Diverge and Conquer

Look to the West #1

by Tom Anderson

History can turn on the smallest of things. In the history we know, King George II’s son Prince Frederick was an obscure footnote of history. Hated by his father (who threatened to exile him to the American colonies), his political career cut short when he was fatally struck by a cricket ball, of all things. The Prince never became King Fred and instead the throne passed to his inexperienced son, George III, who proceeded to lose America. But what if one tiny slight—a trip on a coronation carpet, a misplaced laugh—had tipped George II over the edge and he had made good on his threat? What if, in the year George Washington was born, the American colonies had found themselves home to an exiled Prince stripped of his inheritance? And what if that Prince had ambitions to reclaim his birthright by any means necessary, including with the help of his colonial subjects…? The Look to the West series begins with the story of Frederick and the very different America that results from his exile, but it is a tale that encompasses the whole world. Every action we take has unforeseen a revolutionary South America, a defeated Prussia, a divided India, a European Enlightenment transformed by phlogiston theory, Cugnot steam engines and Linnaeus’ Theory of Evolution. Diverge and Conquer covers the history of this world from the time of Frederick to the era when Europe is torn apart by a French Revolution very different to the one we know—and hints at a mysterious future to come…

Genres: Alternate History, Fiction

565 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 30, 2016

About the author

My day job is science, but I have always had an interest in writing fiction and in history, and it's probably not surprising that those all end up crossing over. Alternate history is a genre devoted to exploring the 'what ifs' of history, a recent high-profile example being the Amazon adaptation of Philip K. Dick's seminal "The Man in the High Castle". However, much of the interest to me comes in areas rather more obscure and subtle than the now-overdone 'the Nazis win WW2' type scenarios, and in exploring how different the world can become from a tiny change, as in the 'For Want Of A Nail' poem. My longest AH scenario, "Look to the West", is about a king tripping on his coronation carpet, which ultimately leads to America staying British, industrialised Maori New Zealand and a steam-driven French Revolution, for instance. Straightforward science fiction and fantasy also remains a major love of mine and an area I am increasingly writing more in. Most of my works have been published by Sea Lion Press (please like their page as well!). In 2018 my co-writer Bruno Lombardi and myself were nominated for the prestigious Sidewise Award for Alternate History for our short story "N'Oublions Jamais", about a very different First World War, which was published in the Martinus anthology "Altered Europa".

Reviews

[Derek Alberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first volume of "Look to the West" sees Anderson exploring how the world evolves from a small change, King George II tripping on his coronation carpet and, in a fit of pique, exiling his son Frederick to the American colonies (as he threatened to do in real history). From this comes a very different 18th century. The colonies get self-rule in return for helping Frederick return to power, a revolution in South America is successful (which failed in our timeline), and Prussia's rise is halted and reversed. Changes to the history of science and technology are one of the most interesting parts of this scenario, resulting in the use of gas chambers in the French Revolution and steam vehicle-pulled artillery on the battlefield. Be warned, you won't be able to stop reading - and there are many parts to come!

Bear in mind "Look to the West" is told in a scrapbook style, mostly through excerpts from fictional history books (often penned by deliberately parodic pompous historians!) rather than a story narrative.

[Arvind Mahadevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great work of alternate history that is different from anything else that I have ever read in the genre. Most alternate history works have a point of divergence and the story follows the characters as a focus in that divergent world. In this book, and I suspect the series, the divergent world is itself the focus. This book is written as a work of academic history rather than as a novel with heroes and heroines. How each country is altered and how much is discussed in great detail. The amount of research that the author must have done is staggering. Recommend strongly to anyone who enjoys both history and fiction.

[Charles Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the densest alt-histories I've yet read, surpassing even Sea Lion's "Fight and Be Right" - the amount of research and thought put in by Anderson is humbling. From a tiny, petty divergence we end up with sweeping political changes that, even when the result of blind chance and idiocy, feel plausible.

Extra points for the constant drip feeding of events far in the future to come. The whole project feels like a real history book as a result: we've got anachronisms, political agendas, and revisionism all impacting on the 'text'.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good work of its kind, which will not be to everyone's taste, as it's an epistolary novel written in excerpts from history books, which some comments from the other time line that is surveying the one under discussion. Handles the issues of random after-the-change changes well.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating alternate history exercise, real depth of world building. I particularly like the addition of the themes of historiography and the possible alternative paths of human development. Compulsive reading, would be interesting to see a novel set in this world.

[Nicholas Sumner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is alternate history on the grand scale but I want to compare it to paintings such as 'The Night Watch' by Rembrandt, because while it occupies a huge canvas, there is no want of detail.

Although it takes place in a period I don't know enough about, I was drawn in by the intriguing story line and the quality of Anderson's writing. There are many surprises, especially as to the destinies of some of the most notable figures of the era. My one complaint is that the maps (for those of us who's eyesight isn't what it was) require a magnifying glass to fully appreciate, but this is a minor point.

The story is well paced and fluid; there is confidence and precision in the writing. I will definitely be reading the later volumes in the series. Highly recommended.

[K Quilor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much written for alternate history nerds and people who like history, any of Look to the West is not for everyone. But I love the depth it digs into things, the odd historical eddies it pursues and the framing narratives. I do have some quibbles with the series - but those quibbles come entirely in book II, rather than Book I, which boldly sets out from an obscure changepoint and completely rewrites the history of first the Anglosphere, and then the rest of the world.

If you like history, if you like reading historical nonfiction, and you've found yourself wondering 'what if'? then this is very much for you.

[Jonathan Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun take on alternate history that will delight a lover of history and potentially bore anyone else to tears.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

First part of an immensely detailed alternate timeline, starting from a similar premise to Avram Davidson's "Oh Brave Old World", but going in a different direction. Lot's of them. Mostly deadpan "history", like For Want of a Nail. I am now deep in part 2, and devoutly hope 3-5 will also get "real" publication.

A defect in my view is my understanding that subsequent developments are supposed to logically follow from the initial "divergence". Lots of changes here bear no logical connection to the premise, and are handwaved with invocations of "butterfiies!"

[Andy Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy's Review

I downloaded this novel as part of my Kindle Unlimited allocation and I was not disappointed. I found the alternative French Revolution fascinating, especially the twist on the death of Marat, and I also enjoyed the nods to Star Trek. I fully intend to buy this in the near future, and I can't wait for the next novel in the series to be published!!