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This article reminds me of a book written by Kim Stanley Robinson, "The Years of Rice and Salt". It's a historical fiction which explores a history in which the
by cjcenizal 10y ago
This article reminds me of a book written by Kim Stanley Robinson, "The Years of Rice and Salt". It's a historical fiction which explores a history in which the bubonic plague wiped out Europe, precluding Western civilization as we know it. The cultural and religious vacuum left behind is filled by Islam, Buddhism, and the Chinese dynasties. Robinson explores the evolution of humanity over the next 600 years under these influences in beautiful detail -- it's an amazing read!
- jdhn 10y agoI second this recommendation. If you're a person who enjoys historical fiction, you'll love this book. I found it a tad difficult at first, but it quickly sucks you in.
- Arizhel 10y agoTo be pedantic, that's not "historical fiction", that's "alternate history fiction". Historical fiction is like the books by Ken Follett, about medieval Europe. They're set in that time, as we understand it historically, but the characters and events are fictional. What you're describing is alternate history: it's fictional work that assumes something went very differently at some point in the past, and then attempts to extrapolate from there how history turned out. For instance, suppose the US had never gotten involved in WWI; how would the later 20th century have turned out? Or suppose Al Gore had won in 2000; how would things be different now?
- Xeoncross 10y ago> The cultural and religious vacuum left behind is filled by Islam, Buddhism, and the Chinese dynasties Sounds like the author assumes Christianity started in Europe and spread to the Middle East. It actually happened the other way around.