I really think of these wonderful timelines,
Hope, Change and Nutmeg is the best.
One of the best things about
Hope, Change, and Nutmeg is its ability to fully explore the implications of small changes which are presented in such an engaging and sometimes humorous manner that it can be hard to appreciate their subtle brilliance. Consider this chain of events:
1. In what is essentially the POD, Joe Lieberman fails to win his Senate seat versus Democratic challenger Ned Lamont because of a stronger bid from the Republicans because they ultimately nominated Jack Orchulli instead of Alan Schlesinger.
2. Through an impartial (and innovative) way of simulating butterflies, Seleucus put some light randomized variation in the election results of 2006 that took into account Republican resources being drawn more into the Connecticut race. [
*] Thus the Democrats had a six seat up instead of four, giving them a larger majority in the Senate.
3. With fuller control of the Senate, Congressional Democrats are able to push through the repeal of $32 billion in oil tax breaks in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 [
*].
4. The above causes higher oil prices, and thus a
worse food crisis in 2008 than OTL that results in more successful revolutions in Egypt, Pakistan and elsewhere in a revolutionary wave reminiscent- but different than- the Arab Spring. The reporting on this is also stellar, with careful attention to historiographic framing, such as through comparisons to the 1848 Revolutions.[
*]
And that's just a subplot- the entire timeline is littered with such attention to detail in the logical consequences of small changes.
This particular plot thread was enlightening for me in the real world too, showing how U.S. domestic policy really does have international consequences in ways one might not even anticipate but can logically see how events would turn out that way with a capable author.
For helping me gain some more perspective in the world, for a thoughtful and well-written exploration of butterflies, and for a certain levity that keeps things interesting, I think
Hope, Change, and Nutmeg most deserves this Turtledove.
