Best Alternate History Books

This gripping novel depicts an America in which slavery is once again legal and Jews must hide under false identities. Nazi Germany and Japan occupy the United States following a devastating defeat in World War II. Set in 1962 San Francisco, this Hugo Award-winning book seamlessly blends science fiction and serious social commentary, revealing a chilling alternate reality that challenges readers to question the nature of history and humanity itself.

This novel follows the Jewish refugees and their descendants living in the Federal District of Sitka, a temporary safe haven created after the Holocaust and Israel's collapse. Detective Meyer Landsman, a homicide detective with a failing personal life, has to investigate a murder in his hotel before the District is set to revert to Alaskan control. Chabon weaves together a suspenseful murder mystery, a love story, and an exploration of exile and redemption in this one-of-a-kind novel.

In an alternate postwar England where fascism is on the rise, upper-class families of the "Farthing set" are gathered for a weekend retreat. When Sir James Thirkie is found murdered with a yellow Star of David pinned to his chest, Lucy Kahn realizes her Jewish husband is about to be framed for the crime. As they search for a way out, they navigate a dangerous political landscape with surprising twists and turns. Jo Walton's Farthing is a thrilling masterpiece.

Explore a world where the Black Death kills 99% of Europe's population in this thought-provoking novel. Follow the rise and fall of nations, dynasties, and religions, as soldiers, kings, scholars, and explorers navigate a world where Buddhism and Islam reign supreme, and Christianity is only a footnote. Discover how culture, power, and love have changed in this bold alternate history.

Step into a thrilling alternate history where aerial combat is taken to new heights - on the backs of mighty dragons! Join Captain Will Laurence as he embarks on a daring adventure after capturing a French frigate and seizing an unhatched dragon egg. Navigating through the high-stakes world of the Aerial Corps as the master of the extraordinary dragon Temeraire, Laurence will need to learn the daring tactics of airborne battle as France's own dragon forces prepare to invade British soil.

Get transported to a world where English magicians once commanded forests and summoned fairy servants, but now only write about magic in lengthy papers. That is, until Mr Norrell emerges from his reclusive life at Hurtfew Abbey with a library of forgotten books and the powers of England's magicians. He even manages to raise a woman from the dead, and creates ghostly fleets to support the war against Napoleon. But when a rival magician, the extroverted Jonathan Strange, appears, their differing ideas of what magic should be lead to a dangerous conflict. This is a sophisticated and witty historical novel with an enchanting world that will leave you wanting more.

In this alternate version of American history, Charles Lindbergh, a hero aviator and isolationist, becomes President and negotiates an "understanding" with Adolf Hitler. Anti-Semitism becomes commonplace, disrupting a young boy's life and tearing apart his family in Newark. A captivating narrative that explores the consequences of nationalistic ideals and their impact on individuals.

Follow Cora's journey through the Underground Railroad, a secret network of actual tracks and tunnels beneath Southern soil. As she flees from state to state, she encounters iterations of her own world at each stop. Colson Whitehead's book is a harrowing tale of one woman’s escape from the horrors of bondage while weaving in the saga of our nation from the brutal abduction of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, this powerful meditation on history is not to be missed.

Travel back in time to prevent the JFK assassination in this suspenseful novel. Jake Epping, a high school English teacher, is enlisted by his friend Al to embark on the insane, yet possible, mission to stop history from taking its tragic turn. With a portal to 1958 at his disposal, Jake finds himself in a new world of Elvis, big American cars, and Lee Harvey Oswald. But when Jake falls in love with a woman from this era, his newfound life becomes complicated. Stephen King delivers a thrilling tribute to a simpler era, taking readers on a heart-stopping journey through time.

In the face of a climate cataclysm that will make Earth inhabitable, humanity must rapidly colonize space. Elma, a talented pilot and mathematician, joins the International Aerospace Coalition's mission to put a man on the moon. But why can't women go too? Elma's determination to become the first Lady Astronaut challenges societal norms and may change the course of space exploration.