Saturday, August 28, 2010

What If?

Some argue that “Alternative History” is more grammatically correct, but “Alternate History” has emerged as the common name for an interesting sub-genre of fantasy fiction. The “what if” asked by so many authors has produced a wealth of thought-provoking tales.

What if the Roman Empire hadn’t fallen? What if the American Revolution had failed? What if Germany had won World War II, or if Russia had reached the moon first?

In The Story of Ireland, published in 1894, historian Standish O’Grady wrote:

The kings of all our European nations came up as the result of an immense amount of fighting between small kings and between powerful families, each of which thought it had the best right to be the Royal Family . . . If Ireland had been left to herself a King of Ireland and a Royal Family of Ireland would have come up in the long run out of those wars, just as out of the wars of the Saxon nations of England the King of the English at last appeared.
What if Ireland had been left to herself?

I wondered about that long before I found Mr. O’Grady’s work in my aunts’ amazing library of Irish books. As a second generation Irish American, I will never know what it is to be truly Irish. My childhood vision of Ireland was one of magical legends and ancient kings, banshees and leprechauns, rebels and outlaw heroes. The first time I saw the real Emerald Isle, the palm trees astonished me—and that wasn’t the only jolt to my flawed concept of modern Ireland.

I longed for the Ireland I knew through song and story. My aunts had assured me our family had descended from Irish royalty, kings and queens long gone but hardly forgotten. How could such great men and women simply vanish?

What if they were still around?
In 1002 A.D., the chieftain of an obscure Irish clan rose to claim the High Kingship of Ireland. Brian Boru united Ireland’s warring tribes under one leader for the first and only time in Irish history. A scholar as well as a warrior, King Brian rebuilt churches, encouraged education, repaired roads and bridges, and roused the country to rise against the Norse invaders who had ravaged Ireland for centuries.

On Good Friday in 1014 A.D., Brian’s army challenged a host of Vikings and their allies on the plains of Clontarf. Though his troops were victorious, Brian’s son and grandson perished in the battle. Brian himself died as he prayed in his tent, murdered by fleeing Vikings who stumbled upon his camp.

Many historians have speculated that Ireland would be a different place today if Brian Boru and his heirs had survived the Battle of Clontarf. A Band of Roses presents one possible scenario.
So begins the preface of A Band of Roses, Fiery Roses, the forthcoming third book, Salty Roses, and my recently completed young adult novel, Glancing Through the Glimmer. In each of these stories, King Brian Boru survived the Battle of Clontarf and founded a dynasty that still rules modern Ireland. Along with a lovable cast of heroes and villains, the Boru clan encounters a blend of adventure, intrigue, and romance one reviewer called “a well-written and fascinating package that will appeal to a wide range of readers.”

Check them out. What if you like them?

19 comments:

  1. Very interesting concept, Pat. I'll be adding these to my reading list.

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  2. An interesting concept indeed, Victoria. Thanks for visiting!

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  3. Kind of gives you the *shivers* to let your mind wander and play the "what if" game. Your books sound awesome, Pat. I've got them on my GOTTA READ list. All the best to you!

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  4. Thanks, Maeve. I'm so glad you stopped by!

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  5. I agree, Pat. It's an incredibly interesting concept and you did a fantastic job of presenting it. Your books are wonderful. Best of luck with your new YA!
    ~Donna

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  6. Thank you so much for the kind words and good wishes, Donna. The YA novel was an enjoyable challenge to research and write!

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  7. I love "what if" game. It really opens up the imagination. This was a great post. Thanks!

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  8. Anita, the possibilities could drive a poor writer mad. But what a way to go :-) Thanks for dropping by today!

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  9. I read Band of Roses, a fascinating adventure with romance thrown in too.
    I'm working on my own Alternate History book, still waiting to hear from the publisher.
    I love the What If game about history.

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  10. Diane, that is so exciting. What are you writing about? Please keep us posted. And thanks for stopping by!

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  11. "What if" changes the world. One has to imagine to accomplish anything. I love your concept of modern Ireland and I'm enjoying the adventure!

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  12. Thank you, Kristal. I'm thrilled to think that a writer with your imagination is enjoying my stories!

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  13. Good luck with the new stories, Pat. Can't wait to read them. :)

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  14. Thanks so much, Dawn. Great to 'see' you, as always!

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  15. I have always liked the idea of "parallel universes" that branch off with even the slightest difference in every choice or event. The "what if" scenario is consistently fascinating to me. Some of my favorite stories, including "A Boy and His Dog", "Fido", "Watchmen", and now "A Band of Roses", each have their own unique twist on the idea.

    Do you know anything about quantum mechanics? You may find it interesting as a concept. :)

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  16. Rick, I know enough about quantum mechanics to know I don't understand it. Maybe one of these days I'll look into it and find some inspiration for a story. Thanks for stopping by and for sharing your favorite titles. I'll have to check them out.

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  17. Ah, so many "what if" questions. Perhaps everything happens for a reason? Hard to tell that to the folks cleaning up oil in the gulf though.

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  18. Interesting Pat. LIke i said on the other blog, our 'what ifs' become 'if onlys' when it comes to bad things happening or regretted decisions---whether current or historical. Over-active imagination is right. we're probably all 'guilty' of that!!

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  19. Julie, I think I prefer "what if" to "if only". Nothing we can do about the "if onlys." The "what ifs", however, not only open up lots of positive possibilities, they also keep certain writers at their computers and out of the shopping malls. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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