Episode 106 - Alternative/Alternate History

Book Club for Masochists: a Readers’ Advisory Podcast

This episode we’re discussing Alternative/Alternate History! We talk about realism and magic, how long ago is history, tropes and when they’re good, why this genre always seems to be about war, and more. Plus Matthew almost gets bingo!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | RJ Edwards

Things We Read This Month

• The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark
• • A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark
• The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark
• The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson (an American writer, Meghan misspoke :/ )
• The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
• The Last Days of New Paris by China Miéville
• • Graphic Annotations of China Miéville’s The Last Days of New Paris
• Batman: Holy Terror by Alan Brennert and Norm Breyfogle (Wikipedia)
• Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Other Media We Mentioned

• The Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove
• His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
• Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory
• What If (comics) (Wikipedia)
• Elseworlds (Wikipedia)
• Superman: Red Son by Mark Millar, Dave Johnson/Andrew Robinson, and Kilian Plunkett/Walden Wong
• The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
• Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert, and Richard Isanove
• Milkweed Triptych Series by Ian Tregillis
• Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
• Bright: The Apotheosis of Lazy Worldbuilding (Lindsay Ellis video)
• Shadowrun (Wikipedia)
• The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
• Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
• PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (Wikipedia)
• Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon
• Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Volume 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga

Links, Articles, and Things

• Alternate History (Wikipedia)
• Bingo Sheet for the podcast (play along at home!)
• When is an Alternate History Entertaining, and when is it Harmful?
• American Civil War alternate histories (Wikipedia)
• Hypothetical Axis victory in World War II (Wikipedia)
• List of civil wars (Wikipedia)
• American exceptionalism (Wikipedia)
• Surrealism (Wikipedia)

Visual Novel Stuff

• Stream 1: Boa Retina and a completely normal dating simulator (just Matthew)
• Stream 2: Dungeons & Lesbians (Matthew and RJ)
• Stream 3: Arcade Spirits (just Matthew)
• Our Twitch channel
• Our YouTube channel
• Schedule

15 Alternative History Books by People of Colour

• Lion’s Blood by Steven Barnes
• Zulu Heart by Steven Barnes
• Buffalo Soldier by Maurice Broaddus
• Wild Seed by Octavia Butler
• The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark
• The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark
• The Sea Is Ours: Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia edited by Jaymee Goh and Joyce Chng
• The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant
• Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson
• Everfair by Nisi Shawl
• Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
• Live in Infamy by Caroline Tung Richmond
• The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

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Join us again on Tuesday, August 18th we’ll be discussing the book Pet by Akwaeke Emezi!

Then on Tuesday, September 1st we’ll be talking about Visual Novels!