An alternate history imagines a different present or future originating in a point of separation from our actual history—a branching point in the past. Counterfactuals, of which alternate history is a subtrope, is anything relating to that which has not happened. Alternate History and counterfactuals are an increasingly popular form of fiction, and, despite the ire of many, increasingly accepted (or at least, decreasingly disreputable) as an analytical tool in history and social sciences. The class will first explain the definition of alternate history, examine theories and controversies regarding it, and look at real examples from literature and social science. The class will then break into groups, create their own examples, and then discuss them with the class and each other..