alternate timelines
Different historical branches
Alternate timelines are hypothetical versions of history where events unfolded differently—paths not taken branching into separate realities.
The concept appears in science fiction, physics discussions of multiverse theory, and casual speculation: In an alternate timeline, I took that job in Seattle.
Sometimes called parallel timelines or alternate histories.
- time travelMovement across temporal points
- multiverseHypothetical set of universes
- wormholesTheoretical passages through spacetime
- parallel worldsSeparate coexisting realities
- science fictionSpeculative fiction with technological themes
what if · parallel universes · mirror universe · counterfactuals · road not taken · causality · butterfly effect · time loops · sliding doors · variant · chronology · flashpoint · branching paths · paradox · multiverse theory · temporal · spacetime · quantum mechanics
- Alternate Historycounterfactual, point of departure, what-if, what if scenario, hypothetical scenario
- imaginary placesfictional cities, imaginary landscapes, wonderland, enchanted forest, fantasy world
- time travel literaturetime loops, time machines, time slip, time police
- quirky storytellingunreliable narrator, nonlinear plot, absurdist fiction, eccentric characters, surreal elements