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Chamberlain Resigns, And Other Things That Did Not Happen discussion

I just finished this one. A really excellent look via DBWI of the problems of AH, in particular of books like those in the What If? series (which I assume is what you are parodying/doing commentary on). You directly highlight some of this in the appendix, but what struck me was the conservative assumptions of many of the writers in treating various things that came later as fixed points in history (such as the Bloody Fifties) which, of course, are just names to the OTL reader until they're eventually described. That felt like a very accurate commentary on books like the What If? series.

Forgive me for sounding like a US TV executive, but my only concern was that it might be 'a bit too clever' for the general audience given the conceit isn't obvious from the title and you might get a load of 1-star reviews from twits saying well, actually, Chamberlain did resign, you know.
 
what struck me was the conservative assumptions of many of the writers in treating various things that came later as fixed points in history (such as the Bloody Fifties) which, of course, are just names to the OTL reader until they're eventually described. That felt like a very accurate commentary on books like the What If? series.

Thanks! The Bloody Fifties as Definite Thing was a dual nod to how certain things Always Happen in alternate history and a tweak at how Britain remember our colonial wars of the period versus people who lost them (i.e. "the what now?"). Finding a way to get it across naturally and not in a "as you know, Reichkommisar Richard Nixon" way was 'fun'!
 
I just finished this one. A really excellent look via DBWI of the problems of AH, in particular of books like those in the What If? series (which I assume is what you are parodying/doing commentary on). You directly highlight some of this in the appendix, but what struck me was the conservative assumptions of many of the writers in treating various things that came later as fixed points in history (such as the Bloody Fifties) which, of course, are just names to the OTL reader until they're eventually described. That felt like a very accurate commentary on books like the What If? series.

Forgive me for sounding like a US TV executive, but my only concern was that it might be 'a bit too clever' for the general audience given the conceit isn't obvious from the title and you might get a load of 1-star reviews from twits saying well, actually, Chamberlain did resign, you know.
It’s the first one I’ve put a DBWI disclaimer before.
 
Term from back in AH.com for Grasshopper Lies Heavy stuff, where people would pretend they're from an alternate timeline and discussing what ours must be like.
 
Forgive me for sounding like a US TV executive, but my only concern was that it might be 'a bit too clever' for the general audience given the conceit isn't obvious from the title and you might get a load of 1-star reviews from twits saying well, actually, Chamberlain did resign, you know.
This is probably a good opportunity to point out that, as of today, the book has one review on Amazon from a guy who gave it 3 stars and wrote:

"A very strange collection this, quite frankly I don't know what do make of it. It's a bit like the curate's egg - good in parts, but generally confusing, hence the 3 star rating."

Make of that what thou wilt.
 
Wish I knew if he meant the conceit was confusing or if the writing was confusing. I can fix one of these things!
 
Wish I knew if he meant the conceit was confusing or if the writing was confusing. I can fix one of these things!

As the author, you can comment underneath the review and maybe ask for more detail, though that's often a double-edged sword
 
As the author, you can comment underneath the review and maybe ask for more detail, though that's often a double-edged sword
It may be required for me to do it, as I uploaded it. I'm happy to do so.
 
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