Alternate history speculative fiction- characters based on historical figures with a difference

Morwen Edhelwen said:

Would anyone read an alternate history speculative fiction where historical figures had different backgrounds and nationalities? eg In a YA idea I'm working on, the protagonist's loosely based on a historical figure, but has a different background and nationality to the real person.

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Sure, I write alt. hist. too, so I dare say I'd at least give it a chance if I saw it on Amazon or similar venue. There's also stuff like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter floating around out there, so borrowing actual historical figures isn't new or forbidden or anything. As long as something interesting is going on, I'm in.

-Derek

Morwen Edhelwen said:

Would anyone read an alternate history speculative fiction where historical figures had different backgrounds and nationalities? eg In a YA idea I'm working on, the protagonist's loosely based on a historical figure, but has a different background and nationality to the real person.

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I would...but I'd also complain the whole way if the research was poorly done. And I imagine that's a fairly large stack of research to do.

Morwen Edhelwen said:

What about the premise? Would anyone read something with the premise in post#3?

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I don't see why not. Some will probably find it too over the top, but that's down to different tastes.

Morwen Edhelwen said:

Thanks. In this idea, the protagonist's Che Guevara, who works for Eva Peron, and they're contemporaries in Honduras. Che's Eva's servant, and Eva has children. Oh yeah, and it's also got dirigibles and biological robots. ETA: Does anyone think they'd like to read something with that premise?

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Sound pretty fascinating. I'd read it.

RichardGarfinkle said:

Also, both Eva Peron and Che are people about whom there is a lot of argument so whichever interpretations you choose for their characters you will be, in effect, taking sides in historical disputes. That's fine in alternate history, but be aware that that's what you're doing.

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This. Both left profoundly mixed legacies.

Also neither one is widely known in the US - at least, not on the same level as Fidel Castro, say, or Hugo Chavez. On the other hand, if you plan to write this in Spanish, you would have a *hell* of a big market.

Such fiction is out there, to greater or lesser extents. The Wild Cards series that George RR Martin was involved in (heard a rumour recently that it came from ideas from his gaming group but no idea how verifiable that is... basically a bunch of writers who gamed together decided to use the world they gamed in to write some anthology stories) had history diverging from the 1950s with the introduction of an alien virus on earth. A number of famous people pop up in this as it goes through history - the Peron's get a passing mention somewhere - but only as cameos. Off the top of my head I can recall Jesse Jackson and Buddy Holly (who is alive and continuing to tour in the 80s) in there and I am sure there are more.

Robert Silverberg's To the Land of the Living has various famous historical personages pop up including HP Lovecraft, Robert E Howard, Julius Ceaser and Gilgamesh (who is the main character) and has some interesting interactions when they meet up (with Howard mistaking Gilgamesh for Conan). If you like the idea of Julius Ceaser driving around a desert in a jeep toting a machine gun then this may be a book for you .

Someone has already mentioned Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter but there is also one with Queen Victoria. I have no idea of the quality of these works as I have not read them.

The trick is to make it believable and not a parody or skit (unless you want that... the intention of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire hunter is to parody and be an absurd situation). This will involve a lot of research and not just to get the facts straight (because even if you are changing the facts, you still need to know what they are to change them and some of the facts will be the same - knowing what will be the same and why and what will change and why is a skill) but also to look into the emotions, reactions and so on in new situations. You are going to have to get inside the heads of these famous figures and because everyone on the planet knows them (or thinks they do) they all have an opinion on how they would react and they will express this opinion. A novel character does not have this problem because you make them up so you have the final say on how they react. You may have to be careful to avoid 'But Che Guerva wouldn't shag Eva Peron, he preferred blonds...' type criticism.

I'm not sure what you want? Permission to write?

Yes, you're allowed to write this kind of story.

Yes, folks will read this kind of story.

Write the story.

I wouldn't read it, but so what? I'm one of millions of potential readers. To me, if you take people away from their historical context, and their environment, and give them different parts to play, they're simply not the same people. It's like, what if I write a story about Napoleon, but he's not from Corsica, he's Australian, and he's not a great military leader, he's a botanist. How then is he Napoleon at all?

amergina said:

I'm not sure what you want? Permission to write?

Yes, you're allowed to write this kind of story.

Yes, folks will read this kind of story.

Write the story.

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Yes. This. This all the way.

There comes a time when you just need to take your idea and write the damn thing. Trying to gauge interest beforehand is not a productive use of your time. Stop stalling and write.

Just write the book. If you believe in the story, if you love it, write it.

If it's compelling, interesting, and well-written, someone will read it and someone will love it. And someone will read it and they'll hate it. And a bunch of people will never read it.

But that's the fate of every book, not just yours.

Morwen, I don't think anyone's confused about your idea. They're telling you to stop talking about writing it and just write it. Show us what you're doing with it by having prose.

I think I'm confused about why you persist in trying to get validation for an idea to write. There comes a time with every writer that they have to let go of this need to make sure what they have is a viable idea and make the decision to write it or not write it.

I mean this in all sincerity. You seem like a really, sweet and eager person but at this point your questions are not questions about the writing process. You are still seeking approval for your idea, validation that it's a good idea and that people will read it.

It sounds interesting, several have said so. But talking about writing it is not writing it. Trying to line up readers is not getting it written. If the idea interests you, if the idea is something that will not let go and you want to write it because it's a story in you, go write it. Worry about an audience later.

It's also been suggested that you take part in threads that aren't started by you, and aren't about your book, without mentioning your book. See what other posters are up to. You'll get a lot more out of AW if you do.