6 Terrifying Alternate Geek Histories

Alternate history asks what the world would be like if certain events in the past were somehow different. Shaun Clayton of Topless Robot has looked into geek history (TR prefers the term 'nerd', but that's a debate for another day) and unearthed six horrifying possibilities. Let's say, for example, Star Trek was revived prematurely with the proposed Star Trek: Phase II. Or Stephen King died of his injuries after getting hit by a van in 1999:

As much as people may debate the end of The Dark Tower series as being good, bad or "whaaa?" there is a far worse ending for The Dark Tower -- never getting finished. Somewhere there's a universe where, on a June afternoon, while taking a walk by the side of the road, King is struck by the minivan that hit him in our reality and dies in 1999. The Dark Tower series would end at Wizard and Glass and be unresolved. Further, anything Stephen wrote after that point does not exist. You may not like anything he wrote over the past 11 years, but just imagine that you have to imagine what he wrote over the past 11 years, like Cell, From a Buick 8, and Faithful, in which King relates his giddy experience in watching the Boston Red Sox finally win a World Series. If there were anything for King himself to want to exist in our universe for, it would be that.

By the way -- if you're a fan of alternate history (as I am), you should check out the work of Peter G. Tsouras. He is, IMHO, the best alternate history writer ever. Yes, even better than Turtledove.

Link | Image: Topless Robot | Previously: The First Alternate History