What distinctions are there between alternate history, postmodern alternate history and uchronie genres?
Science fiction is a genre that is fiction based and focuses on imaginary technological or scientific advances. The genre also frequently uses social and environmental changes in its narrative. Some examples include: Time travel, Teleportation, Aliens, extraterrestrial lifeforms, and mutants, Space travel and exploration, Interplanetary warfare, Parallel universes, Fictional worlds etc.
Alternate history is a subgenre of science fiction, it emphases on the “what if” rather than science. Alternate history uses fictional worlds to present actions or events that took place in the past and at a certain time changing the result.
According to Shimmin (2019) There are three common elements of alternative history:
1. Background history the same as the real world,
2. A change at one critical point (the Point of Departure).
3. A story that explores the consequences of that change.
The second element, the point of departure is where the action or event at a particular time occurred differently in the alternative world and the real world resulting in the two worlds (two histories) being distinctly different. For instance, instead of myself moving to Auckland, I stayed in Dunedin which would create the starting point for a different world, leading to the flow in constant change thus an alternative history.
According to Ramson (2010) “the postmodern alternate history tends to be synchronicity narrative that include historical chaos.” (p. 263) Meaning, that the alternate history concentrations on historical changes that could result in chaos and thus, presenting a postmodern perspective.
Recently, I watched a Korean drama called “The King: Eternal Monarch” this drama practices postmodern alternate history’ as it presents two worlds affected by the Japanese colonization and rule but both worlds take different paths. The worlds are represented at the same point in time through the drama. ‘Kingdom of Corea into the parallel world of the Republic of Korea’ Every single person has a doppelganger in the other world. The difference is that one world won the battle against Japan and one lost resulting in significant change. The 2020 South Korea we know today is portrayed with a democracy, but the other world is still led under the monarchy.
Uchrione is the French term to describe alternative history generes. (p. 66) According to Mountfort (2016) elaborates on the three subcategories of uchronie: “pure uchronia,” which is stated to consist of one alternative world; “plural uchronia,” in which two worlds exist in parallel, and “infinite uchronia,” with many worlds that can be many worlds including infinite parallel worlds (p. 306)
In conclusion, the genres I have listed above all involve the use of alternate world/worlds but differ in future outcomes due to altered timelines. The Synchronic or diachronic perspective in the narrative is important to take note of in order to determine genres.
Mountfort, P. (2018). Science fictional doubles: Technologization of the doppelganger and sinister science in serial science fiction TV. Journal of Science & Popular Culture, 1(1) 59-75. https://doi.org/10.1386/jspc.1.1.59_1
Mountfort, P. (2016). The I Ching and Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle. Science Fiction Studies.
Ransom, A. (2010). Warping Time: Alternate History, Historical Fantasy, and the Postmodern Uchronie Québécoise. Extrapolation.
Shimmin, G. (2019, May 7). What is Alternative History? Alternative History Defined. Graeme Shimmin, spy thriller and alternate history writer. http://graemeshimmin.com/what- is-alternative-history/.
Singles, K. (2013). Alternate history: playing with contingency and necessity. De Gruyter.
Pop Genres 2020 