Such maps can also help us see the past and present with fresh eyes. For example, any alternate history is not simply a point of divergence, followed by seat-of-the-pants conjecture.

The game imagines a world in which the Soviet Union attacks the US during World War 2, leading to a protracted conflict. We're tasked with collecting resources, building a base, and defending it ...

But one of the deepest pleasures of alternate histories are their maps. Sometimes these allow stories to unfurl, or complement the hypothetical world of a tale being told.

Samuel Arbesman explores the detail and delights of maps that plot alternative worlds to our own. The intriguing maps that reveal alternate histories - BBC Future Homepage ...