Christmas Day Contest! ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT!! Following up on our Halloween contest, you can enter our next contest, which will be alternate histories for Christmas Day, December 25th, 2005. The same rules will apply, the top ten entries will be posted on that day, and by entering, you grant TIAH the right to electronically print your writing on December 25th, 2005, maintain your writing in our archives, and reprint your entry should we decide to reuse it in the future. TIAH only maintains full copyright over material it has originated that has been used by contestants in writing their own entries. Enter early and often - entries must be received by December 20th, 2005! Email us up to 3 entries of your best alternate Christmas Days! We've only had two contestants so far, so let's get cracking, people!
December 18th, 2005
in 1788, the Battle of the St Lawrence cements Canadian supremacy in the northern waters of North America. The American colonies had been pressured into sending a naval expedition north to aid the British soldiers fighting Canadian nationalism, and were sent packing by a superior Canadian naval force.
in 1859, Victorian poet Francis Thompson was born in Lancashire, England. His poems describing the trials of the last decade of the 19th century, the Hounds of Heaven saga, became classics across the solar system. Although they were very harsh towards the Mlosh for their part in what had happened, he denounced the racist groups that attempted to use his poetry to bolster their cause.
in 1865, political wrangling prevents the adoption of the 13th amendment to the constitution, banning slavery. Even in spite of the Civil War still raging in the southern U.S., the northern states are unable to agree on this basic principle. It is this disorganization which kept them from winning the war, especially after the Confederacy freed all slaves who served in the Confederate uniform.
in 1870, the famous British short story writer H.H. Munro, better known by his Burmese nom-de-plume, Saki, was born in Burma. Although his career was nearly ended in World War I, he survived horrific injuries to become the premiere writer of short fiction in the English-speaking world. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1931.
in 12-13-6-1-5, Quetzilopoctl, greatest of the high priests of Quetzlcoatl, is born in Tenotchtitlan. From an early age, he had displayed a desire to join the priesthood, and his faith so impressed the local temple that, even though he was of low birth, they allowed him to join in their rituals. When he saved the Emperor in a battle, the Emperor appointed him High Priest and named him a noble of the empire. The songs that he wrote in praise of his god are still sung in ceremonies today.
in 1888, Mikhail von Heflin, living in Paris under the assumed name of Pierre Delaroche, is arrested for killing Miguel Los Santos, a Spanish immigrant who kept a small bakery near the Notre Dame Cathedral. While awaiting trial, “Delaroche” escapes from his cell and flees the city. He decides to leave France for America.
in 1912, a hoax was almost played on the entire paleontological world when Charles Dawson attempted to pass off a set of bones he had crafted as a Piltdown Man, an early British hominid. His co-conspirator, Father Pierre Tielhard de Chardin, was unable to go through with the ruse, and confessed to the press that it was all a joke.
in 1916, Astrid Pflaume seized the opportunity granted her by the German defeat at Verdun to organize her small cadre of Jewish fighters into the core of a larger group. Her cries of freedom and equality for the Jews struck a chord throughout Europe, and young Jewish men were soon flocking to her cause. She reported back to neo-Nazi superiors in the future that their plan was working well.
in 1987, capitalist gangster Ivan Boesky is sentenced to 20 years at hard labor in New York Soviet's infamous Attica prison. Boesky ran a large numbers racket as well as a huge portion of New York's black market, and the people's prosecutors were very happy to see him sent away.
in 2003, Templars arrested a group of Estellians who were attempting to blow up Buckingham Cathedral. The Pope’s spokesman trumpeted the action as the true face of Estellianism; violent, murderous and conspiratorial.
in 2316, former Episcopal minister Father Jurgen faces the Holy Storm on Thor.
ALTERNATE HISTORIAN'S NOTE:Today's post contains an extended entry that is also a future date - since the poll on this issue is overwhelmingly in favor of including future dates, we felt we should give you a taste. Let us know what you think of this!
We still have our standard offer - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!
The Forum lives again! My esteemed Co-Historian has brought the forum back to life, and in spite of the issues we've had with the forum in the past, we think that this time, it'll stay up!
Fresh New Poll - Shall we use future dates in our entries?
Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy. Speaking of which, the winning writers have been announced; not the ones I voted for, but you can see the one I did at http://www.marktreitel.com
Help the Alternate Historian get a better day job!
My email address for contacting me with your good news, or for more direct goodness, go to the web site and leave a comment, buy a book, or leave a Paypal donation! Remember, it's only 6 degrees of separation between you and anyone else - and thanks again!
No comments:
Post a Comment