Disquisitions on Alternate History

Posted on by scott

Back at BookExpo America in May, Cassie Claire, Holly Black and I were on an Alternate History panel together. I was talking about Leviathan, of course; Cassie was talking about her followup to the Shadow Hunter books, called Clockwork Princess: The Infernal Devices #1; and Holly Black was talking about her 2010 book White Cat.

We managed to say some clever things about what it’s like to write alternate histories, why people read them, how researching is a pain, and why antibiotics are good. The lovely Jack Martin, the head of teen programming the New York Public Library system, moderated.

Enjoy!

Click here to see this on the BEA’s website.

42 thoughts on “Disquisitions on Alternate History”

  5. That was great! I particularly enjoyed hearing about all the research and the interesting and unexpected things you discovered. We always imagine that the past was like the present and it’s such a surprise when it turns out it wasn’t.

    I’m definitely looking forward to Leviathan.

  7. that was extremely captivating to listen to. I personally love alternate histories and that tends to be what the books i read are like. So i am even more excited for leviathan now. i didn’t even know that was possible haha

  9. The video was extraordinarily interesting–thanks for posting it! 🙂
    ‘Can’t wait until Leviathan!

  13. i cannot wait!EEEEE!
    by ‘i cannot wait’ i mean for all 3 of thier books to come outl;D

  16. Scott Westerfeld, you are truly MADE OF AWESOME.
    My birthday is October 6th. And you know how in Midnighters the chapters are dated? Well, guess what day lasted 100 EPIC PAGES?
    Yeah, you guessed it. And now Leviathan is coming out on my birthday too?
    BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER.
    Argh! If only I didn’t go to school in the United Arab Emirates, where it takes 2 weeks for amazon to ship books (and a ton of money).
    But this still is very happy-making news.

  17. Is there any chance you’ll be stopping in, oh, Dubai any time soon?
    Please?
    It sucks that so many awesome YA authors’ book tours never leave the US :/

  19. Yay! I’m glad that you’re coming to WA, scott!!!! We are forgotten a lot… nothing exciting happens here…

  20. would there be a Titanic in Leviathan’s alternate history? I was wondering this the other day. idk why. And if there was, would it have sunk and killed so many people?

  21. YES Washinton will have to do for me….its close enough
    but any chance you’ll come to Vancouver(Canada)…..I know you have a lot of fans here and it would be really amazing.

    Wait one second….Leviathan isn’t about evolution right?
    I know you believe that stuff…..it’s pretty obvious in your other books…..but if it is one of the main this in this I don’t think I could get through it…..I mean no ofence but thats the sort of thing I would argue about with my teachers(I argued half the class away about “the Big bang” once….my teacher was annyoed with me)…….

  23. So you don’t like rap? lol

    anyways I wish I was there I could have gone but my mother wouldn’t let me that day.
    Can’t wait till your new book comes out!

  24. Awesome! I recently re-read Terry Pratchett’s ‘Nation’, which also featured alternate histories/parallel worlds.
    And Scott-la, I’ve discovered how coolio Slashdpt is after re-reading Bogus to Bubbly (I’ve been doing A LOT of re-reading lately….flu).
    ~
    And Holly Black is writing a new book? Double Awesome!

  25. That was really great, three of my favorite authors in one video! I liked your little bow-tie line, it reminded me of So Yesterday.

  26. “So you don’t like rap? lol”

    I do. I was just pointing out how silly baby boomers are about it, after THEIR parents hated rock and roll.

    In other news, I want to go back in time and fix my collar.

  27. Kristina-la-
    “Wait one second….Leviathan isn’t about evolution right?”

    Not really, it’s about genetic engineering in an alternate history, invented by Charles Darwin.

    “I know you believe that stuff . . .”

    Well, 97% of scientists believe in it too:

    http://skepticalteacher.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/polls-evolution-and-science-in-the-21st-century/

    So look at it this way: If 97% of scientists thought that a new type of plane was going to crash, would you fly in it?

    Or the other way around: If 3% of scientists said smoking was good for you, would you light up?

  28. lol well that is very true….but I have to be on gods side…sorrey
    ……will you ever come to Vancouver??

  29. Hey, I’m going to Canada in November, with Cassie Claire and Holly Black. Toronto, Ottowa, and Montreal are solid, but I don’t know if we’ll be going to Vancouver yet.

    Watch this space for details!

  30. oh please come
    im so sick of the east getting all the funn
    we get nothing….but twilight!….but thats just torture

  32. Oh, and Scott I’m just curious, who is spelling Cassie Claire’s name wrong? Because on her books it spells her last name as Clare. And you spelled it with an I.

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