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Free Alternative History eBooks
Explore historical speculative writings, unusual cosmologies, hidden-world stories, and polar journeys. Inclusion preserves the source material and does not endorse its claims.
128 books · Page 2 of 6
The Smoky God; or, A Voyage to the Inner World
Emerson recounts Olaf Jansen’s account of a voyage north with his father and their passage into an inner world. The journey describes an unfamiliar landscape, its inhabitants, and the experiences Jansen brings back with him.
Symzonia: A Voyage of Discovery
Captain Seaborn describes a voyage southward, a passage beyond familiar waters, and an encounter with the people of Symzonia. Travel, unfamiliar customs, and comparisons between societies shape the account.
Nequa; or, The Problem of the Ages
A voyage into the polar regions leads to the world of Altruria and a society organized around different social and economic principles. Personal identity, exploration, and the workings of that society unfold through the traveler’s account.
Niels Klim’s Journey Under the Ground
Niels Klim’s descent into a cavern carries him into unfamiliar subterranean lands and societies. His encounters explore customs, government, learning, and the assumptions people make about their own way of life.
The Goddess of Atvatabar
An expedition discovers an interior world and the civilization of Atvatabar. Its account follows the land’s geography, unusual technology, political struggles, and the central figure of Lyone.
The Land of the Changing Sun
Two travelers enter a hidden realm governed by an extraordinary system of artificial light. Their encounters with its inhabitants reveal the society’s technology, rules, and the difficulties of finding a way home.
The Coming Race
A descent below the Earth brings a traveler into contact with the Vril-ya and the power they call vril. The account explores their customs, abilities, social organization, and their relationship with the world above.
Beyond the Great South Wall: The Secret of the Antarctic
An Antarctic expedition travels beyond a formidable southern barrier and discovers an unfamiliar world. The journey combines navigation, dangerous terrain, and encounters with the people and remnants of a remote civilization.
An Antarctic Mystery
A voyage aboard the Halbrane draws its passengers deeper into the southern seas while they follow the mystery surrounding Arthur Gordon Pym. Ice, navigation, and the search for missing travelers drive the expedition onward.
At the Mountains of Madness
An Antarctic expedition uncovers unusual specimens and the remains of an immense city beyond a mountain range. William Dyer recounts the discoveries and the journey that led him to oppose further exploration of the region.
Etidorhpa; or, The End of Earth
A mysterious visitor recounts a journey deep beneath the Earth with an unusual guide. Caverns, unfamiliar forms of life, and conversations about matter, perception, and knowledge shape the descent.
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder
A manuscript recovered at sea describes Adam More’s journey into a hidden southern land. Its people, landscapes, and strikingly different customs emerge as the readers of the manuscript discuss the account.
Poseidon’s Paradise: The Romance of Atlantis
Birkmaier presents the land and people of Atlantis through a story of relationships, leadership, and upheaval. The setting draws together the island’s culture, traditions, and the catastrophe associated with its disappearance.
Atlantis: The Antediluvian World
Donnelly gathers comparisons from mythology, language, archaeology, and geography to develop his account of Atlantis. He considers how an Atlantic civilization might connect traditions found across different parts of the world.
The Story of Atlantis and the Lost Lemuria
Scott-Elliot sets out his account of Atlantis and Lemuria, describing their geography, peoples, and successive changes. The two works bring together his explanations of lost continents and the development of civilizations.
Ragnarok: The Age of Fire and Gravel
Donnelly examines geological deposits, legends, and accounts of catastrophe in developing his theory of a great encounter with a comet. The book compares traditions of fire, darkness, flood, and survival across cultures.
The Lost Atlantis and Other Ethnographic Studies
Wilson examines Atlantis alongside questions about ancient peoples, migration, and the interpretation of evidence. The collection brings together his studies of civilizations and the connections proposed between them.
The Lost Continent
The account of Deucalion follows political conflict, travel, and the approaching destruction of Atlantis. His experiences reveal the continent’s cities, leadership, and the choices made as its crisis deepens.
The Land That Time Forgot
A submarine voyage leads to Caspak, a land enclosed by towering barriers in the southern seas. The travelers confront its unfamiliar wildlife and inhabitants while trying to understand the country and escape.
The People That Time Forgot
Tom Billings travels to Caspak in search of Bowen Tyler and encounters the people living beyond its barriers. The journey explores more of the land’s geography, communities, and unusual progression of life.
The South Pole: Volumes I and II
Amundsen gives his account of the Norwegian Antarctic expedition in the Fram and the journey to the South Pole. Both volumes cover the planning, equipment, sledging, weather, and daily work of the expedition.
South: The Endurance Expedition
Shackleton recounts the Endurance expedition, the ship’s entrapment in Antarctic ice, and the struggle to bring the crew to safety. The account follows the ice drift, boat journeys, and rescue efforts.
The Home of the Blizzard
Mawson describes the Australasian Antarctic Expedition and its work along a little-known coast. Scientific observations, extreme winds, sledging journeys, and the experience of living in Antarctica form the account.
Scott’s Last Expedition: Volume I
Scott’s journals follow the Terra Nova expedition through preparations, life at the base, and the journey toward the South Pole. The entries record the changing conditions, scientific work, and experiences of the sledging parties.