Romanitas?

Det verkar gå en smärre trend i s.k alternativhistoriska böcker om Rom och dess imperium.
Såg denna i handeln häromdagen:
Romanitas av Sophia McDougall
Den verkar hemskt fånig.
En sammanfattning: "Set in an alternate reality where the Roman Empire never fell, Romanitas is the first in an upcoming trilogy which criss-crosses across the planet, telling the story of a time of great upheaval within the Empire. The novel opens in a time roughly parallel with our own. The Roman Empire has expanded to encompass half the globe, reaching as far east as India and as far west as the centre of the North American continent. The slave-society still exists and crucifixions still take place (albeit with more advanced crosses). "
Dessutom allmänt sågad verkar det som.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/075286078X/103-0254444-2247052?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance

De flesta recencenterna rekommenderar istället
Roma Eterna av Robert Silverberg
Den är "an exploration of a Roman empire that survived in some form to a time contemporary with our world's present. The turning point in his version reflects Gibbon's view that Christianity undermined the later empire, though Silverberg disposes of Christianity long before its this-world birth by preventing the Jews' escape from Egypt. (He also eliminates Muhammad and Islam.) His development includes a good many realistic features, such as fairly constant tension, sometimes erupting in warfare, between Greek and Latin cultures within the empire. He also plays dating games for the historically literate with a calendar reckoned from the founding of the city in our 753 B.C.E. "
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380814889/103-0254444-2247052?v=glance&n=283155&v=glance

Alternativhistoriens nestor har även han varit och nosat på Rom, den gode Harry Turteldove har skrivit Agent of Byzantium, med samma premiss, att Romerska imperiet aldrig föll.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671875930/103-0254444-2247052?v=glance&n=283155&v=glance

Jag känner faktiskt inte för någon av dessa, och egentligen tycker jag altenativhistoria som genre är en gnutta löjligt. Det är visserligen en gammal ärevördig tradition, men...
Visst känns det lite krystat?

Dock, låt oss sluta med en trevlig länk; en liten guide till samtida skönlitterära böcker om Rom-
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/guides/guide-display/-/2NX4ZIAY2LVXF/ref=cm_bg_dp_m_1/103-0254444-2247052