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Dale, Interesting about Kongo
But I don't think I HAVE to know the history to enjoy the story. At some point the divergence becomes obvious, and I personally can enjoy the research required to find out about what really occurred.
For example, I just finished a straight historical novel called Winston's War: A Novel of Conspiracy, by Michael Dobbs. I found it fascinating. The Author took great pains to make sure that the reader understood this was a NOVEL not history.
As an American, my knowledge of WW2 prior to American involvement was remarkably fuzzy. And my understanding of everyday British politics is virtually nonexistant. I never REALLY understood how conflicted the British public was over Churchhill. And when the novel got to the part where Britain invades Finland, I thought surely we've taken a trip into AH land. After I completed the novel, I was aghast to discover that was one of the true parts!
The point, I'm trying to make is, novelized History, whether Alternate or straight, doesn't have to get in the way of a good story, and for some subset of the reader population is a launching pad to further personal research.
Waiting for an educated, discerning readership before we tell a story means we'll never get to tell the story.
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