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Alt Hist Issue 5
Alt Hist Issue 5 features stories covering a variety of historical periods from the 1800s to post-War USA. This issue includes five new original works of fiction including stories about Al Capone and Italian Futurism, the aftermath of the American Civil War, the real Frankenstein, the Bridge that consumes the souls of men, and the latest instalment in a series of stories about a successful Nazi invasion of Britain. Alt Hist is the magazine of Historical Fiction and Alternate History, published twice a year by Alt Hist Press. Stories featured in Alt Hist Issue 5: After Mary by Priya Sharma AD 1929 by Douglas Texter The Stiff Heart by Meredith Miller The Bridge by Micah Hyatt Battalion 202: Rotten Parchment Bonds by Jonathan Doering Priya Sharma’s “After Mary� is set in the mid-1800s and is the story a scientist with dreams of greatness who lives alone in his country house with only his assistant, Isobel, and servant Myles. Then his friend comes to the house and leaves a copy of Frankenstein, which changes everything. “AD 1929� by Douglas W. Texter is a story describing a meeting of artistic guile and criminal muscle. This is a tale of what might have happened if the Italian Futurist F.T. Marinetti had come to America and gone to work for Al Capone. Meredith Miller is the author of “The Stiff Heart� which draws its title from a poem by Emily Dickinson. Meredith’s piece is a story about life under the surface, in New England in the 1870s where secrets and fears and desires sometimes refuse to behave properly. Not everyone joins in the self-satisfied complacency of this prosperous post-Civil War community. Micah Hyatt is the author of “The Bridge�. Throughout history men have risked their lives to achieve great feats of engineering: The pyramids of Giza. The Empire State building. The Panama canal. But those who build The Bridge risk their very souls. “Rotten Parchment Bonds�, the latest story in the Battalion 202 series by Jonathan Doering, features Harold Storey, a quiet man praying for a quiet life after the horror of the First World War trenches. But his prayers are cruelly crushed by the German Invasion of Britain in 1941. As a police officer he is forced to co-operate with Nazi officials and is thrown into moral turmoil by the accommodations that start to be made. But perhaps there is one good man amongst the enemy ranks?
- GenresShort Stories
Unknown Binding
First published May 8, 2013
15 people want to read
About the author
Mark Lord
55Ìýbooks19ÌýfollowersMark Lord studied Medieval Studies at the University of Birmingham and wrote his M. Phil. Thesis on Medieval Alliterative Poetry. Since then he has worked in publishing and writes historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction in his spare time.
Mark is the author of the novels Hell has its Demons, The Return of the Free and numerous short stories. He is also editor of the popular Alt Hist magazine - one of the few literary magazines to focus exclusively on historical fiction and alternate history.
He lives in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
Mark is the author of the novels Hell has its Demons, The Return of the Free and numerous short stories. He is also editor of the popular Alt Hist magazine - one of the few literary magazines to focus exclusively on historical fiction and alternate history.
He lives in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 4, 2013
And what do I think about Alt Hist Issue 5?
I think it was worth to wait for this issue. Mark Lord put together a well mix of stories which show the variety of alternate history.
You get exactly what has been promised. It is a great opportunity to discover not so well known but promising alternate history authors.
Read my over at
I think it was worth to wait for this issue. Mark Lord put together a well mix of stories which show the variety of alternate history.
You get exactly what has been promised. It is a great opportunity to discover not so well known but promising alternate history authors.
Read my over at
Read
April 14, 2021 Published twice a year, ‘Alt Hist� magazine collects tales of alternate history, ranging from the supernatural to the military. Issue 5 includes five original stories, one of which continues an ongoing series about the successful Nazi invasion of Britain. The other four stories are varied. One touches on the myth of Frankenstein and another explores the aftermath of the Civil War. My two favourites are about a possessed bridge, and Al Capone, the Futurist.
We’ll start there. ‘A.D. 1929� by Douglas W. Texter pairs Al Capone with Italian Futurist F.T. Marinetti, who has decided the American Gangster has what it takes to be an American Senator. This representation of Futurism shows an altered future where the former crook applies his talents to going straight.
If you’ll forgive the backward cliché, the madness of the method works. Government is really only a legalised racket, after all, and it’s well known that while Capone was a somewhat unpredictable and fearsome man, but he did abide by a code and was actually quite charitable. I really liked the ‘what if� aspect of this story. I also thought Douglas Texter showed a great understanding of both Capone and Marinetti. It’s definitely a tale that stirs the imagination.
‘The Bridge� by Micah Hyatt tells the tale of a possessed bridge. At the beginning of the story, a weary worker loses his life after falling into the river. The death, the first in a series, does not seem suspicious. It’s more a matter of fact. Large scale engineering projects, particularly bridges, claim the lives of many. Even today, safety is not guaranteed, despite better equipment and laws. The faulty leather strap that cost the man his life was not the true cause of his death, however. The bridge is determined to be built, yes, but it requires more than steel and concrete. It must be fed with souls as well.
This story is a unique take on alternate history. It could have been any bridge, but the author imbued his tale with the history of New York City, nonetheless. The supernatural element is different and unexpected. I liked it a lot.
The other three stories included in ‘Alt Hist # 5� are of the more traditional variety. ‘After Mary� by Priya Sharma is reminiscent of Frankenstein. A reanimated servant struggles to learn who and what she is. I enjoyed the gothic feel. ‘The Stiff Heart� by Meredith Miller is the most impenetrable story in the collection. It probes the story beneath the story in the aftermath of the American Civil War. I think my own grasp of history failed me as I struggled with the author’s interpretation of events.
‘Rotten Parchment Bonds� by Jonathan Doering furthers the story of Battalion 202, set during the Nazi occupation of an alternate England. Harold Storey has fought his battles. Now, he would like nothing better than to retire with his wife. War has come again, however. Harold’s hopes are momentary lifted when he meets what he believes in a sympathetic soul within one of the German officers. But nothing is certain in a time of war. Having read the previous story in the series, I was able to appreciate how the culmination of events in Christopher Greenwood’s story played into this one. Doering writes well and I enjoyed his exploration of the divided loyalties of the men who reside within the skin of a soldier. I’m looking forward to further stories in this series.
‘Alt Hist # 5� is a full issue. The five stories are varied and interesting. I enjoyed them more than I did the collection in the last issue, but that is mostly a matter of taste, or preference. These stories didn’t rely as much on a sound knowledge of history, which is good as I skipped more history classes in High School than I attended. (For shame!) Yes, I regret it now. Thankfully, I have books, even if some of the stories give me supernatural and alternate versions of real events. But history is more interesting that way, isn’t it?
Written for .
We’ll start there. ‘A.D. 1929� by Douglas W. Texter pairs Al Capone with Italian Futurist F.T. Marinetti, who has decided the American Gangster has what it takes to be an American Senator. This representation of Futurism shows an altered future where the former crook applies his talents to going straight.
If you’ll forgive the backward cliché, the madness of the method works. Government is really only a legalised racket, after all, and it’s well known that while Capone was a somewhat unpredictable and fearsome man, but he did abide by a code and was actually quite charitable. I really liked the ‘what if� aspect of this story. I also thought Douglas Texter showed a great understanding of both Capone and Marinetti. It’s definitely a tale that stirs the imagination.
‘The Bridge� by Micah Hyatt tells the tale of a possessed bridge. At the beginning of the story, a weary worker loses his life after falling into the river. The death, the first in a series, does not seem suspicious. It’s more a matter of fact. Large scale engineering projects, particularly bridges, claim the lives of many. Even today, safety is not guaranteed, despite better equipment and laws. The faulty leather strap that cost the man his life was not the true cause of his death, however. The bridge is determined to be built, yes, but it requires more than steel and concrete. It must be fed with souls as well.
This story is a unique take on alternate history. It could have been any bridge, but the author imbued his tale with the history of New York City, nonetheless. The supernatural element is different and unexpected. I liked it a lot.
The other three stories included in ‘Alt Hist # 5� are of the more traditional variety. ‘After Mary� by Priya Sharma is reminiscent of Frankenstein. A reanimated servant struggles to learn who and what she is. I enjoyed the gothic feel. ‘The Stiff Heart� by Meredith Miller is the most impenetrable story in the collection. It probes the story beneath the story in the aftermath of the American Civil War. I think my own grasp of history failed me as I struggled with the author’s interpretation of events.
‘Rotten Parchment Bonds� by Jonathan Doering furthers the story of Battalion 202, set during the Nazi occupation of an alternate England. Harold Storey has fought his battles. Now, he would like nothing better than to retire with his wife. War has come again, however. Harold’s hopes are momentary lifted when he meets what he believes in a sympathetic soul within one of the German officers. But nothing is certain in a time of war. Having read the previous story in the series, I was able to appreciate how the culmination of events in Christopher Greenwood’s story played into this one. Doering writes well and I enjoyed his exploration of the divided loyalties of the men who reside within the skin of a soldier. I’m looking forward to further stories in this series.
‘Alt Hist # 5� is a full issue. The five stories are varied and interesting. I enjoyed them more than I did the collection in the last issue, but that is mostly a matter of taste, or preference. These stories didn’t rely as much on a sound knowledge of history, which is good as I skipped more history classes in High School than I attended. (For shame!) Yes, I regret it now. Thankfully, I have books, even if some of the stories give me supernatural and alternate versions of real events. But history is more interesting that way, isn’t it?
Written for .
August 10, 2013
A beguiling collection of historical and alternative history short stories, well written, well edited, and well presented. These are the sort of stories you have to think about a while, even as the feel of each story soaks through you like the aftereffects of fine wine. Of particular fascination for this reviewer (who also writes World War II historical fiction) is Battalion 202: Rotten Parchment Bonds by Jonathan Doering, where a British policeman finds himself entering murky moral territory following a successful invasion by Nazi Germany.
Editor Mark Lord provided a free copy of in return for this review.
Editor Mark Lord provided a free copy of in return for this review.
December 3, 2013
I had enjoyed the previous volumes in the series, so I was happy to get my hands on an electronic copy of this book. Mark Lord provides an interesting collection of tales that run the gamut from alternate WWII invasion of Britain to possessed bridges in 1920's America to a variation on Frankenstein's tale of created life. There is enough variation that most readers will find a tale or two to enjoy. I am looking forward to the next volume.
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November 19, 2013When I say I'll write a review, I always hope it's a good one.
Unfortunately I'll have to disappoint with this one. I couldn't get into it at all, not really for anything the editors or writers did wrong, it was just mostly of no interest to me.
Unfortunate really. I'll give it another go in time.
Unfortunately I'll have to disappoint with this one. I couldn't get into it at all, not really for anything the editors or writers did wrong, it was just mostly of no interest to me.
Unfortunate really. I'll give it another go in time.
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