The Alternate History

Refiguring Historical Time

Karen Hellekson

What would the world be like if history had taken a different course? Science fiction literature has long contemplated this interesting question.

The Alternate History: Refiguring Historical Time examines alternate history science fiction using the eschatological, genetic, entropic, and teleological historical models.  Hellekson’s original approach explains much of the appeal of alternate history and distinguishes among the many varieties of the genre.  In her measured consideration of a range of writers, Hellekson displays a deep and broad knowledge of the major works in this genre—those by famous or neglected writers alike.