Oh, the possibilities when you worldbuild in a timeline that diverges around 1900. Well…if we’re trying to alter the territory of the United States 1850 might be a better point of departure, but the 20th century alone has a host of possibilities that would make … Continue readingIn my Timeline, an Expanded States of America?
In the alternate timeline I write in, I’m deliberately vague about highway, route, and road numbers, largely because it starts to diverge from real life around 1900, and diverges in earnest around World War I in 1914…which is before even the United States Numbered Highway … Continue readingThe US Routes in my Alternate History
When you think about it, it’s rather odd that this blog is written in English rather than Portuguese. And I’m not saying that because I have Portuguese heritage, but rather because the first truly global sea routes were pioneered by Portugal, whose princes, explorers, and … Continue readingLinguae Francae: Some What-Ifs
Needless to say I’m really enjoying Liechtenstein, one of the world’s smallest countries, but a case where small really is beautiful; spectacular landscapes, fine people, and even some great wines are to be found in the principality, in addition to the famous financial riches. So … Continue readingOf Principalities That Are, and Nations That Never Were…
In this post, after a long break (thanks, real life, for nothing, says the writer part of me) I return to my roots here: sharing the thoughts I have that are just too long to fit in a tweet, in a format that’s just more…permanent. … Continue readingCinematic Universe?
Ah…Antarctica. The seventh continent? Or is it? When you get down to it, pinning down the exact number of continents is like trying to touch a mirage: you can see it, but is it really there? Unlike the latter-day effort in astronomy to define what … Continue readingThe Seventh Continent…Or Is It?
In “Scratch One Tassel”, I shared the latest concept I have for Tassel, including an Egyptian boyfriend, the worldbuilding context of a pharonist Egypt overseeing a Coptic language revival, and all that good stuff. One aspect I became interested in is how this alternate Egypt … Continue readingFlowers in the Desert: Worldbuilding A Larger Israel
In the course of brainstorming a vacation home for my character Decca Roadhouse, I’ve thought of another character, Georgia Roadhouse, her little cousin who’s just like her, right down to having a vacation home, sporting red ringlets, and guzzling red wine, but, in stark contrast … Continue readingA Christmas Blizzard Romance in the Shenandoah?
I’d just like to share a little scenario I dreamed up recently: what if the borders of the United States circa the War of 1812 were never adjusted much? In particular, what if the Mississippi River watershed boundary from the original Louisiana Purchase remained in … Continue readingSome Alternate Borders for North America
Fun fact: the last archipelago of substantial size to be discovered on the Earth was the Severnaya Zemlya islands, only being noted by cartographers in 1913 (though its existence seemed to be known as early as 1810), and not charted in any detail until 1930-32. … Continue readingArctic Toponymy in my Alternate History