Now, while I suspect the number of actual Marxists or those versed dialectics might not be that high, I'm fairly certain that the average reader/writer here must have a certain materialistic view of history, probably devoid of thoughs of destiny, providence, divine intervention, Great Men of History or even that Whiggish/Marxist concept of historical progress inevitability/historical determinism.
But at the same time, I assume many people here must believe in something other than the material, call it spiritual, supernatural, religious.
In history, things that would seem to defy materialistic explanation might take the form of contrived coincidences (Miracle of the House of Hohenzollern, etc.), seeming divine inspiration (Joan of Arc, any number of prophets that "made it", from Buddha to Mohammad, as opposed to those that failed and are just seen as heretics, even if they can all be rationally explained by future historians), alleged curses (Tecumseh killing presidents elected in years ending in 0, Jacques de Molay cursing the direct Capets to extinction), etc, etc.
In Alternate History, how this manifests might vary: the presence and alleged effectiveness of the I-Ching in The Man in the High Castle, ISOTs, the possible presence of fairies in Pavane, reincarnation and the interludes in the Bardo in Years of Rice and Salt, stuff with vampires and dragons and whatnot, etc.
But does the supernatural have a place in AH or AH literature? Or is that the equivalent of "soft" Science Fiction, detracting from a genre that is supposed to be "serious", as history is a proper science? How do you deal with stuff like this?
But at the same time, I assume many people here must believe in something other than the material, call it spiritual, supernatural, religious.
In history, things that would seem to defy materialistic explanation might take the form of contrived coincidences (Miracle of the House of Hohenzollern, etc.), seeming divine inspiration (Joan of Arc, any number of prophets that "made it", from Buddha to Mohammad, as opposed to those that failed and are just seen as heretics, even if they can all be rationally explained by future historians), alleged curses (Tecumseh killing presidents elected in years ending in 0, Jacques de Molay cursing the direct Capets to extinction), etc, etc.
In Alternate History, how this manifests might vary: the presence and alleged effectiveness of the I-Ching in The Man in the High Castle, ISOTs, the possible presence of fairies in Pavane, reincarnation and the interludes in the Bardo in Years of Rice and Salt, stuff with vampires and dragons and whatnot, etc.
But does the supernatural have a place in AH or AH literature? Or is that the equivalent of "soft" Science Fiction, detracting from a genre that is supposed to be "serious", as history is a proper science? How do you deal with stuff like this?