Springfield-Greene County Library District discussion

Alternate history novels examine what a past event would be like if something were changed. For example, what if Europeans never came to America? What if Germany won World War II? What if there were magicians during the Napoleonic War? Or zombies during the U.S. Civil War?Here are some examples from Book Riot.

Have you ever read an alternate history novel? Tell us about it.

I loved Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan Trilogy. He reimagined WW1 with a steampunk infusion by pitting the Axis Clankers, who use giant machines to fight, against the Allied Darwinist, who create their weapons from large bio-engineered animals. One of the main characters, Alek, is the fictional son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose real life assassination helped trigger the chain of events that led to WW1. It was so interesting to see historical figures pop up in different parts of the novel and how the steampunk angle influenced them.

Emily wrote: "I loved Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan Trilogy. He reimagined WW1 with a steampunk infusion by pitting the Axis Clankers, who use giant machines to fight, against the Allied Darwinist, who create the..."

Ahh good one! I read the first one and really liked it. Most of Scott Westerfeld's books have been really good, imo.

I have Dread Nation and The Man in the High Castle on my list for this summer. I'm really excited for them. I have Underground Airlines checked out right now, it's a novel set in modern day American where slavery is still legal in four states.

Emily wrote: "I loved Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan Trilogy. He reimagined WW1 with a steampunk infusion by pitting the Axis Clankers, who use giant machines to fight, against the Allied Darwinist, who create the..."

I've seen that series around, but had no idea what it was about. Now I really want to read it!

I really liked The Plot Against America in which anti-Semite Charles Lindbergh defeats FDR in the presidential election of 1940 and America slips closer and closer to fascism. I wasn't crazy about the ending, but I still enjoyed it overall. I also liked Boneshaker by Cherie Priest, a steampunk Civil War-era novel involving zombies.