Uchronia and alternate history: discover the genre that explores what the world would be like with a different past

Uchronia and alternate history: discover the genre that explores what the world would be like with a different past

Have you ever imagined what the world would be like if some historical event had happened differently? Maybe a war won by another country, a company founded by different people, or a historical figure that never existed.

These are themes belonging to the subgenres of speculative fiction known as uchronia and alternative history, which have similar premises, but also some differences.

In this article we will explain what these fascinating genres are and how they present themselves in today’s media.

(2014) / Credit: Bethesda Softworks (disclosure)

Definition of uchronia and alternative history

The word “uchronia” comes from Greek and refers to a “time that did not exist”. This concept proposes a parallel past, a timeline in which known events took other directions.

The term “alternative history” covers any narrative that deviates from actual history, creating a point of divergence. This point modifies the sequence of historical events, giving rise to distinct societies and realities.

(2020) / Credit: DC Comics (disclosure)

Both approaches share the same principle: exploring the consequences of changes in past events.

Difference between Uchronia and Alternative History

Uchronia tends to focus on reimagining historical events and periods without precisely specifying the era, using vague or remote settings.

Alternative history, on the other hand, focuses on parallel timelines that start from a specific point of divergence, from which the facts change with respect to reality.

(2006) / Credit: Sony Pictures Classics (advertising)

In general, alternative history works are set in famous historical periods and events and explore the premise “what if it had happened differently?”

In short, alternative history tends to be more rigorous in its historical elements, while uchronia can flirt more freely with fiction.

Sub-genre works

Works about uchronia and alternative history come to life in books, series, films and games. See some examples:

Books

by Robert E. Howard / Credit: Pipoca and Nanquim (disclosure)

Series

(2016) / Credit: Hulu (disclosure)

Movies

(The White Man’s Burden, 1995) / Credits: Universal Pictures (advertising)

Games

(2014) / Credit: Bethesda Softworks (disclosure)
(2007) / Credit: Ubisoft (disclosure)

Comic books

(2003) / Credit: DC Comics (advertising)

The post Uchronia and alternate history: discover the genre that explores what the world would be like with a different past appeared first on Olhar Digital.

Source: Olhar Digital

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