A Different Flesh

A Different Flesh is a collection of alternate history stories set in a reimagined America where Homo erectus survived alongside prehistoric megafauna instead of being replaced by Native American peoples. The stories span from 1610 to 1988, following various characters as they interact with and study these prehistoric human ancestors, known as "sims." The interconnected narratives chronicle the development of colonial America and beyond, exploring how European settlement progressed differently in a world where settlers faced both dangerous prehistoric creatures and tribes of Homo erectus. Between stories, excerpts from a fictional history textbook provide context and fill in timeline gaps. The book combines elements of historical fiction, science fiction, and speculative anthropology, examining human nature through encounters between Homo sapiens and their evolutionary cousins. Through these encounters, the work raises questions about evolution, consciousness, and humanity's place in the natural world.

Readers note this alternate history collection effectively explores human nature through interactions with Homo erectus. The interconnected stories build a detailed world across multiple time periods. Liked: - Scientific accuracy in depicting early hominids - Impact on medicine, technology and social development - Character-driven narratives within the larger premise - Thought-provoking examination of what makes humans "human" Disliked: - Some stories stronger than others - Final chapter feels rushed - Character development varies between stories - Scientific terminology can be dense One reader praised how it "asks uncomfortable questions about humanity's treatment of 'lesser' beings." Another noted it "avoids typical alternate history clichés." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (873 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (64 ratings) LibraryThing: 3.75/5 (196 ratings) Several reviewers compared it favorably to Turtledove's other works, calling it more focused and thought-provoking than his longer series.

Evolution by Stephen Baxter A science fiction novel that explores an alternate Earth where humans evolve alongside multiple other hominid species.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky The story follows human colonists who discover a planet where evolution took a different path, leading to the rise of intelligent arachnids.

The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson An alternate history narrative that traces human development in a world where the Black Death killed 99% of Europeans rather than 30%.

West of Eden by Harry Harrison This book presents an Earth where dinosaurs never went extinct and evolved into an intelligent species that competes with humans.

Darwinia by Robert Charles Wilson A tale set in 1912 when Europe mysteriously transforms into an alien landscape with different evolutionary paths and strange creatures.

🌟 The concept of surviving Homo erectus was partially inspired by real archaeological debates in the 1980s about when early humans first arrived in the Americas. 🌟 Harry Turtledove holds a Ph.D. in Byzantine history from UCLA, which has helped shape his detailed approach to historical storytelling in works like this. 🌟 Homo erectus actually lived from about 2 million to 110,000 years ago, making them one of the longest-surviving human species in evolutionary history. 🌟 The book's structure of linking independent stories with textbook excerpts became influential in alternate history literature, inspiring similar formats in later works. 🌟 The "sims" in the book were written to have intelligence comparable to chimpanzees, which aligns with some scientific estimates of Homo erectus cognitive capabilities.