The Alternate Histories of Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt led an interesting life in this timeline...and throughout the rest of the multiverse.

Book Review: A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan

A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan is an entertaining historical fantasy told through a family drama. Learn more in my review on Amazing Stories.

Can the Sharro Plan Save Europe? (A Map Analysis)

Can the Sharro Plan bring peace to a war-torn Europe? Find out in this map analysis.

Book Review: All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

What if we live in a dystopia created by an inept time traveler? Find out what that would be like in my review of All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai.

Book Review: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

What are zombies doing in a steampunk Seattle? Find out more in my review of Cherie Priest's Boneshaker.

Anthology Review: Altered Europa edited by Martin T. Ingham

Is Altered Europa edited by Martin T. Ingham worth a read? Find out in my Amazing Stories review.

Book Review: The Sea Peoples by SM Stirling

Can you believe that The Sea Peoples by SM Stirling is the fourteenth book in the Emberverse? Geeze, I remember when there were only four Emberverse books and I thought the series was already epic then. Anywho, check out my review of The Sea Peoples on Amazing Stories.

Mystery Airships: Hoax, Aliens or Interdimensional Beings?

For my Halloween episode I decided to talk about airships, but wait, airship aren’t scary...right?

Top 5 LGBT Characters of Alternate History

To celebrate LGBT History month, I am counting down my top 5 favorite LGBT characters from alternate history.

What If the Soviet Union Won the Cold War?

We live in a timeline where the United States of America won the Cold War...but what if they hadn't?

Book Review: A Time of Need by Brent A. Harris

What if Benedict Arnold was the father of America? Find out in my review of A Time of Need by Brent A. Harris.

What If Quebec Voted For Independence in 1995?

Quebec almost voted to become independent of Canada in 1995. I ask the question: what if they did?

What If Colonel Petrov Wasn't There?

In this video we honor the man who saved the world in 1983. To celebrate we will by imagine what would have happened if Stanislav Petrov wasn't on duty on that fateful night.

Book Review: Armistice by Harry Turtledove

The Hot War has come to an end, but is Harry Turtledove's Armistice still worth a read? Find out in my review on Amazing Stories.

5000 Subscribers Q&A Responses

You had the questions and I (hopefully) had the answers. Thanks again for 5000 subscribers!

Book Review: At the Table of Wolves by Kay Kenyon

At the Table of Wolves by Kay Kenyon is the second book I've read this year featuring super-powered spies, but unfortunately it doesn't hold up. Read more in my review on Amazing Stories.

Plausibility Review: Code Geass

Is the anime Code Geass plausible? Let's find out...

5000 Subscribers Q&A Announcement

We got over 5000 subscribers! Time for another Q&A.

Book Review: MJ-12: Shadows by Michael J. Martinez

Want to see a Cold War where super spies fight in the shadows? Then check out my review of MJ-12: Shadows by Michael J. Martinez.

Book Review: Eagle and Empire by Alan Smale

Want to read a high concept alternate history featuring a war between Romans, Mongols and Native Americans? Then check out my review of Alan Smale's Eagle and Empire, the final chapter in the Clash of Eagles trilogy.

What is Sea Lion Press? (w/Tom Black)

I sat down with Tom Black of Sea Lion Press to talk about the publishing house he founded, whether alternate history is a setting or a genre and the golden age of AH TV.

Book Review: The Berlin Project by Gregory Benford

What if the United States had perfected the atomic bomb a year earlier? Find out in my review of Gregory Benford's The Berlin Project.

Anthology Review: 1066 Turned Upside Down

What if William wasn't a conqueror? Find out in my review of 1066 Turned Upside Down.

Don't Call it the Anti-Confederate: My Reaction to Black America

In case you are not thrilled about HBO's Confederate, I recommend you check out Black America.

Fuck Nazis

Looking at what is going on in Charlottesville got me thinking about my past. When I was a kid, my friends and I would imagine what we would do if we were alive during World War II. We all agreed we would volunteer for the army to fight the Nazis like our grandparents did because, of course, Nazis were bad and should be wiped from the face of this Earth. Although the heroic scenarios we imagined about us parachuting into Berlin and punching Hitler would make even Michael Bay roll his eyes, our barely developed brains were still able to grasp just how evil such a regime really was.

Flash forward to the present where I am now an adult and there are people from my generation who are telling me that by calling those who Sieg Heil and want to roll back a century's worth of civil rights "Nazis" is just making things worse. I instead need to understand where they are coming from and realize that they have legitimate concerns that need to be addressed so that a compromise can finally be found. In the end I am just being a bully by resorting to name calling and that won't solve anything.

Sorry, can't do it. Fuck Nazis.

I can compromise with someone about what needs to be cut from my state's budget. I can compromise with someone about just how involved the federal government should be in the healthcare industry. I can compromise with someone on what our nation's response should be to a rogue state that is trying to build a nuclear arsenal. I can willingly compromise on all of those issues and more, but when it comes to basic human rights sometimes you need to draw a line in the sand and say "No".

I can't stop Neo-Nazis, the alt-right, white supremacists, white nationalists, racial realists or whatever stupid PC term I am supposed to refer to them now from having their repugnant beliefs or speaking them in public places. Our Constitution is pretty clear on their right to do so. Yet I don't have to listen to them, or understand them, or compromise with them because thankfully the Constitution protects that as well. I am free to say there is no middle ground with people who want to decide who is actually "human".

And yeah I can already hear some people sarcastically saying: "Wow, Matt, you are taking a stand against Nazis. How brave of you."

But that's the thing: I never thought it would be necessary to do that in 2017. All my life I've been told hate groups like the KKK were disappearing and things were getting better. Now I am being told I need to listen to racists and fascists as if their ideas are just as relevant as someone who thinks the federal income tax is too high. I'm reading articles stating that memberships in hate groups are growing thanks to Facebook of all things. Even millennials, the generation that is supposed to be the uber-liberal generation if everyone's crazy uncle is to be believed, are swelling the ranks of campus groups that preach the superiority of white civilization. They're acting like their time has finally come, while the only thing we can do is talk patience and understanding.

And it shouldn't matter what your personal politics are. Liberal or conservative, social democrat or libertarian, Hillary supporter or Trump supporter...we should all agree that this has gone to far. These ideas are wrong and their adherents will only do worse if we keep acting like this is just politics as usual. I fear that if we keep trying to be the bigger person with these people someone is going to get hurt. These are people who have grandiose plans of violence against millions of Americans and that should not be acceptable in our society.

You know alternate historians like to think that we live in the best of all possible timelines...and yet I can't agree with that belief anymore. We should have done better. There are people alive today who worked to defeat the Nazis, end the Soviet Union, fight for Civil Rights across America, dismantle apartheid in South Africa and work to bring a continent like Europe with its long history of war into an organization that might actually achieve that lofty goal of finally bringing peace in our time. And yet now we seem to have gotten lazy and the dark side of western civilization is experiencing a renaissance. I'm actually surprised I haven't yet seen some nut-job go on the news and hold up the Draka books as an example of the "utopia" they are trying to create.

Thankfully we can still do better. We need to call bullshit on the people who claim how superior whites are and yet cry that white people aren't getting into college because of "affirmative action". We can't be distracted by those who complain about the violence of the "far left" while they cheer the military being called out to stop a protest. We can't listen to people who lionize those who fought to preserve slavery in America and instead say the men and women of different colors who fought to end it, whether wearing the Union blue or working tirelessly on the Underground Railroad, aren't worth our time or attention. We can't allow ourselves for a second to believe that those who work for equality and justice among all races are somehow the real "racists".

In the end all I am saying is it really shouldn't be this hard to oppose Nazis and what they believe in. We saw what happened in the past when people tried to compromise with the worst of humanity. It didn't work then, it won't work now. Unfortunately I don't have a plan on how to fight them. All I can say is keeping speaking out, keeping standing by those who are targets of hate and, for the love of God, do not vote for anyone who even for a second acts like these beliefs deserve discussion.

Our grandparent's generation were motivated to fight by what their kids would think about them in the future. The next generation is counting on us now to do what's right now and we shouldn't fail them.

Book Review: The Apostle Killer by Richard Beard

Is The Apostle Killer by Richard Beard an alternate history? Find out in my review of the novel on Amazing Stories.

What Are the 13 Commonwealths of Fallout?

Did you know Fallout is an alternate history? Did you also know there is a map from the game for us to analyze?

Book Review: Azanian Bridges by Nick Wood

Over on Amazing Stories I reviewed Azanian Bridges by Nick Wood, another nominee for this year's Sidewise Awards.

My Reaction to HBO's Confederate

HBO is making an alternate history where the Confederate States of America wins the American Civil War. Could this work or is it a disaster waiting to happen?

A Cliched American Civil War Alternate History

What if someone created an alternate history featuring as many American Civil War cliches as they could find?

Book Review: Underground Airlines by Ben Winters

The Sidewise nominated Underground Airlines by Ben Winters features an America where slavery never ended. Check out my review of it on Amazing Stories.

Male Wish Fulfillment in Alternate History

So why are there so many sex scenes in mainstream alternate history works? The Alternate Historian and Alexander "SpanishSpy" Wallace discuss this very question.

Thoughts on Wonder Woman (2017)

Its the most successful female led superhero film of all time, but what did the Alternate Historian and Alana think about it?

What if Antarctica had a Native Population?

Antarctica is cold as hell, but what if it could support a native population? The Alternate Historian answers that question in this Patreon sponsored video.

PS: I know there are audio issues when I am on screen. Sorry about that. Didn't notice it until the last minute. Will fix the problem in the next video.

Book Review: Another Girl, Another Planet by Lou Antonelli

I'm back to doing reviews on Amazing Stories and I begin my return with a look at Another Girl, Another Planet by Lou Antonelli.

Life is Hard Update

Some of you who follow me on Facebook and Twitter may have noticed I have been quiet as of late. Well don't worry, I'm still alive (my newest video should prove as much), but I have been...distracted.

First, as many of you may know Alana is pregnant and her due date is July 24. In case you don't know your calendar that well, that is not that long off, so I have been spending a lot of time preparing the house for our new arrival. Mind you, I'm not complaining, but it does cut into my free time.

You want to know what else cuts into my free time? My day job. Yes, sadly being an alternate historian isn't as lucrative career as some might imagine, so I need to work the 9 to 5 like everyone else. My particular job has also been busier as of late, which means I'm working later, coming home later, working to prepare the home for the baby later...I hope you see where I am getting with this.

So yeah, my usual on the hour social media posts about alternate history are on a temporary hiatus until I finish some major projects and/or work calms down a bit. It sucks, but I still want time to prepare and record videos (which includes also preparing my new "set"). That said, I have seriously been considering moving to a video once every two weeks schedule because I think I need to be realistic about how much free time I am going to have in the coming months.

So a little disappointing, but I am hoping the extra time will mean I can spend more time getting videos right. I may even try doing some live streams here and there like my buddy Tristan does at Step Back History. I had a lot of fun the last time I was the guest for one of those and some people have suggested they would approve of me doing the same on my channel.

So in conclusion, please bear with me while I figure out my life. Videos are still on the way, they just might not come out as regularly scheduled.

Top 5 Aliens of Alternate History

Even alternate histories can have a close encounters of the third kind. These are my personal favorite alien races of alternate history.

Step Back History's Subscriber Appreciation Day May 2017 (with special guest...ME!)

In case you missed it, I was the guest for Tristan of Step Back History's Subscriber Appreciation Day May 2017 live stream. You can listen to everything we talked about like alternate history and how screwed up the DC cinematic universe is.

What if Andrew Jackson Stopped the American Civil War?

Donald Trump thinks Andrew Jackson could have stopped the American Civil War...but could he?

Review: What If? Infinity: Guardians of the Galaxy

Did you know Marvel published an alternate history featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy? They did and I reviewed it.

Is This the OLDEST Alternate History Map?

Could an American Civil War era map be the world's oldest alternate history map?

MST3K: Alliterative Alternative

Even someone trapped in space and forced to watch bad movies with his robot pals has some time for alternate history. Check out my new video on MST3K's riff of Time Chasers and the show's experiment with changing their own history.

What Would Mu REALLY Look Like?

What if a map of Mu used actual geological data?

Trump vs Resistance Radio

Turns out not every fictional dystopia is about Trump.

Book Review: The Adventure of the Incognita Countess by Cynthia Ward

I reviewed The Adventure of the Incognita Countess by Cynthia Ward, a steampunk spy thriller set on the Titanic, for Amazing Stories.

3000 Subscribers Q&A Responses

You had questions and I had answers. Enjoy and thanks again for being a subscriber.

Plausibility Review: Domination of the Draka by SM Stirling (Part 3)

Its time to conclude our plausibility review of SM Stirling's The Domination of the Draka by showcasing what is awesome about this series.

Resistance Radio! Turn That $h!t Up.

Watch me geek out as the story of Amazon's The Man in the High Castle continues with...music?

3000 Subscribers Q&A Announcement!

We got over 3000 subscribers! Time for another Q&A.

Plausibility Review: Domination of the Draka by SM Stirling (Part 2)

We continue our plausibility review of SM Stirling's Draka by covering their history from the Great War to the 25th Century...yes there is that much history left to cover.

Check out "There’s more to Alternate History than World War 2"

Want to learn about alternate histories outside of WWII? Then check out this article by Cory Albrecht (plus I get quoted)!

State of the Channel: March 2017

I'm writing this while I am drinking my second glass of wine with Game Grumps playing in the background. This doesn't mean anything really, so lets see what is coming up this month.

Tentative Schedule

3/5-3/11: Plausibility Review: Domination of the Draka by SM Stirling (Part 2)
3/12-3/18: Plausibility Review: Domination of the Draka by SM Stirling (Part 3)
3/19-3/25: Patreon sponsored Map Analysis video
3/26-4/1: What if Vaccines Weren't Invented?

So this month I am going to be finishing my Plausibility Review of SM Stirling's Domination of the Draka (yes, it will take two more videos to finish) and then I am going to make a Patreon-sponsored map analysis video (subject is TBA).

After that I am going to imagine a world without vaccines because its for some reason become political to not want people to die from horrible diseases and I love to court stupid controversy that can only exist in the First World.

As always, this schedule is tentative.

I Love To Talk Alternate History

In case you don't follow me on social media, I've been talking a lot about alternate history on the Internet. First up, I chatted with Rebecca Monks about why we are fascinated with WWII alternate histories over on iNews. A week after that I chatted about alternate histories outside of WWII with Corey Albrecht at Medium.

Who would have thought I love sharing my passion with other people? In case you are interested in writing an article on alternate history and want to talk to an obsessed fanboy like myself, email me at ahwupdate at gmail dot com.

Most Viewed Video from February 2017

Book Review: The Power by Naomi Alderman

What if all women gained the power to shoot lighting from their hands? You'd get The Power by Naomi Alderman. Check out my review on Amazing Stories.

Plausibility Review: Domination of the Draka by SM Stirling (Part 1)

Are SM Stirling's Draka plausible? I analyze their pre-Great War history of this aggressive slavocracy in an effort to answer this question.

Check Out My Interview About WWII Alternate Histories

Hey look! I was interviewed by Rebecca Monks at iNews about WWII alternate histories.

Book Review: Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly

Check out my review of Lara Elena Donnelly's Amberlough, a historical fantasy inspired by Wiemar Germany, on Amazing Stories.

Anthology Review: Tales of Wonder

Do you guys like science fantasy and steampunk? Then you should check out my review of Inklings Press' Tales of Wonder at Amazing Stories.

The Bowling Green Massacre (That Never Happened)

Let us never forget the lives that weren't lost at Bowling Green.

Anthology Review: Galactic Empires edited by Neil Clarke

Like galactic empires? Then check out my review of Galactic Empires edited by Neil Clarke on Amazing Stories.

State of the Channel: February 2017

I am a little late making my State of the Channel post, but here it is now. Enjoy.

February 2017 Schedule

Week of 2/5: The Bowling Green Massacre (That Never Happened)
Week of 2/12: Map? (or bye week)
Week of 2/19: Plausibility Review: The Domination by SM Stirling
Week of 2/26: Map?

So as you can probably tell from my upcoming video, current events are pushing me to change my schedule once again. To be honest I didn't think I would be covering a government official saying something stupid so soon after my video on San Escobar...but here we are.

After that I may either post a map analysis video or skip that week. That's because I may need more time to do justice for "Plausibility Review: The Domination by SM Stirling". This is one of most analyzed alternate histories ever created and I want to make sure I do it justice and I may need more time then I usually give myself.

As always, this schedule is subject to change.

A Comment on Banning

In these divisive times I am doing my best to not discourage people from being honest with me on social media or the comment section of my videos...but do you want to know a sure fire way to get yourself banned going forward? Saying something like: "You are bias! Either change or I am leaving."

That always reminds me of a kid who doesn't like how the game is being played and thus threatens to take his ball and go home if you don't start playing "right". In some of my videos I do try to be neutral and present different points of view, but there are times when that is not possible for me. Occasionally I will tell you what I think and you are more than willing to disagree with me. In fact I encourage it, but I will not change my views or hide it just to keep you as a viewer. That said I will always try to back my statements with facts, hence why I always cite my sources in the credits.

I'm thankful for everyone who has joined me on this journey from blogger to YouTuber and I hope I can continue to present you great videos about alternate history and related topics while I continue to learn more about making videos. I appreciate your input and if I ever offend you, I'm sorry. You have every right to stop subscribing to me, but for both our sakes, if you want to leave, then just leave. No need for an angry comment causing me to figure out how to block you from Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Most Viewed Video from January 2017

All Hail Glorious and Eternal San Escobar!!!

San Escobar is the best fake nation ever created by a slip of the tongue. And now it has an awesome map! 

Book Review: Joe Steele by Harry Turtledove

Didn't want to go a whole week without posting a video, so here is an audio-only review of Harry Turtledove's Joe Steele.

What if Arthur Tudor was King?

King Arthur is only legend, but Britain almost had a real King Arthur...Arthur Tudor that is.

Do Flat Earthers Dream of Pearl Harbor Conspiracy Theories?

Satire clashes with reality in this viral map.

Book Review: Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

How does Neal Stephenson's classic cyberpunk novel, Snow Crash, hold up in 2017? Find out in my review on Amazing Stories.

Trope Talk: Pin the Zion on the Map

In today's Trope Talk we look at: Pin the Zion on the Map!

State of the Channel: January 2017

Happy new year everybody!

So 2016 is done and we have new year to fill ourselves with unimaginable dread and despair. I for one am trying to stay optimistic and will hopefully meet my scheduling goals. Speaking of that...

January 2017 Schedule

1/1: Trope Talk: Pin the Zion on the Map
1/8: Do Flat Earthers Think Pearl Harbor Was an Inside Job?
1/15: What If video
1/22: Map video
1/29: What If video

So you may have noticed that I didn't even get close to meeting my schedule for last month. Sorry guys, but with work, the holidays and some personal issues, I was left struggling to get even the couple videos I did get up published. Hopefully January will be better for me.

This week I should be finally posting "Trope Talk: Pin the Zion on the Map" (title card pending) and then next week I will post a map video which I am calling: "Do Flat Earthers Think Pearl Harbor Was An Inside Job?" Trust me, once you see the map we are focusing on that title will start making a lot more sense. After those videos I have a couple more untitled What If videos coming up and another map analysis video...so stay tuned.

Book Reviews

Do you guys want to see more book reviews? I've been thinking that a way to make my one video a week goal easier would be to throw in a few short, audio-only book reviews. That said, my book based videos have always been rather "meh" when it comes to views, so please let me know if this is something you want to see more of.

Amazing Stories

As some of you may know, I am a weekly contributor to Amazing Stories...and I have missed a couple of weeks. I hope to turn things around on that front soon, so my apologies for those who have missed my posts.

Most Viewed Video from December 2016