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One
Lamp: Alternative History Stories edited by Gordon Van Gelder check out website: www.4w8w.com
A change in a particular event and things don't turn out quite the way they would in our reality and the consequences result in the stories that you see here.
The writers range from the likes of Alfred Bester, Robert Silverberg and Poul Anderson to new boys on the block like Paul McAuley and Philip Di Filippo. Choosing favourite stories is as much personal taste as anything. The real problem is in qualifying them as purely SF or just speculation. I mean, take Bradley Denton's 'The Territory' set in the American Civil War and has Sam Clemens, aka Mark Twain, fighting with the South and changing a particular result when appalled by the violence. The same can be said of C.M. Kornbluth's 'Two Dooms',
although this time a dimensional traveller realising the possibilities of giving
the atomic bomb secrets to the other side for a stand-off falling apart on him. There is nothing to dispute the quality of detail, research and storytelling
but purists could debate as to whether it is SF or just historical thrillers under
a different name. If anything, alternative histories fit into SF simply because
there's no other place to put them. Much of these alternative histories are based in America cos that's where these authors are based and familiar with events. I don't think you'd be disappointed with the quality of the stories here and it might clear the ground for authors to consider different events to these with future alternatives. This is the kind of book that needs to be read
to understand the legacy you're living on if you write alternative history stories. GF
Willmetts
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OTHER REVIEWS - December 2003
Other reviews this month Dreams Underfoot by Charles De Lint Spirits In The Wires by Charles De Lint First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain Roma Eterna by Robert Silverberg The Life Eaters by David Brin and Scott Hamilton Midnight Lamp by Gwyneth Jones Dreams of the Compass Rose by Vera Nazarian One Lamp: Alternative History Stories edited by Gordon Van Gelder The Druid King by Norman Spinrad Star Trek: Nemesis novelisation by J.M. Dillard Unto Leviathan by Richard Paul Russo The Sundering by Walter Jon Williams Nylon Angel by Marianne de Pierres Falling Out Of Cars by Jeff Noon The Darkest Part Of The Woods by Ramsey Campbell Lord Of Snow And Shadows by Sarah Ash Tales Of Ten Worlds by Arthur C. Clarke Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale Dante's Equation by Jane Jensen Archform: Beauty by L. E. Modesit Jr
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This
is a 14 short story anthology of alternative realities from material
that has been published in the 'Magazine Of Fantasy And Science
Fiction' over the years. 
This
is also quite an interesting selection and short of reading MoF&SF,
I doubt if you'll see such a collection as this put together in
one volume.
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