Alien space bats

"Alien space bats" ("ASBs") is a neologism for plot devices used in alternate history to mean an implausible
point of divergence.

Contents
Definition
History
In popular culture
See also
References
External links
Interactive sites
Non-interactive sites

Definition
"Alien space bats" originally was used as a sarcastic attack on poorly-written alternate histories seen as being
implausible. The attacks are usually phrased as the need for "alien space bats" or by saying that the alternate
history has gone into "ASB territory". The term eventually evolved into a reference to deus ex machina to
create an impossible point of divergence.[1] Examples include changes to the physical laws of nature, time
travel, and advanced aliens interfering in human affairs. An example of the last change is Harry Turtledove's
Worldwar series.[2]

History
The term "alien space bats" was coined and popularized in the Usenet group soc.history.what-if.[3] Alison
Brooks (1959–2002) is credited as the creator of the term and used it to debunk the possibility of a successful
Operation Sea Lion by saying the only way that it could be successful was if alien space bats helped the
Nazis.[4][5] Brooks regretted the use of the ASBs as a supernatural agency and preferred to restrict them to
rhetoric.[1]

S. M. Stirling credited Brooks with creating the term in the acknowledgments section of Dies the Fire in which
he changed the laws of physics[6] and also used the plot device to send Nantucket back in time in Island in the
Sea of Time.[7][8] One character throughout Dies the Fire and its sequels believes the change to the laws of
nature to have been done by an advanced alien race because the changes were finely tailored and refers to the
race as alien space bats.[9][10] In a review of Dies the Fire, Dale Cozort addressed the perceived implausibility
of the novel by saying, "Just say to yourself, 'The elder gods or alien space bats took our toys away and that’s
all there is to it.'"[11] Paul Di Filippo often uses the term in reviewing the series.[8][12] The term also appeared
in John Birmingham's 2008 novel Without Warning.[13] In the UK, "space bats" was a term used by Professor
Denzil Dexter, a character in the television comedy series The Fast Show, first appearing in Series 1, Episode
5, broadcast on 10.25.94.
In popular culture
In Ken MacLeod's Learning the World alien space bats actually appear as characters in the
novel as an in-joke.[14][15]
The gaming magazine Pyramid published an article describing how someone could play as an
alien space bat in a role-playing game.[5]
In Failbetter Games' browser game Fallen London, Victorian-era London is stolen by alien bats
from space.
Steven H Silver's story "Bats in The Bayou" features alien space bats invading Texas.

See also
Assiti Shards series
Jonbar hinge

References
1. Stas Bekman. "What are the Alien Space Bats? (soc.history.what-if)" (http://stason.org/TULAR
C/history/what-if/8-What-are-the-Alien-Space-Bats-soc-history-what-if.html). stason.org.
Retrieved 2008-10-08.
2. "Frequently Asked Questions" (http://www.changingthetimes.net/admin/FAQ.htm). Changing
the Times. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
3. https://groups.google.com/group/soc.history.what-if/topics soc.history.what-if
4. Alison Brooks (1999-04-15). "Alien Space Bats: A History" (https://groups.google.com/forum/m/
#!topic/soc.history.what-if/oe0cz-kqO98). soc.history.what-if. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
5. Matt Riggsby (November 18, 2005). "Alien Space Bats for GURPS Fourth Edition" (http://www.
sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=5675). Pyramid. Retrieved 19 December 2008.
6. Stirling, S. M. (2004). Dies the Fire (https://archive.org/details/diesfire00stir/page/496). New
York: Roc. pp. 496 (https://archive.org/details/diesfire00stir/page/496). ISBN 0-451-45979-2.
7. Christopher Nuttall. "Alison Brooks" (http://www.changingthetimes.net/samples/brooks/alison_b
rooks.htm). Changing the Times. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
8. Paul Di Filippo. "Off the Shelf: Dies the Fire" (http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue382/books.html).
Book Review. SciFi.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20080421103355/http://www.s
cifi.com/sfw/issue382/books.html) from the original on 2008-04-21. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
9. "S. M. Stirling: Turning Points" (http://www.locusmag.com/2006/Issues/01Stirling.html).
Interview. Locus Online. January 2006. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
10. S. M. Stirling. "The Protector's War Chapter 2" (http://hem.bredband.net/b104699/books/protwa
r/protwar_2.html). Sample Chapter. smstriling.com. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
11. Dale Cozort (2004). "Review: Dies The Fire - By Steve Stirling" (https://web.archive.org/web/20
080328143757/http://members.aol.com/althist1/June04/diesthefire.htm). Dale Cozort's
Alternate History Newsletter. Archived from the original (http://members.aol.com/althist1/June0
4/diesthefire.htm) on March 28, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
12. Filippo, Paul Di (September 5, 2005). "The Protector's War" (https://web.archive.org/web/20061
022065242/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/books/sfw866.html). Book review. Sci Fi Weekly. Archived
from the original (http://www.scifi.com/sfw/books/sfw866.html) on October 22, 2006. Retrieved
28 November 2008.
13. Birmingham, John (2009). Without Warning (https://archive.org/details/withoutwarning00birm/p
age/33). New York: Del Rey Books. pp. 33, 261 (https://archive.org/details/withoutwarning00bir
m/page/33). ISBN 978-0-345-50289-6.
14. Harrison, Niall; Dan Hartland (2005-12-15). "Two Views: Learning the World by Ken Macleod"
(https://web.archive.org/web/20080517091636/http://www.strangehorizons.com/reviews/2005/1
2/two_views_cit-comments.shtml). Book Review. Strange Horizons. Archived from the original
(http://www.strangehorizons.com/reviews/2005/12/two_views_cit-comments.shtml) on 2008-05-
17. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
15. "Ken MacLeod: Politics & SF" (http://www.locusmag.com/2006/Issues/09MacLeod.html).
Interview. Locus Online. September 2006. Retrieved 2008-10-08.

External links

Interactive sites
Alien Space Bats and Other Magic (https://web.archive.org/web/20081028013242/http://www.al
ternatehistory.com/discussion/forumdisplay.php?f=9) on the Alternate History Discussion
Board.
Alien Space Bats on the Alternate History FAQ (http://wiki.alternatehistory.com/doku.php/altern
ate_history_faq#alien_space_bats_asbs) page of the Alternate History Wiki (http://wiki.alternat
ehistory.com/doku.php/)
Alien Space Bats (https://groups.yahoo.com/group/alien_space_bats/) Yahoo! Group

Non-interactive sites
Alien Space Bats (http://www.alternatehistorybooks.com/p1_glossary_alien_space_bats.php)
on Alternate History Books (http://www.alternatehistorybooks.com/index.php)
"The Original Alien Space Bats - Irony and Steal" (http://www.changingthetimes.net/samples/br
ooks/original_alien_space_bats.htm)—a fictional story featuring alien space bats by Alison
Brooks
TV Tropes - Alien Space Bats (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AlienSpaceBats)

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This page was last edited on 7 November 2020, at 01:06 (UTC).

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