Flag of the Union of Sovereign Republics

This is the flag of the Union of Sovereign Republics. It comes from a world where the government of the Soviet Union discovered the plot by hardline Communist Party members to stage a coup. The leaders of the planned coup were arrested, and this meant that the New Union Treaty was signed into law. The Soviet Union reorganized itself into the Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics. The first wave of reforms were somewhat modest, but they allowed for capitalism, and investments from foreign businesses, to make inroads to the USSR. This provided a much needed shot in the arm to the Soviet economy. This led to a weakening of the independence movements among the constituent republics of the USSR.

Economic reforms soon lead to political reforms. Genuine opposition parties were allowed to run starting in the late 1990s. This led to a weakening of the Supreme Soviet, and by the mid 2000s, the USSR had transitioned into a full democracy. Its name officially changed to the Union of Sovereign Republic to better reflect this new nature. Thus, the Cold War came to a somewhat anticlimactic end.

The Union of Sovereign Republics emphasizes devolution of powers. The national government handles matters of international diplomacy and national defense. Meanwhile, the constituent republics are given considerable leeway. They can declare their own official languages, establish their own educational systems, establish their own legislative assemblies, and pass their own internal laws. The national constitution also holds all constituent republics to be equal, and protects the rights of minority groups. The USR is working towards redressing the grievances the Soviet Union committed against non-Russian ethnic groups.

Relations between the USR and the USA are fairly friendly and cordial. The two nations have increasingly collaborated over the years. For example, they collaborated on a joint manned mission to the Moon in 2015. Surprisingly, there’s even talk have having the USR join NATO. However, that’s on hold at the moment.

China has not fared well in the 21st Century. The Chinese economy is in shambles. Western businesses never really invested in China. Most international production facilities are instead located in the USR and India. China is plagued by political unrest, and government crackdowns are increasingly common. China relied on Russia to keep America in check. However, the increasing closeness of the USR to America has sent Chinese leaders into a panic. The USR and USA are watching China with increased wariness, particularly after China’s invasion of Vietnam in 2019.

Time will tell what becomes of this. For now, however, the Union of Sovereign Republic enjoys economic prosperity and a high standard of living. For the first time in a long while, things are looking up for the peoples of Russia and Central Asia.

The blue doesn’t have any official meaning. Though, some take it to mean that the same blue sky is shared by all members of the Union of Sovereign Republics. It also contrasts with the red of the old Soviet flag. The eight bent poles represent the equality of all the constituent republics of the USR. The white is to offset the blue, and make the flag look a bit less like the old Soviet flag.

The Alt-Hist File: Red Moon

The world of audio drama is home to all sorts of wonderful productions and great stories. However, as with any medium, there are a few stinkers out there as well. Most times, I'm able to just move along if I encounter one of these. However, there are other times that an audio drama misses the mark so much I have no choice but to talk about it. Regrettably, the show we're looking at today is one of these audio dramas. We're taking a look at Red Moon.

 

Red Moon takes place in a world where the Soviet Union landed a manned mission on the Moon in 1968. Specifically, Yuri Gagarin became the first man to set foot on the Moon. This is a humiliating defeat for the United States. However, America refuses to give in, and creates a new goal of being the first to establish the permanent lunar base. By 1979, both superpowers have established bases on the Moon. Both bases have nuclear launch capability and the Doomsday Clock has been set to one minute to midnight. Tensions remain high between East and West.

Also, NASA was folded into a new branch of the American military known as Space Command, or SpaceCom for short. They have command center throughout the world, including in Britain. Meanwhile, in London, a former British spy named Eddie is still morning the loss of his beloved wife. Little does he know, however, that he's about to unravel a conspiracy with major geopolitical ramifications.

I'd heard about Red Moon before, and I was very happy to finally have an opportunity to listen to it. It seemed like an incredibly promising premise, and I went in with high expectations. Red Moon took its brilliant premise...and promptly bungled it into an incredibly boring story.

First, let's see how the alternate history checks out. I should note that this is the third work of alternate history I've reviewed that centered around a Soviet moon landing. As such, comparisons to The Soyuz Files and What If? Russians on the Moon! are pretty much inevitable, but we'll get to that soon enough. Alternate histories about the Space Race seem to be on a slight rise as of late. Besides Red Moon and the aforementioned works, there's also For All Mankind over on Apple TV+. For All Mankind is absolutely amazing, and I totally recommend watching it if you haven’t already. Alternate histories about Germany winning World War I have also seen a slight rise, not doubt thanks to the Hearts of Iron mod Kaisereich. It is nice to see more variety than the usual Nazi victory or Confederate victory scenarios. So, how's about some more Aztec Empire never falls scenarios? But I'm getting off track here.

Overall, the alternate history itself isn't too bad. We learn that Sergey Korolev did not die in 1966 like he did in our world. Korolev was very much the heart of the Soviet space program; and keeping him alive would significantly increase the chances of a successful Soviet moon landing. I also think that moon bases would be the logical next goal for an extended Space Race. The technology for a manned mission to Mars just would not be feasible by 1979.

I'll also give Red Moon credit that I'm willing to buy that the moon bases have nuclear launch capability. For all the talk of lofty goals of exploration, one of the major driving forces behind the Space Race was "Hmm, I wonder if we can put some nukes up there?" Furthermore, the Apollo missions weren't as popular as you might think. Numerous polls showed that only about fifty-three percent of the American public supported the Apollo program. That number was even lower among racial minorities. Apollo also consistently made the top five programs Americans said they'd eliminate in order to curb government spending.

The point is, you're going to have to convince a lot of Americans if you want to keep the Space Race going. One good way of doing that is to stoke up fear about the Soviets placing nukes on the Moon, and emphasizing how America needs to get there first. It is even mention that the United States and the Soviet Union have pulled out of the Outer Space Treaty. It was a treaty signed in 1967 where the signatories agreed to ban the use of nuclear weapons in outer space.

I'll also concede that sound effects were top of the line and very professional. The voice acting was, for the most part, quite excellent as well. The only issue was that I'm not sure I can see Eddie's voice actor as leading man material. There were also a couple minor American characters who sounded more like British people attempting American accents. Otherwise, the actors playing Americans did an excellent job. Well, for all I know they might well have been actual Americans.

Okay, the alternate history is reasonably solid, the sound effects and acting are great, so where did Red Moon go so wrong? It comes in the execution of the story. Series writer Robert Valentine seemed to be drawing quite a bit of inspiration from Robert Harris' classic alternate history novel Fatherland. Personally, I always found Fatherland to be dreadfully boring, except towards the very end when the action finally picked up. I get that Harris was going for the banality of evil and all that, but you'd think a novel about a victorious Nazi Germany would be more exciting.

Anyway, novels that take the Fatherland approach to alternate history. Said approach goes as follows: take an average person, usually a detective or reporter, and have them go about their lives. Then something happens where they get drawn into a conspiracy involving the government and they must unravel the conspiracy before it's too late. Problem is that, much like Fatherland, these novels tend to move at the pace of molasses in an igloo, and are incredibly dull to boot. The only book I've seen use this premise, and not turn out dreadfully dull, is Resurrection Day by Brendan DuBois. I may have to put that one on the rotation for review at some point.

Unsurprisingly, Red Moon suffers from serious pacing issues. Episode one started well enough, but episodes two through four were a complete drag. There were times I wanted to shout "Get to the point already!" Things somewhat picked up by episode five, but it was too little too late. Episode six, the concluding episode, felt incredibly rushed, which is quite a feat given how plodding the proceeding episodes were. It certainly didn't help that I found all the characters to be variously flat, one-dimensional, and overall just not that engaging or memorable. To be perfectly frank, it didn't take long before I simple did not care about what happened to the characters.

Also, I need to talk about one scene in particular. Eddie meets one of his associates, an American fellow, in the park to discuss what's really going on with SpaceCom. We learn that the American space program has been doing shady things from the start. They even, horror of horrors, hired former Nazi rocket scientist. This is treated like some grand revelation, but it really isn't, not even in-universe. It was common knowledge among the general public, even as far back as the 1950s that NASA employed former German rocket scientists as part of Project Paperclip. Tom Lehrer even pinned a famous song in 1965 making fun of Wernher Von Braun for his ties to the Nazi Party. So, since the audio drama is set in 1979, this wouldn't be a bombshell at all.

Project Paperclip is also treated as a unique black mark on America's part, but again, not really. The Soviet Union had its own equivalent of Project Paperclip. Curiously, those who wag their fingers at America for Project Paperclip hardly ever bring this up. And that's to say nothing of the Soviet Union's incredibly cavalier attitude towards the safety of its cosmonauts. For example, one out of five, possibly more, Soviet rocket launches ended in failure.

It was more of a minor annoyance, but throughout the audio drama we have characters bemoaning how Britain is just an innocent bystander in the fight between the two superpowers. I can kind of understand where they were coming form, but I spot a few flaws with that. Britain is a member of NATO, so it isn't like they were some unaligned nation caught-up in the conflict. Moreover, Britain has a nuclear arsenal, which is a lot better than most nations can claim. In fact, Britain was the third nation to get the atom bomb. They would have been second, but the Soviets beat them to the punch on that one.

A few of the characters grumble about how they've basically became a colony of America, and how America is imperialistic. The nation that used to own a quarter of the world is really not in a position to be lecturing about imperialism, just saying. Now, to be fair, this was probably meant to be in-universe...probably, but more on that in a bit. The embarrassment of Britain's failure during the Suez Crisis was still very much fresh in everyone's minds in 1979. Furthermore, with decolonization in full swing, Britain had pretty much lost its entire overseas empire by 1979. I'm sure many British people were rather sore about that. There were grumblings all the way back to when India got its independence in 1947. It was also probably rather embarrassing to have a former settler colony overtake Britain as a major world power.

So, why do I say probably in-universe. Well, by the time the show as over, it was pretty clear to me that Robert Valentine seems to hate the United States quite a bit. Almost all the American characters are completely evil, and with little to no redeeming qualities. The Americans of Red Moon are largely depicted as greedy capitalists, zealous jingos, and blood-thirsty warmongers. It is certainly true that America did some screwed up things during the Cold War. The Vietnam War alone contains examples ranging from the My Lai Massacre to the drafting of mental handicapped individuals.

However, the villains of Red Moon were completely over-the-top, to the point of coming across as cartoonishly evil. I was half expecting them to eat puppies and kittens at some point. They felt more like James Bond villains than legitimate villains in an alternate history audio drama. This is compounded by the fact that we only ever see one Soviet character, and he's practically a saint compared to the Americans. He waxes about how the Soviets never wanted the Space Race, and it's all because the big bad Americans forced them into. Again, that could have been an in-universe remark, but given the track record thus far, I have my doubts. The Soviets definitely took part in the Space Race of their own volition, and they aimed to win.

And now let's talk about what the big evil plan is. At first, it seems like it is a rouge general doing it, but it turns out the orders are coming from the president himself. The plot is to blow up the Russian moon base, but that runs the risk of sparking World War III. So, the American moon base will bomb Juneau, Alaska as a false flag. Then, America can destroy the Soviet Union once and for all. See what I meant about the Americans being more like bad James Bond villains?

Now, this all could have worked as a satirization of Cold War paranoia, but unfortunately, the premise is played completely straight without the slightest hint of irony or humor. Sorry gang, but Dr. Strangelove this is not. For that matter, even playing the premises seriously, showing a potential dark side to a Space Race that never ended, could have worked. It could have, but it would need to be in the hands of a far more competent writer.

Valentine said that he had the idea for Red Moon for a while, but were galvanized to do it because of the election of Donald Trump and the passing of Brexit. Uh, if Brexit was an inspiration, then why are Americans the villains? Also, why do they care that Trump was, at the time they wrote Red Moon, president of the United States? There is a big blue wobbly thing called the Atlantic Ocean that separates America from Britain.

So, does this mean Red Moon is loaded with anti-Trump and anti-Brexit moralizing? Surprisingly, no. If fact, had I not known, I wouldn't have suspect that Trump and Brexit were influences on Red Moon. If anything, I'd suspect the Robert Valentine just really hated America and Americans.

There is a brief scene at the end where the president is ousted from power, and reporters remark on him spending a bunch of time golfing, but that's about it. Don't ask who it was, they never say. In our world, Jimmy Carter was president in 1979, but I can't see him going for something like armed moon bases. That would be more Ronald Reagan's thing, and he didn't become president until 1981. I'd call it lazy writing, but that would be redundant at this point. Of course, the bigger sin of Red Moon is that it's just so boring and poorly paced.  

And I don't think any of this is due to the writer of Red Moon being British. What If? Russians on the Moon! was created by a pair of Frenchmen, and yet it managed to tell a compelling, well-written, excellently paced story with excellent research. It also featured compelling morally complex and engaging characters without demonizing either the Americans or the Soviets. Seriously, go read What If? Russians on the Moon! Likewise, The Soyuz Files also succeeds in all of these categories, and you should absolutely listen to it instead of Red Moon.

The Wireless Theatre Company has some other audio dramas, and perhaps I'll give them a try some time. However, if Red Moon is anything to go off of, I'm won't be setting my expectations too high.

So, yeah. Red Moon took an excellent premise for an alternate history audio drama, and completely bungled it. It has terrible pacing, flat characters, anti-American bias that borders on bigotry, and worst of all, it is just so utterly boring. Don't waste your time with this sinker. If you want an actual quality audio that explores the aftermath of a Soviet moon landing, listen to The Soyuz Files. And if you're hungry for more Soviet moon landing alternate history, read What If? Russians on the Moon!

Well, that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Alt-Hist File: The Soyuz Files

Audio drama podcast are capable of telling all kinds of different stories. However, you don't really see that many focusing on alternate history. There are certainly some exceptions, such as Twilight Histories, but overall alternate history remains fairly rare in the world of fiction podcasts. However, as I've said, there are exceptions to this, and I've found one to share with all of you. We're taking a look at The Soyuz Files.

The Soyuz Files takes places in a world where the Soviet Union landed a manned mission on the Moon in 1968. Naturally, this sends shockwaves around the world. America is reeling with humiliation at having officially lost the Space Race. It is during these tumultuous times that investigative reporter Jack Schechter is determined to get to the bottom of the Moon Landing. He has been receiving postcards from two scientists, one Soviet and one American, named Nikolai and Jacob. They claim that all is not as it seems. They claim that the Soviet government is hiding something about the landings. Something that could change the world. It's up to Jack to find the truth.

I must say, this podcast was a pleasant surprise. Like I said, there aren't many alternate history podcasts, so it is always a treat when I find one. Especially one that is so well-made. The Soyuz Files definitely goes for that NPR feel, and the producers certainly succeeded on that account. The voice acting is also very strong. The actors playing the American characters are all excellent. The ones playing Soviet characters are, overall, still good, but do vary somewhat in quality. A lot of them do that exaggeratedly fake Russian accent you tend to see in a lot of media. Though, all things considered, it wasn't too bad, and was even kind of endearing after a while. Though it was a little odd in Natalia's case, given that she's mentioned to be from Hungary. Unless that means she was born in Hungary, but moved to Russia later in life. Also, I find it endlessly amusing that the podcasting company that created The Soyuz Files is called The West.

The writing is also extremely well done. It is interesting that The Soyuz Files takes a more pessimistic view of a Soviet moon landing. Most alternate histories of the Space Race have Soviet moon landings result in more advanced manned spaceflight for America. That's not the case here. In fact, NASA winds-up getting decommissioned and folded into the Department of Defense. Numerous scientists are laid-off, and the Saturn V rockets are re-purposed into intercontinental ballistic missiles. It was pretty depressing to think of the vehicle used for one of humanity's greatest adventures being turned into a weapon of war. It made me briefly pause the podcast just so I could be sure I was in the universe where America was the one who landed on the Moon.

I think this largely has to do with the year at the point of divergence occurs. 1968 was, in many ways, the year America collectively attempted to commit suicide. It saw the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, numerous race riots, the beginnings of the anti-Vietnam War movement, and countless other protests and civil unrest. Moreover, NASA was still reeling from the Apollo 1 disaster. A fire had started in the test module the astronauts were practicing in, and because of the almost pure oxygen air supply, the fire spread quickly. Unfortunately, the door was very difficult to open, as it had been made extra secure due to concerns that the Gemini crafts' doors didn't secure well enough. Thus, the astronauts all burned to death before NASA engineers and personnel could free them. Congress ordered a halt to all spaceflight for twenty months to ensure a repeat of the disaster wouldn't happen.

The Apollo 1 disaster also saw many in congress question the need for a lunar program. For example, Walter Mondale was particularly adamant that the money ought to be used to solve problems on Earth. But it wasn't just congress who questioned the need for Apollo. Apollo wasn't as popular with the general public as you might think. The general public constantly rated Apollo among the top five programs they'd cut to reduce government spending. Only about fifty-three percent of those polled said they believed that a moon landing would be worth the cost. That number was even lower among blacks and other minorities. All of this is to say, I can certainly believe what happens to NASA.

The Soyuz Files is an interactive podcast of sorts. The postcards Nikolai and Jacob send are up on the website, and you can play along and decode them if you're so inclined. Or, if you're lazy like me, you can just listen to the show to get your answers. You don't have to solve the postcards, but it is a fun little extra if you want it.

The Soyuz Files is only six episodes long, and clocks in at a total of an hour and a half. You can easily binge the whole thing in an afternoon. I bring this up because we've now got to talk about some spoilers. So. if you don't want the big reveal spoiled, turn back now.

Seriously, this is your last chance. You sure you want to continue?

Well, okay. If you've made it this far you must know, or want to know. So, let's dive in.

Turns out the Soviet space program hit a bit of a snag with the design of the Soyuz craft. They couldn't figure out how to get it to carry enough air to get to the Moon and back. The Soviet government, fearing America's lunar program was about to kick into gear, forced the mission to launch anyway. They didn't bother to tell the cosmonauts that they were on a suicide mission until it was too late to turn back to Earth. The cosmonauts went through with the mission, but not before cursing and condemning the Soviet government. The Soviet leaders hired specially trained actors to pose as the cosmonauts on Earth.

Well, damn, that went in a very different direction than what I was expecting. I assumed it was going the Capricorn One route of having the whole thing be faked. I must say, this did make for a very interesting twist. It's all very reminiscent of the death of Vladimir Komarov. He was the pilot of the Soyuz 1 craft. The craft had over 200 design flaws, and other complications, before it launched. However, it's launch date coincided with Vladimir Lenin's birthday, so the Soviet government forced the launch to go ahead. Pretty everything that could go wrong did. The electronics constantly fluctuated, fuel ran low, the guidance systems didn't work correctly. However, the worst came during reentry. The heat shield failed and Komarov was roasted alive. The parachute also failed to deploy, but he was dead well before he hit the ground, so it was a moot point.

Some say that an American listening station in Turkey captured Komarov's final words. Specifically, that he cursed and disavowed the Soviet government. However, this is the subject of much debate among historians. The listening station where Jack discovers the truth is indeed the same one that is claimed to have listened in on Komarov's last words. Whatever Komarov's final words, one thing that is certain is that the Soviet space program was notorious for cutting corners and placing rushed production over safety. Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, nearly met disaster upon his reentry. Alexei Leonov, the first man to perform a spacewalk, nearly asphyxiated when he couldn't get back into his Voskhod module because his spacesuit had inflated too much. Moreover, one out of five, if not more, of all Soviet rocket launches ended in failure. Incidentally, Komarov and Gagarin were best friends.

The Soviets often beat America to be the first to do several things, but American missions were almost always superior to their Soviet counterparts. For example, Sputnik 1 was the first artificial satellite launched into space, but all it could do was go "beep, beep, beep." Explorer 1, America's first satellite, had an independent propulsion system, and tons of scientific instruments. It was thanks to Explorer 1 that the Van Allen radiation belt was discovered.

We got a little off track there with our history lesson. Let's get back to discussing the podcast. Anyway, the truth comes out, and the Soviet Union is to answer before the United Nations. Jack's lost his job, and is being questioned by the American government, but he helped bring murders to justice...maybe. I'm just saying, the United Nations is notoriously bad at actually getting things done. Moreover, while embarrassing in the short term, I can't help but wonder if this will really be that much of a setback for the Soviet Union. Moreover, there's no indication that America is planning a manned mission to the Moon, so NASA is still probably dead for good. That isn't just a blow to manned spaceflight, think of all the unmanned mission that probably won't happen. That's a ton of information about the solar system, and beyond, that will be lost. That's not even getting into the numerous spin-off technologies that resulted from the space program. A bittersweet ending heavy on the bitter end of the equation.

Still, I absolutely loved this podcast. If I did have a criticism, it would be that I wish there were more episodes. I wanted to explore this world more. We do get tantalizing hints of what is going on in the wider world. There's mention of the Soviet re-occupying West Berlin, and NATO being on the verge of collapse. You can't just toss around things like that and not elaborate on them. I hope the creators decide to return to this world, or possibly create another alternate history audio drama. Hey, I can dream can't I?

Well, there you have it. The Soyuz Files is a short, but sweet, alternate history audio drama. I absolutely loved it, and I'm sure you will too. Check it out today, you'll be glad that you did. Well, I think that's enough from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

Flag of the Russo-American Alliance

This is the flag of the Russo-American Alliance.  It comes from a world where World War II dragged on for long than it did in our world, before ending in a stalemate.  The Allies and Axis signed an armistice, but officially, the war never ended.  For the next few decades there was an uneasy peace as the major and minor powers improved their technology in apprehension for the war heating up again.  One development was the beginnings of colonizing the Solar System.  The other major way this world differs from ours is that the Solar System is teaming with habitable worlds, much like it is depicted in science fiction from the 50s and 60s.  

Colonization of the Solar System got a major boost when the war finally started up again.  By this point, both the Allies and the Axis had developed atomic bombs.  Both sides were more than willing to use their nuclear weapon, along with other new weapons such as remote controlled asteroids.  As a result, Earth's environment was completely devastated.  Numerous cities were destroyed, massive crop failure occurred due to nuclear winter, and overall it was not a good time to be living on Earth.

The nations of the Earth, or at least, the ones with space programs, engaged in a mass evacuation attempt.  New alliances were forged and cultures were intermingled.  By the 21st century Earth remains a backwater planet just beginning to show signs of recovery from the nuclear war.  Meanwhile, Mars and Venus shine as bastion of culture and freedom, and are locked in a bitter war against the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. 

The war continued even into space, but for now at least, things are at an uneasy truce.  The Allies laid claim to the Inner Planets, while the Axis were pushed to the Outer Planets.  The astroid belt was claimed by neutral nations, such as Switzerland, and become something of a neutral zone between the two.  Recently, the Oort Cloud and Kuiper Belt have been designated as neutral zones as well. 

The Russo-American Alliance started off as a coalition the United States, the Soviet Union, the British Empire and the French Empire.  However, Britain and France took quite a beating during the thermonuclear war.  As a result, America and Russia came to dominate the alliance both culturally and in terms of political clout.  The official language of the Alliance is Runglish, a combination of Russian and English, with a few bits of French thrown in.  Venusian Runglish is more similar to Russian, while Martian Runglish is more similar to English.  

The blending of Russian and American culture is most evident with the design of the flag.  The flag is a combination of the American and Soviet flags. 

Comic Review: What If? Russians on the Moon!

When it comes to alternate history comics, they almost always involve some sort of supernatural or science fiction element.  Pure alternate histories are, comparatively speaking, a bit of a rare bird.  I don't mind this too much, I do love a good Alien Space Bats scenario, but I can understand other people who might feel a bit frustrated.  Well, I have some good news that's sure to please everyone in the alternate history community.  Comixology has been partnering with Delcourt and Soleil, two of the biggest names in French comics, to brings English translations of all sort of great French comic books and graphic novels.  We're going to be talks about one of those comics.  Specifically, we're taking a look at What If? Russians on the Moon!

What If?, known as Jour J in its original language, is an alternate history anthology comic book series.  Each issue, at slightly less than sixty pages, poses a different alternate history question.  In this first issue, the Apollo 11 mission ends in disaster when a micrometeoroid destroys the Eagle Lander, and in the process, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are killed.  America recoils with shock from the tragic turn of events.  There shock only increases when, a few months later, the Soviet Union launches a successful Moon mission, and Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first human to set foot on the Moon.

The action then jumps ahead ten years to 1979.  The United States and the Soviet Union have both established competing lunar bases.  The Space Race continues to rage on and tensions remain high between East and West.  America's Eagle Lunar Station is on high alert after astronaut Valeriane Smith reports becoming mysteriously ill; medical expert Tom Lang is sent to investigate.  Meanwhile, the Soviets have noticed that their lunar base, Galaktika, has been usually quite lately.  The Soviets send a reconnaissance of their own, led by a hotshot test pilot named Sasha.  He and his partner have been given license to kill if necessary.  There's plenty of thrills, adventures and alternate history to go around.

So before we tackle the plots itself, let's dissect the alternate history.  I understand that he micrometeoroid was used to set up the plot, but I'm not sure if it was the most realistic point of divergence.  The hull of The Eagle was certainly thin, but I'm not sure necessarily that thin.  We also see, in graphic detail, that the micrometeoroid causes Armstrong and Aldrin's heads to explode.  It's true that getting hit by a micrometeoroid is a bit like being struck by a bullet, but I doubt it would result in exploding heads.  Personally, I'd have had things basically be a lethal version of the misfortunes Apollo 13 experienced, but I digress.

Now, one things to keep in mind is that the America and Soviet space programs were almost total opposites of each other.  Wernher von Braun might have been the head of the American space program, but it was very much a team effort.  Even if Von Braun were to have dropped dead, the other scientists would have been able to continue just fine.  By contrast, the Soviet space program was very much a one-man show lead by Sergei Korolev.  When he died it was an absolutely crippling death blow to the Soviet space effort.  Korolev's death was one of the biggest reasons the Soviet Union never landed anyone on the Moon in our world.

I bring all of this up because it is addressed within the comic itself.  Based on a couple of offhand comments and throwaway lines, it appears that Korolev is still alive and kicking.  Lunar bases as the next leg in the Space Race makes sense.  Even with the added public support a Soviet moon landing would generate, I doubt that either America or the Soviet Union would be able to develop the technology necessary to get to Mars by the late 1970s.  Semi-permanent settlements on the Moon make more sense given the technological limitations.

It's also shown that the continued Space Race has led to advances in military technology.  For example, the Soviets used missile-launching satellites to great effect during the Soviet-Afghan War.  It is true that the Soviets had plans for such devices, but you'd think that having something like that in orbit would make America a bit more antsy, possibly developing their own such devices.

The Space Race has always been one of my favorite points in history.  It was an exciting time, and its fun to speculate on what it would be like if manned space flight was more advanced.  As you may have guessed, I was sold on this comic from the moment I heard about it.  The artwork is really well done, like something you might see from DC or Marvel.  The cover is especially gorgeous; it's done in the style of those old Life Magazine covers.

Okay, now we have to talk about some potential spoilers.  Get off now all those who don't like that sort of thing.  Okay, everyone gone who wants to be gone?  Good, let's dive on in.

So, why exactly is Valeriane ill?  She's not, she's just pregnant and about to give birth.  She met a cosmonaut named Dimitri Ivanovitch Babakin during a mission to the Sea of Fertility.  One thing lead to another, and now they're expecting the birth of their first child.  Turns out, Eagle and Galaktika have been helping each other for quite a few years now.  They've moved beyond Cold War tensions in the spirit of exploration and cooperation.  That ties in with why Galaktika has been so quiet.  They encountered some problems with their station, and they've been hanging out at Eagle.  Well, that and many of them are hoping to apply for asylum.

Valeriane and Dimitri hope that the announcement of their child's birth will bring peace to Earth.  Unfortunately, Frank Spotino, the astronaut who accompanied Dr. Lang to the Moon, discovers the Soviets who have taken up residence at Eagle.  He sets off a bomb that throws the Soviets onto the lunar surface without spacesuits, instantly killing them.  Upon spotting this turn of events via telescope and satellite, America and the Soviet Union decide to mutually destroy each other's moon bases.

The astronauts and cosmonauts have just enough time to announce the birth of little Tom-Ivan Babakin-Smith before evacuation is underway.  Unfortunately, Valeriane is still bedridden, and Dmitri decides to stay by her side to the bitter end.  They trust Tom-Ivan in the care of Dr. Lang and Sasha before giving a tearful goodbye.  I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but it kind of reminds me of Superman's origin story.  Anyway, with the help of Sasha's friend Vladimir Putin, he and Dr. Lang successful fake their deaths.  They then move to a tropical island to raise Tom-Ivan in peace.

Now, I bring all this up to discuss the alternate history, and scientific accuracy, involved.  The media dubs Tom-Ivan as The Star-Child, and he becomes a symbol of peace and unity throughout the world.  By the year 1980 the Berlin Wall, as well as the Eastern Bloc, has fallen in the name of the Star-Child.  Okay, so communism falls in Eastern Europe ten years ahead of schedule.  I'll give that as a reasonable divergence; communism was already on its last legs by the 1980s in our world.

In terms of scientifically accuracy, things might be a bit looser.  Tom-Ivan was gestating in only 1/6 Earth gravity and, one assumes, was exposed to quite a bit of cosmic radiation in-utero.  When we catch up with him in 1989, however, he doesn't appear to be anything other than a happy and healthy ten-year-old. It helps that he was raised on Earth, but you'd expect his bone structure and muscles to be weaker.  As for the potential damages that could result from radiation...well, the less said the better.  I know it would make an already bittersweet ending even more bitter, but it stood out to me.

I don't want to end this review by making it sound like I didn't enjoy this comic.  Really, those were just minor nitpicks.  I enjoyed this comic very much, and it's one of the best alternate history comics I have yet encountered.  Fans of alternate history will love it, as will fans of science fiction and space exploration.  It's a great comic, and you won't want to miss out on it.

I'm really excited about all the great French comics that Comixology is bringing to English speaking readers thanks to their partnership with Delcourt and Soleil.  There's plenty of great titles to discover, and I can't wait for more issues of What If? to come out.  It seems like they're trying to focus translating issues that involve topic familiar to American readers.  I can understand that, there are certain issues that don't make a lot of sense unless you have a good grasp of French history.  Hey, it is a French series, so it makes sense that there would be focus on alternate history that impacts France.

Still, there looks like there's going to be a lot of potentially great issues to come.  Hurry up, Comixology, I can hardly wait for them!

Well, I think that's enough from me for now.  I will see you guys next time.

The Dustbin of History

My latest map set in an alternate 1990s were among other things:


Following the assassination of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 the United States suffered a second civil war which ultimately tore the nation apart. The Northeast became the communist United American Commune, the Mid-Atlantic and Upland South there about became a fascist military dictatorship, the black belt states became the socialist-leaning Republic of New Afrika and Texas is once again a republic with fascist leanings. Something of a rump United States exists in the upper Mid-West, but it's been many years since elections were last held and its increasingly falling under socialist influences. Meanwhile, most of the West Coast states were conquered by the Japanese during World War II.

Speaking of World War II, it dragged one for a few years longer, but ultimately ended in an Allied Victory, albeit with considerably more dead Soviets. Following the war the Soviets were able to bargain for a bigger piece of the post-war pie thanks to their added contributions to the war effort. Before long Germany, Greece, Turkey, Austria, Finland and large portions of Italy and France fell to Soviet occupation. The nations of Western Europe banded together, but in a very Finlandization kind of way.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Empire emerged from the war stronger than ever. Their East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere has become more of a Pan-Pacific Co-Prosperity Sphere with the addition of the American territories. The Japanese are the primary rivals of the Soviets and have funded several right-wing juntas to combat Soviet expansionism.

Alaska is a bit of buffer territory between the Soviet Union and Japanese North America. Over the years it has become homeland for the Jews. Skirmishes with Native Alaskans and old settler Americans are still common occurrences, and the threat of invasion remains an ever present possibility. Still, for many Jews having a place to call home make all of that worth it.

As decolonization moved forward during the 50s and 60s it created several new trading partners for the Soviets. Prominent African socialists include the United States of Latin Africa and the East African Federation. Destalinization occurred much more smoothly, Soviet republics were given greater autonomy and non-Russians were able to move up the ranks of allowed to ascend to positions of authority. The Soviet Union also emphasis infrastructure and consumer goods; adding to the overall quality of life for the average citizen.

Meanwhile, Japan also experienced reforms and changes to its empire. Japanese society began to liberalize and the rights of non-Japanese citizens were expanded. Japan also focused on building up its infrastructure and consumer goods. Japan lent aid to the right wing juntas of Brazil, Argentina and Chile after much of Latin America formed the Soviet sponsored Republic of Latin American Socialists. Support was also provided to South Africa to counter the Soviet Union's African allies.

Pan-Arabism is in full bloom. Egypt, Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq has formed the United Arab Republic. The UAR was originally a close Soviet ally, but in recent years has begun to move away and form a Third Party power block. Islam still plays a major role in daily life, but the UAR is much more laid back and liberal than in our world.

The few non-communist nations of Europe banded together into a European Union-esque organization. However, as the years went on these nations failed to compete with the Soviet Union economically. By the 1980s several popular fronts were established throughout Western Europe and communist governments were soon established. Many of these now communist nations are now considering merging with the Soviet Union. The British, Dutch and French governments have fled to their holdings in South America.

By the 1990s the Cold War is more or less over. As far as the Western world is concerned the Soviet Union has emerged as the clear winner. Communism is triumphant while democracy and capitalism have been sentenced to the dustbin of history. Economist throughout the world are scratching their heads as to how the Soviets managed to solve their economic woes, but clearly they did something right.

Still, all isn't entirely lost. The Japanese, and their sphere of influence still provide plenty of competition for the Soviets. Slowly but surely the fascist nations are beginning to liberalize and granting more rights to their citizens. Perhaps one day democracy will see a revival. For now, everyone is looking towards the skies. Following the Japanese victory in the Moon Race it is now Mars that is next great target. Meanwhile, Soviet and Japanese orbital stations and lunar bases are being constructed with increasing frequency.