Post by Lord Nethercross on Mar 12, 2010 20:48:51 GMT -6
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of our continuity's backstory, I'd like to invite everyone to suggest any counterfactual scenarios that might interest you - big or small, plausible or outlandish - even if it isn't incorporated into the "official" continuity, we can always explore alternate timelines in another dimension or somesuch. Personally, I think 19th century history is interesting enough as it is, but that's just my two nerdy cents, and writing alternate history is a lot of fun, so I am certainly open to new ideas. As it stands, our continuity already diverges from the historical timeline in two ways: technology is slightly more advanced (allowing for the construction of things like airships or Babbage Engines), and women are slightly more liberated. Other than that, here are few more ideas to get you started:
What if...
...the Confederacy had won the American Civil War? (Bit of a cliche, but could be interesting)
...Prussia had lost the Franco-Prussian (1870-71) or Austro-Prussian War (1866), and Germany was never unified, or was unified under Austrian leadership?
...Another independent, "uncivilized" nation such as Persia or Siam had emulated Japan's success in modernizing and competing with the western imperial powers?
The only counterfactual scenario that is ruled out as far as the official continuity is concerned is a war between any of the larger European nations (after 1871 and before 1905), as La Belle Epoque was characterized by generally peaceful (if not always amicable) relations between the Great Powers on the Continent, allowing Britons to travel freely throughout Europe.
What if...
...the Confederacy had won the American Civil War? (Bit of a cliche, but could be interesting)
...Prussia had lost the Franco-Prussian (1870-71) or Austro-Prussian War (1866), and Germany was never unified, or was unified under Austrian leadership?
...Another independent, "uncivilized" nation such as Persia or Siam had emulated Japan's success in modernizing and competing with the western imperial powers?
The only counterfactual scenario that is ruled out as far as the official continuity is concerned is a war between any of the larger European nations (after 1871 and before 1905), as La Belle Epoque was characterized by generally peaceful (if not always amicable) relations between the Great Powers on the Continent, allowing Britons to travel freely throughout Europe.