What makes an alternate world?

[dalekboy]

Thanks to a discussion in one of my previous posts, I find myself wondering - What large or small obvious things can there be to clue people into the fact they are in an alternate universe?

The most common is the good old airship in the modern day world. I'd like to hear about some others. So see this as a writing or thinking exercise, or just a bit of fun.

The setting is 2006. You land in a version of the world where things are just a little different. The cities/people are more or less the same but there are other changes. Let's not go for airships (unless it compliments you ideas), that's the classic, and no 'nazi's won the war', either. We're just after changes that make you do a double-take as you realise this isn't your Earth.

king_espresso came up with two great ones - Elvis Concert Tour posters and the Twin Towers intact. No need to try and match other people's ideas, just write what you want.

Here's one to start you off. The microchip revolution never happened. No mobile phones or computer shops. Lots of phone booths and the like. Televisions are still big as are cameras. VCR's are huge beasts.

So, what it's like in your parallel universe?

Comments

[hespa.livejournal.com]

No combustion engine. We still have the internet (though it took longer to propagate), so we can still communicate with people on the other side of the world, but to actually meet any of them would take many weeks or even months of travel. Other countries (outside of our immediate neighbours) still seem like exotic, mysterious places, with customs and cultures far removed from our own.

I don't know if it would work like that, but that's as far as I've gotten in five minutes of thought...

[dalekboy.livejournal.com]

Still a nifty idea. Still horse-drawn, steam driven, electric... lots of interesting possibilities.

I love the original film version of On The Beach (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053137/) for one wonderful shot of a Melbourne steet. It's an ordinary, bustling 1950's Melbourne street, and there are two businessmen on horseback! My dad lived in Richmond around that time and kept horses there, he and mum used to go riding.

[hespa.livejournal.com]

Me, I'd be getting everywhere on horseback! Or possibly bicycle.

Richmond no, but I do remember horses in Blackburn (about half an hour east-south-east of the city when I was growing up there - they'd disappeared by the time I was old enough to miss them, though. And the 'burbs keep expanding...

I hadn't heard of 'On The Beach' before. It sounds like something I'll have to try to see.

[hespa.livejournal.com]

(woohoo! My three extra coments have been enough to tip LJ over into not auto-displaying every comment on this post. Somehow, that makes me feel special...)

[dalekboy.livejournal.com]

You are special :) And this is the first time this has happened on one of my posts, but it was a very interesting subject.

If you even want to watch 'On The Beach', sing out. I have it on tape.

[hespa.livejournal.com]

You're on! Just in case I needed another excuse to get my lazy tail over and visit you. Watcha doing Queen's Birthday Monday?

By the way, is it coincidence that the last frame of your brain scan looks like a fox's head in silhouette? 'Cos it's kinda... uncanny...

[dalekboy.livejournal.com]

I'll be in Canberra. Get back some time on Tuesday.

I think it's a co-inky-dink. You see a fox, I see an old Doctor Who title sequence over the last few frames :)

[hespa.livejournal.com]

Yah, I found out about the Canberra-ness (hope shaz_girl hugged you as promised!).

I get kinda busy again from here on in... Is there a day in the week of 26th-29th that's good for you? I haven't signed up for work shifts for that week yet, can take one day off...