Gevers, Nicholas. Mirrors of the Past: Versions of History in Science Fiction and Fantasy
Comments: Includes "Ch. 1. Science Fiction and History", which argues that all science fiction appropriates historical materials and can be divided into future, alternate, or secret histories; "Ch. 4. Alternate Histories: History and Irony", which considers works in six themes: continued Roman Empires, altered Reformations, altered USAs (with emphasis on the Civil War), European imperialism, World War II, and fantastic deviations from the present; and "Ch. 5. Alternate Histories: History, Irony, and Metafiction", which discusses works that examine the present by means such as parody, with attention given to the Renaissance and Victorian (steampunk) eras.
Published: Doctoral dissertation, University of Cape Town 1997.