We have examined the difficulty of using our own world in science fiction and fantasy. There is, however, one area in which our own Earth can provide a most interesting backdrop. That is in the area of alternate history.

     Mankind has long been plagued with the nagging question of what might have been if things had been a little different. Here is an area where we can explore with a great deal of freedom. We begin with an area of history where the events are recorded. Then, we alter one outcome and see what would have happened if this one thing was changed. What would have happened if Hitler had died in childhood? We can make all kinds of speculation as to where history would have gone had this one event taken place. The way he died could also play a part in what happened next.

     There are other scenarios that would greatly alter our world today. Where would we be if the United States lost the Revolutionary War? What if the South had succeeded in its secession? What if the Roman Empire had not fallen? There is an endless string of major and minor events that could greatly alter the way we live today.

     Yet, this area has its pitfalls. It is tied to actual historical events. The changes must then be followed through with an eye to actual possibilities. Human nature and the natural world will remain the same as it was up to that event and will shape the outcome. The author is still bound by Earth and its properties as well as its inhabitants. There will be a finite ways one can go with any one event change.

     Also, there are a finite number of changes any one event can have. You can change the lives of humans only so much and still have a credible story. Still, alternate history is a fascinating area of speculative fiction that begs to be explored. It is science fiction only if science plays a role in the outcome of the story. In our history, inventions have literally changed the world. If anything had been invented sooner or later or not at all or in a different way, we would not be the same. It is both a fun and a frightening prospect to think about.