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Alt-Earth is a Historical Fiction & Alternative History fictional universe created by Charles Moffat in Autumn 2013. The books set within Alt-Earth follow an alternative version of history, drawing upon real world historical events, but also upon conspiracy theories and unproven theories, within a world that includes magic, secret agents, vigilantes, superheroes, dragons, mermaids, and more. It is the kind of world where characters like King Arthur or Merlin can coexist with monsters like Loch Ness or the World Eater, as well as coexisting with globe trotting archaeologists, super spies, wizards, witches, super heroes and super villains.
Having the books within a shared fictional universe (similar to Marvel or DC Comics) allows Charles Moffat the freedom to do things you wouldn't normally see within the historical fiction or alternative history genres, which is to have connections between plots or characters, and possibly even future team ups of characters who are intrinsically different, but share a common purpose. Some team ups are less likely, unless time travel is somehow involved, but it also possible to see younger versions of older characters appear in some stories, either as a main character or as a side character.
Sometimes the connections might be simpler, like a place. Eg. A Nazi compound built in Patagonia, Argentina, versus a similar set of structures built in the wilderness of Ontario, Canada, possibly built by the same group of people or allies of the same people. Sometimes the villains might have a family connection. Sometimes an object might overlap, appearing in one story and reappearing in another.
Moffat's writing style blends realism with the bizarre, treating unusual circumstances with the things you would expect to happen during real historical events. Thus the emergence of a new vigilante / superhero is treated with the realism you would expect from actual world events. This focus on realism also means that some stories can be based totally on facts and contain zero magical elements or weird alternative history, thus being more in the vein of "historical fiction", with no alternative history elements in that particular story.
Books set within Moffat's Alt-Earth include:
A Dark Road in Louisiana - Historical Dark Fantasy / Weird Western
Folly of the Forlorn - Historical Dark Fantasy / Weird Western
Hunting Hitler - Historical Fiction / Spy Thriller
The Dragontree of Kaŝe - AfroFantasy / Epic Fantasy / Urban Fantasy
The Dragonslayers of Kaŝe - AfroFantasy / Epic Fantasy / Urban Fantasy
The Girl in the Red Hoodie - Vigilante / Superhero
"The Dragontree of Kaŝe" and "The Dragonslayers of Kaŝe" are also available as a single 2-in-1 book, "The Quorum of Kaŝe".
The Alt-Earth Timeline
The timeline of Alt-Earth is very similar to earth's, but with subtle differences - often playing to historical theories or conspiracy theories. Below are some examples of how the timeline differs.
- In 1870 and onwards the "Man from Salem" hunts monsters in the United States of America.
- In 1945 Hitler and Eva Braun faked their deaths, burned a pair of bodies, and escaped Germany using the underground subway and an airplane. The KGB later forced Hitler's dentist to confirm the identities of Hitler and Braun as being the burnt bodies. This mirrors real world conspiracy theories.
- In 1955 Samson George Walter is recruited by NATO Intelligence by Agent Ackley, given the codename "Agent Borealis", and tasked with hunting Nazis in Argentina.
- In 2018 the secret island-city of of Kaŝe is attacked by a massive dragon and a small army of escaped terrorists from the magical prison Rura Penthe. The escaped terrorists are seeking to escape to the dragon homeworld via the Dragontree Portal of Kaŝe.
- In 2019 a group of would-be dragonslayers enter the Dragontree Portal in an effort to kill the dragon who destroyed the city of Kaŝe a year earlier.
- In 2020 a group of white supremacist terrorists attack the city of Toronto, but their efforts are partially thwarted by a boxing vigilante who becomes known as the Girl in the Red Hoodie. The efforts of the terrorists later lead to the Second American Civil War and the start of World War Three.
Note - There is no coronavirus pandemic in this alternative version of 2020. Although having World War Three happen instead is certainly worse.
A Dark Road in Louisiana
Historical Dark Fantasy / Weird Western Short Story
Kindle eBook, $0.99
Release Date: October 1st 2022
IBSN Number: NA
Pages: 17
Folly of the Forlorn
Historical Dark Fantasy / Weird Western Short Story
Kindle eBook, $0.99
Release Date: December 1st 2022
IBSN Number: NA
Pages: 11
Hunting Hitler
Historical Fiction / Spy Thriller Novella
Kindle eBook, $6.99 / Trade Paperback, $9.99
Release Date: May 1st 2021
IBSN Number: 979-8737931018
Pages: 167, Large Print
The Dragontree of Kaŝe
AfroFantasy / Urban Fantasy Novella
Kindle eBook, $2.99 / Trade Paperback, $5.99
Release Date: July 1st 2020
IBSN Number: 979-8657442175
Pages: 114, Large Print
The Dragonslayers of Kaŝe
AfroFantasy / Urban Fantasy Novella
Kindle eBook, $3.99 / Trade Paperback, $6.99
Release Date: July 1st 2021
IBSN Number: 979-8529579671
Pages: 143, Large Print
The Girl in the Red Hoodie
Boxing / Vigilante / Superhero Pulp Fiction Novel
Kindle eBook, $8.99 / Trade Paperback, $14.99
Release Date: September 1st 2021
IBSN Number: 979-8456052865
Pages: 362, Large Print
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