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fjtorres · 02-10-2013, 12:36 PM

Alternate history requires the same discipline and techniques as SF. Both are examples of world building (roughly) within the range of known science. And both are (at their best) about exploring ideas. If alternate history isn't SF it is so darned close as makes no difference.
And some, like GUNS OF THE SOUTH, AXIS OF TIME, and the 163x series require a SF staple just to get started: time-travel.
One might argue that some steampunk is fantasy instead of SF (AGATHA H, for one) but most alternate history is SF.

02-10-2013, 12:36 PM	#240
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	Alternate history requires the same discipline and techniques as SF. Both are examples of world building (roughly) within the range of known science. And both are (at their best) about exploring ideas. If alternate history isn't SF it is so darned close as makes no difference. And some, like GUNS OF THE SOUTH, AXIS OF TIME, and the 163x series require a SF staple just to get started: time-travel. One might argue that some steampunk is fantasy instead of SF (AGATHA H, for one) but most alternate history is SF.