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Written by AnalyticalEngine and hosted on AlternateHistory.com Her Diamond Heart is loosely based on The Peshawar Lancers by S. M. Stirling (and completely unauthorised by said author).
Though it shares the book's point of divergence - a meteor shower bombarding the Northern Hemisphere in 1878 - the differences between the two start building up almost immediately. One particular difference is the survival of the United States of America and certain parts of Europe.
Historical characters who appear or are referenced in the timeline:
- Benjamin Disraeli
- Edward VII
- Queen Victoria
- Theodore Roosevelt
And a host of others
Provides examples of:
- Eagleland: Unlike the book, the United States is very much alive.
- Inferred Holocaust: There are several references to "ethnic liquidation", though this timeline has no separate term for ethnic cleansing and genocide- make of that what you will...
- Pragmatic Adaptation: The author's main intention was plausibility rather than storytelling.
- Rightful King Returns: In China, though it actually requires a change of dynasty.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Absolute monarchy is rather common in this timeline.
- Sliding Scale of Realistic vs. Fantastic: Compared to its source material, this timeline is far closer to the realistic end of the scale.
- Take That!: A recent post contains a not-so-subtle refutation of the obligatory cannibal cultures of the book.
- Unreliable Narrator: Many of the references "quoted" in the timeline are somewhat biased one way or another.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: There are quite a few of these scattered around. YMMV on just how well-intentioned they were, though.
