kept the internet out of the hands of the public? Fantastic characters and a compelling plot in this story. Roddie did an amazing job of world-building in such a short amount of time. Well done, and a great way to end another top notch anthology.
February 22, 2017
An interesting collection of stories, a couple of which I have read separately elsewhere. I'm not naming favorites, but I will say that there were four stories that I would rate at five stars, and the rest were all pretty good as well. Entertaining reading.
February 24, 2016
I like anthologies like this because they help me find new authors, but the downside is that reading them can be an uneven experience, so while I very much liked several stories in this book, there were also several I did not care for. Given this, it's hard to give it a rating that accurately captures how I felt about it.
This is a personal thing, but when I see "Alt.History", I picture stories like those by Therin Knite or Alex Robbie (among others in this book), where the author chooses an historical event and bases the premise of their story on that event turning out differently--in other words, an alternate version of history. I like stories like this, because I do find it interesting to contemplate what the world would look like in a variety of scenarios.
What I do not like are the stories that, to me, have nothing to do with alternate history but are more purely science fiction. I don't have anything against science fiction--indeed, I like a lot of it--but I'm not a big fan of stories in which alien presence on Earth impacts the course of history. I'm a lot more interested in what the world looks like if the humans on it did something that led to different outcomes. The stories that are grounded in a version of reality are a lot more interesting to me than the ones that are more fantastical, the reality-based ones having more resonance precisely because it's pretty easy to imagine that they could have been possible, whereas aliens posing as gods to early civilizations...not so much.
This is a personal thing, but when I see "Alt.History", I picture stories like those by Therin Knite or Alex Robbie (among others in this book), where the author chooses an historical event and bases the premise of their story on that event turning out differently--in other words, an alternate version of history. I like stories like this, because I do find it interesting to contemplate what the world would look like in a variety of scenarios.
What I do not like are the stories that, to me, have nothing to do with alternate history but are more purely science fiction. I don't have anything against science fiction--indeed, I like a lot of it--but I'm not a big fan of stories in which alien presence on Earth impacts the course of history. I'm a lot more interested in what the world looks like if the humans on it did something that led to different outcomes. The stories that are grounded in a version of reality are a lot more interesting to me than the ones that are more fantastical, the reality-based ones having more resonance precisely because it's pretty easy to imagine that they could have been possible, whereas aliens posing as gods to early civilizations...not so much.
April 12, 2016
I love the Chronicles anthologies and have read most of them with pleasure. They are generally cheap (if you look out for the special offers) and the stories are usually by new and up and coming authors.
However, I enjoyed this one less than most. While the stories were generally OK, did most of the stories really have to be about events in American history which have little resonance in the rest of the world. While I have heard, for example, of Lizzie Borden her story is of little relevance to non-US readers. In general, the stories were too parochial I.e. US-centric.
Can I suggest that future issues of this alternative history series deal with world affecting issues rather than local parochial issues (US or otherwise)?
However, I enjoyed this one less than most. While the stories were generally OK, did most of the stories really have to be about events in American history which have little resonance in the rest of the world. While I have heard, for example, of Lizzie Borden her story is of little relevance to non-US readers. In general, the stories were too parochial I.e. US-centric.
Can I suggest that future issues of this alternative history series deal with world affecting issues rather than local parochial issues (US or otherwise)?
March 6, 2016
Well editor Samuel Peralta is back with another collection and with so many authors that I like... You just know that you're gonna have a good time when Jennifer Ellis takes the lead and starts the story thread a rolling with The Most Beautiful Woman. A story about Hedy Lamarr and World War II... Amazing!
March 11, 2016
I liked this book and all of the authors. Each story was about what happened and how an alternate world would be. Without giving anything away, if you like science-fiction and of alternate history you should read this book.
May 16, 2016
Super collection!
I really enjoyed the variety of writers and their vivid imaginations. The stories run the gamut, and all are quite good. From newbies to the known, there's something here for everyone.
I really enjoyed the variety of writers and their vivid imaginations. The stories run the gamut, and all are quite good. From newbies to the known, there's something here for everyone.
December 10, 2016
Great stuff
Some really good stories here...if you like speculative fiction, check these stories out. There's something here for everyone to enjoy.
Some really good stories here...if you like speculative fiction, check these stories out. There's something here for everyone to enjoy.
April 9, 2016
Incredible, super and mind expanding
My favorite is the Perfect Mask. The next story made me want to scream then angry but finally I felt empowered. Interesting reading.
My favorite is the Perfect Mask. The next story made me want to scream then angry but finally I felt empowered. Interesting reading.
September 29, 2016
Wonderful anthology!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews