Book List: Alternate Histories
Alex Fitch looks at the science-fiction sub genre of Alternate History, talking to three novelists about their works that imagines the past and near future if historical events had taken a different path. Charles Stross discusses his parallel worlds series “Merchant Princes” which depicts travel between various 21st Centuries where Europe is still feudal or has only just seen the industrial revolution plus his collaboration with Cory Doctorow “Rapture of the nerds”; Max Brooks talks about “World War Z” which depicts the present day Earth after twenty years of a war with zombies; and Ken MacLeod discusses his novella “The Human Front” and novel “Intrusion” which look at the kinds of police states that might exist in this county if various political movements had access to more advanced technology.
Originally broadcast Tuesday 3rd September 2013, Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Covers of World War Z and Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks, Intrusion and The Human Front by Ken MacLeod, The Bloodline Feud by Charles Stoss, Rapture of the nerds by Stross and Doctorow
For more info about this podcast and a variety of other formats you can download / stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org
Links: Charles Stross’ website
Max Brooks’ website
Ken MacLeod’s blog
Listen to Alex’s interview with Ken MacLeod and Edward Ross about their stem cell comic book Continue reading