The best alternate-history novels and why we love the genre

There’s a more productive way to wonder what if than when reflecting on your past: in literature, of course!

For those interested in speculating about how history could’ve taken different turns, Book Marks has ten recommendations — not all of which involve the Nazis winning World War II.

Best Science Fiction also shares its top alternate-history picks, many of which aren't on the previous list.

And while writers Stuart Kelly and Gareth Rubin each take a stab at explaining this genre's appeal, they mention various examples of it in columns in the Guardian.