My 2020 Blogging from A to Z Challenge revisits my best posts from the 2014 to 2019 Challenges.
V for Vijayanagara Confederation 1929 (2017)
Trying to devise an alternative timeline for the Indian sub-continent was intriguing and insightful. I’ve had a fascination with the sub-continent since travelling there in 1978, travelling overland through Eastern Europe, Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan – all on the verge of major upheavals. From Nepal to Sri Lanka, I found the landscape, culture, and people mesmerising. Ever since, parts of the sub-continent have crept into my writing.
Therefore, I inevitably included the sub-continent when I was constructing my Kanata alternative history. The initial trigger, Leif Eriksson’s permanent colonisation of Vinland, inspired me to rewrite other key episodes in history. I wanted the legacy forged from Vikings merging with the indigenous people to ripple down time. Kanata evolved into my vision of a 21st Century Viking Age that interacts across the globe.
Expect more alternative history ahead.
Before the ‘our timeline’ revelation, do you recognise all the real historical players in this alternative reality?
V is also for Voyagers: The Third Ghost, which is released on May 5th, 2020. Visit the IWSG Anthologies blog for details.
Links to my other 2020 A to Z posts can be found here: https://rolandclarke.com/blogging-from-a-to-z/blogging-from-a-to-z-challenge-2020/
To visit other participants see The OFFICIAL MASTER LIST: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YphbP47JyH_FuGPIIrFuJfAQiBBzacEkM7iBnq6DGDA/
Writing Wings 
Hooray for alternative history – and for the rich rewards from exploring other cultures.
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The extra-other cultures were a bonus for this research-addict, EC.
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Ever since I read your title, I was intrigued as to how my country slipped into your posts!
I’m sure to read this series and the Azure Spark series after the challenge is over!
V is for Valuable
https://thedreamgirlwrites.wordpress.com/2020/04/25/valuable/
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As I have a fascination with the culture and history of the whole sub-continent, I wanted to include it somehow, TDG. Many of my writings touch on the area – my Gossamer Flames post-apocalyptic saga rekindles Bhārata, and in Snowdon Shadows, Sparkle Anwyl’s partner Kama Pillai is of Tamil descent. What about your ancestry? Where are you based?
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My mother tongue is Telugu. My ancestors were from Andhra Pradesh. From about my great grandmother’s generation they’re from Mysore. But my cousins and I, and everyone else are all from Bangalore. So technically we are kannadigas… i think?
It’s confusing lol
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A designer-person – a hybrid so special. I’m a mix of English, Scottish, and Chilean Spanish.x.Araucanian. Yours sounds more fascinating culturally though.
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Lol.. it isn’t that special at all. It’s quite common to be a part of hybrid per say. Culturally we lean towards the Kannadigas. Woah, those places are all so far apart.
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Does that also mean you speak Telugu, English, and Kannada? Or other tongues as well? Plus, do I keep calling you TDG or something else? I suspect Bangalore has crept into something I’ve written, but I’d have to check as wary of using places I’ve never been.
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You can keep calling me TDG or Swapna. That’s my name xD
Yes I speak all of them. And Hindi too! I know how to read and write all these languages except Telugu. The dialect is similar to Kannada so I can get by xD
I can understand Tamil but I can’t speak well at all.
I am currently learning German.
How about you? How many languages do you know?
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I will call you Swapna then – especially as I realise your name means ‘sleep’ or ‘dream’ in Sanskrit. Clever website name then. Anyway, I only speak English fluently, although my Spanish moves from ‘basic’ to ‘reasonable’ when I’m in the right milieu. My French is ‘passable’ and I interviewed farmers in German one year. I know a ‘smattering/odd phrases I’ve learnt in Dutch and Welsh but forget ‘communication’. Like you, my mother was a polyglot speaking/writing three languages fluently – learning Spanish first, then French, and finally English. She knew at least another three passably -Italian, German, and Russian.
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My name means Dream! Thank you 😛
That’s how I got around to naming it 🙂
Woah that’s so impressive! Your mother knew 6 languages!!
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Her dad even knew ‘dead’ languages like Latin and Greek. Skipped a generation with me – but my sister is multi-lingual as is her daughter.
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Woah!! Latin and Greek.. that’s crazy!
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I’m sure you’ll remember communication when it is necessary!
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Sounds like you’ve got a rich imagination, and that you do lots of research! I can see you have a poetic bent, as well, which I appreciate. Well done.
https://atozwriting.blogspot.com/
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Thanks Sati, I have to admit that the research was done three years ago, although I’m still drawn into rabbit holes.
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Alternative history, cool. I’ve read a few cool stories based on that. (And a few not great ones that I couldn’t finish because it was too offensive…)
I hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy during this difficult time.
J Lenni Dorner~ Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge, Debut Author Interviewer, Reference& Speculative Fiction Author
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There are some weird and some offensive alternative histories out there, Lenni – and some excellent ones that got me hooked to the genre.
We are staying safe, thanks. Stay safe, sensible, and inspired.
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