Pohl, Frederick. "Waiting for the Olympians"
Divergence: 30 CE
What if: Jesus was not executed for sedition and Rome never fell. Two millennia later, aliens announce their imminent arrival.
Summary: It is suggested to a sci-rom author in a rut that he try writing a "What If?" book, but he can't see the point of it.
Published: In Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, August 1988; The 1989 Annual World's Best SF (eds. Donald A. Wollheim and Arthur W. Saha), DAW 1989 (0886773539); What Might Have Been? Volume 1: Alternate Empires (eds. Gregory Benford and Martin H. Greenberg), q.v.; and The Mammoth Book of Alternate Histories (eds. Ian Watson and Ian Whates), q.v.
Original in: English.
Translation: French by Jean-Pierre Pugi as "En Attendant les Olympiens", in Isaac Asimov presente Futurs sans escale (ed. Patrice Duvic), Presses pocket 1990 (2266034413).
Translation: German by Harro Christensen as "Warten auf die Olympier", in World's best SF 8 (eds. Donald A. Wollheim and Arthur W. Saha), Bastei-Lübbe 1989 (3404241207).
Translation: German by Ralph Tegtmeier as "In Erwartung der Olympier", in Heyne SF-Jahresband 1992 (ed. Wolfgang Jeschke), Heyne 1992 (3453053850).
Translation: Italian by Carla Meazza as "Aspettando gli Olimpici", in Destinazione spazio (eds. Donald A. Wollheim and Arthur W. Saha), Mondadori 1991.
Translation: Polish by Wiktor Bukato as "Czekajac na Olimpijczykow", in Don Wollheim proponuje 1989. Najlepsze opowiadania science fiction, (eds. Donald A. Wollheim and Arthur W. Saha), Alfa 1989 (837001299X).
Translation: Portuguese by Fábio Fernandes as "Esperando os Olimpianos", in Isaac Asimov Magazine de Ficção Científica #3.