Alt-Hist: Alternate Encyclopedias

[duncanmac]

What would you see if you were able to read excerpts from an encyclopedia written in another "world-line"? No doubt, there would be some details that one might recognize; but much of it might seem rather strange.

As an illustration of sorts, I am including a few excerpts from an encyclopedia found in a "world-line" where two or three extra British

Comments

[dalecoz]

Interesting. This probably wouldn't change things enough to influence the American Civil War or the other wars of the 1860s, but I wonder what impact, if any, it would have on the Franco/Prussian War. That assumes, of course, that some aspect of it doesn't butterfly away that war.

[duncanmac]

Probably not; most of the effects on the TL would not be visible until after 1875, though some may show up as early as 1870. I suspect that co-operation between German and British industrialists may be impaired after Werner von Siemens lost his ability to patent the bow collector in 1880, but the biggest effects would probably be noticed after 1882 due to the "Great Epizootic" of that year and the subsequent adoption of trams in the industrialized world. [Because of the Great Epizootic, I suspect that trams in cities -- and perhaps in some rural areas -- would be used for roles that were not considered in OTL, such as hauling garbage. In OTL, they were also used to contain portable libraries (in Edmonton, AB), restaurants (in Europe), for funerals and weddings, and a number of other tasks.]

I've also added a few new entries in an UPDATE above; you particularly may like the one for Alfred R Osbourne.