Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Daw Books; 1 Original edition (7 April 2009)
ISBN-10: 0756405467
ISBN-13: 978-0756405465
Copy: Bought online
Reviewer: Cara
On the back of the book:
Alternate history explores the many possible directions our world could follow if certain key events didn’t occur at all or were changed in some crucial way. Is our Earth the only Earth, our reality the only one that exists? Or are there many parallel worlds and societies, some very similar to ours, some barely recognisable?
What if Lincoln had never become president, and the [American] Civil War had never taken place? What if Columbus never discovered America, and the Inca developed a massive technologically advanced empire? What if magic was real and a half-faery queen ruled England? What if Hitler and Germany won the war because America never got involved? What if many of the world’s religions were totally commercialised, their temples run like casinos, religions designed purely for profit? What if an author discovered a book written by an alternate version of himself?
These are just some of the possible pathways that you can take to explore the Other Earths that may be waiting just one event away…
Contents:
Introduction – Nick Gevers and Jay Lake
This Peaceable Land, or, the Unbearable Vision of Harriet Beecher Stowe – Robert Charles Wilson
The Goat Variations – Jeff VanderMeer
The Unblinking Eye – Stephen Baxter
Csilla’s Story – Theodora Goss
Winterborn – Liz Williams
Donovan Sent Us – Gene Wolfe
The Holy City and Em’s Reptile Farm – Greg von Eekhout
The Receivers – Alastair Reynolds
A Family History – Paul Park
Dog-Eared Paperback of My Life – Lucius Shepard
Nine Alternate Alternate Histories – Benjamin Rosenbaum
It is good to have a change every so often. Much as I enjoy reading novels, I have recently come to appreciate the short story format and have found that an anthology, based around a theme, provides a satisfying break from the norm. Other Earths is a collection of eleven stories that explore the possibilities of alternate history. Predominantly science fiction, a range of scenarios are explored here, some to better effect than others, from a variety of authors many of whom are well known in the SFF world.
The collection opens with a gentle story of a writer and a photographer investigating what happened after slavery declined in the southern US. In this scenario, the American Civil War never happened, instead, slavery ceased to be economically viable leaving the problem of what to do with the millions of now redundant slave workers. An interesting concept, well executed, this was one of my favourite stories and worked well as the first story in the book.
As with any anthology, there are always going to be some stories that work better than others. For me, this is part of the attraction, as, while I may not enjoy a particular story, I can appreciate why the editors included it in the collection. The Holy City and Em’s Reptile Farm was the weakest story in Other Earths, in my view, but the exploration of a highly commercialised religious culture was a fascinating idea.
My favourite story was, unsurprisingly, written by Stephen Baxter. For me, he is probably the best author of alternate history around today and The Unblinking Eye did not disappoint. Imagine a Europe, where religion held back scientific advances, being visited by the highly technological Incas. This was a fascinating story, set in a world where the Incan civilisation flourished and expanded across the southern hemisphere while Europe stagnated under the weight of superstition. The revelation of what led to the rise of the Incan empire was both innovative and imaginative.
Some well known authors are included in Other Earths, several of whom I had not read before. Jeff VanderMeer, better known for his steampunk writing, delivers a story with a punch. To give more detail here could spoil the surprise, but it revolves around a (real) major world event we are all very familiar with. Highly recommended for the concept alone. Alastair Reynolds contributes an alternate World War 2 story, as does Gene Wolfe. The only fantasy stories, both involving fairies, came from the two female authors included in the anthology. I found this to be slightly irritating, mainly because of the well documented bias towards women and science fiction. This was disappointing, however, both stories were highly enjoyable.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Other Earths as the range of imaginative scenarios presented sparked many ‘what if’ questions in my mind as I progressed through the collection. If you are looking for a book full of unusual ideas, then Other Earths is a good place to start.
Rating 8/10
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