What If? . . .

                 Learning from history and all that jazz – Alternate-Histories Fiction

    Flight of the Nightingale and Bach to the Future by David Carrico (Science-Fiction)

    Yesterday [DVD], 2019; directed by Danny Boyle, starring Himesh Patel, Rated PG-13

Alternate history fiction presents a thought experiment: what if something did or did not happen?

What if a 20th century West Virginia town was transported through time and space to 1632 Europe? Who among the forgotten women composers might now be famous? Who would never be born?

Flight of the Nightingale and Bach to the Future by David Carrico (Science-Fiction)

Johann Sebastian Bach was born March 21, 1685.  A friend recommended a sci-fi novella based in the 1632-verse in which Grantville, West Virginia, a 20th century town, is trans-located back in time to 1632 Europe and explores the alternate history possibilities.  The Butterfly effect - hah. A sledgehammer more like. I enjoyed Flight of the Nightingale — I think there may have been scenes planned that were omitted in the final edit.  Court composer, singer, and teacher, Francesca Caccini flees the Medici court and the patronage system to find a new life in Grantville.  Reminded me about her opera, and how I have not yet managed to move my cassette recordings of her music to MP3s.  Must get around to that.  Next, in Bach to the Future, the “uptimers” (20th-century-ans,) assuming that JSB will never be born due to the timeline disruption, introduce his music to Bach’s ancestors. Toccata and Fugue in D minor.  I find myself ... disturbed ... by the idea of an Earth that never knows Bach’s music. And, so, apparently are his ancestors.

What if the Beatles had never existed?

Yesterday [DVD] (2019); directed by Danny Boyle, starring Himesh Patel, Rated PG-13.

From the cover blurb: "Jack Malik was just another struggling songwriter... but that was yesterday.  After a mysterious blackout, Jack discovers he is the only person on earth who remembers The Beatles!  As he rockets to fame by passing off the Fab Four's songs as his own, Jack risks losing Ellie--the one person who has loved him and believed in him from the start.  Before the door to his old life closes forever, Jack must decide if all he needs is love, after all."

A world that never knew . . . ?!!!   I find the idea of a world that never knew the Beatles every bit as distressing as a world that never hears Bach.  Won’t spoil the lovely revelations that play into the story’s resolution, but I will say, that I love this movie.

-- Xina Lowe, Librarian

#1632 Ring of Fire series, #alternate history, #music, #Beatles, #Bach, #Booktalk, #movies