Swarm in the Somme - Alternate History Dot Com story

[SpaceMarine93]

Not sure if anyone here had already heard about it, so I'm going to post this thread as if no one knows what it is.

Whenever Sci-Fi/Fantasy bookworms think about Alien Invasions and Alternate History, many would immediately think about WorldWar series by Harry Turtledove. He took an utterly insane idea - An alien race of lizards, armed with slightly-more advanced 21st Century technology and weapons and an Imperial Japan's culture and mindset, invading Earth at the height of the Second World War, in 1942 - and ran with it. Surprisingly, it was better than it sounded.

I recently became a member of AlternateHistory.Com forums, and I found this fanfic that is rapidly become incredibly popular on the forum that roughly runs on the same premise, but even more insane.

The premise, described as simply as possible by TVtropes, proposes this:

"Earth being invaded by a Horde of Alien Locusts, while unprepared humanity tries to unite and rally its forces against the Planet Looters."

"BUT this time, it's not set in the Present Day, or Next Sunday A.D., or World War II."

Instead, Wait for it...

"This time, it occurs in the earliest months of World War One."

And as the TVtropes had correctly concluded, it's Better Than It Sounds. Harry Turtledove, eat your heart out.

Swarm on the Somme is not your typical Sci-Fi Bug War: Humanity was only beginning to step into the 20th Century and they have to essentially fight a race of alien bugs known as the Grex that steps outside the usual portrayals of an alien bugs: they are highly-intelligent, very powerful, and above all, utterly malicious in intents and goals. They outnumber Humanity, they can out-adapt Humanity, they are stronger in many ways, and they are utterly relentless. They will not stop until Humanity is wiped out and Earth is yet another victim of their unending tide of conquest.

Many of the concepts of modern war we take for granted Humanity were only beginning to grasp - they don't have tanks, their planes are barely starting to work, they have only nineteenth century equipment to help them, and their tactics and strategies likewise. They could barely even tolerate each other. Yet now, instead of the torment of the trenches of the WWI, the hell of a brutal bug war awaits them. By all considerations, Humanity appeared fucked.

Sorry for the purple prose. Needless to say, the story is incredibly bleak in tone, but yet also incredibly awesome in many ways. They may not win, but Humanity in that story is not going out without one hell of a fight. A definite must-read for Alternate History and Military Sci Fi fans anywhere.

Cleaned up thread link here, you might have to get an account to read it:

http://alternatehistory.com/discussion/ ... p?t=237610

[Ahriman238]

I'm a bit confused. Are you asking something, or just saying you think this is a cool idea?

[SpaceMarine93]

Just saying it's very cool and worth a look.

[Thanas]

In what way does this qualify as alternate history?

[Murazor]

In what way does this qualify as alternate history?

In the same way as Cowboys vs Aliens, more or less.

The story is in the Alternate History boards, subsection "Alien Space Bats" AKA Fanfiction & Random Nonsense, such as Sauron of Mordor invades the Holy Roman Empire.

[SpaceMarine93]

In what way does this qualify as alternate history?

In the same way as Cowboys vs Aliens, more or less.

The story is in the Alternate History boards, subsection "Alien Space Bats" AKA Fanfiction & Random Nonsense, such as Sauron of Mordor invades the Holy Roman Empire.

Yeah, pretty much. I suppose it still counts if Harry Turtledove's WorldWars series counts as Sci-Fi Alternate History. Correct me if I am wrong.

Regardless of designation, Swarm on the Somme is an interesting read. Ever thought of fighting a brutal Bug War with WWI weapons?

[Thanas]

In what way does this qualify as alternate history?

In the same way as Cowboys vs Aliens, more or less.

The story is in the Alternate History boards, subsection "Alien Space Bats" AKA Fanfiction & Random Nonsense, such as Sauron of Mordor invades the Holy Roman Empire.

Man, that site sure has gone down the shitter. Before it was all crappy "Romans win battle of teutoburg forest and thus go to the moon in the 1600s", now it is "Aliens invade and alter history".

[SpaceMarine93]

In what way does this qualify as alternate history?

In the same way as Cowboys vs Aliens, more or less.

The story is in the Alternate History boards, subsection "Alien Space Bats" AKA Fanfiction & Random Nonsense, such as Sauron of Mordor invades the Holy Roman Empire.

Man, that site sure has gone down the shitter. Before it was all crappy "Romans win battle of teutoburg forest and thus go to the moon in the 1600s", now it is "Aliens invade and alter history".

Well, just treat it as another average Sci-Fi.

Anyways, how is it? I find it very good.

[KlavoHunter]

Why the feck do I have to log in to read their damn stories? I don't want to register at a billion sites.

[General Mung Beans]

In what way does this qualify as alternate history?

In the same way as Cowboys vs Aliens, more or less.

The story is in the Alternate History boards, subsection "Alien Space Bats" AKA Fanfiction & Random Nonsense, such as Sauron of Mordor invades the Holy Roman Empire.

Man, that site sure has gone down the shitter. Before it was all crappy "Romans win battle of teutoburg forest and thus go to the moon in the 1600s", now it is "Aliens invade and alter history".

Actually they've limited access to the ASB (ie the stuff with aliens, time travel, etc.) to members only so that people would join for the real AH. And they have plenty of good TLs like Decades of Darkness for example.

[Lord_Of_Change 9]

In what way does this qualify as alternate history?

In the same way as Cowboys vs Aliens, more or less.

The story is in the Alternate History boards, subsection "Alien Space Bats" AKA Fanfiction & Random Nonsense, such as Sauron of Mordor invades the Holy Roman Empire.

Man, that site sure has gone down the shitter. Before it was all crappy "Romans win battle of teutoburg forest and thus go to the moon in the 1600s", now it is "Aliens invade and alter history".

Er, as an actual member of the site I have to say that the aliens stuff is totally confined to one forum out of five or four dedicated to creative writing, which also includes Stirling-esque 'Island in the Sea of Time' scenarios and a good deal of actual fanfiction. The forum which had the worst reputation last I checked was either 'Future History' (ideological fantasies) or the roleplaying forum (mostly due to inter-player abrasiveness).

Basically, ASB exists because if it didn't, the 'serious' AH forums would be flooded with ASB nonsense. The admin and mods are pretty overworked (but not as much as in the early days when it was pretty much the admin acting on his own to get rid of troublemakers).

@Klavo

You have to log in to view the Writers' Forum because it's blocked for non-members as a way to try and protect first rights. Several other forums I know do the same thing. The others (including the chat forums) I'm unsure about.