



Rewrite History with Harry Turtledove & Europa Universalis IV



Today your dreams of rewriting history shall lay dormant no longer.

Today we are proud to announce Paradox Short Story Contest 2014.​

Length: Write a short story of circa 5,000 words based on some pivotal event - political, military or cultural - that turned out differently than in actual history. Please note: Only one short-story per writer. Also add a short text (circa 200 words) about how the event turned out in actual history, and circa 200 words about yourself. Time frame: The pivotal event must have taken place between the years 1444 and 1821 - the era of the Europa Universalis game. The story could be set later, however. The story could be told through individuals "on the ground" or have a bird's eye view of events - or a combination of the two. Atmosphere: The short story can be historical, humorous, serious, or any combination of those - as long as it fits the period and has an alternate take on history.

Ever wanted to reshape history in your own design? Are you a skilled writer yet to be discovered by the world? Here's your chance to do both! During 2014, Paradox Books will publish an Alternate History Anthology for Europa Universalis IV. Half of the short stories will be written by professional authors, one of which is the "master of alternate history" himself: Mr Harry Turtledove, the author of theseries and many other titles.Players are now invited to submit their own alternate history short stories to the anthology.The ambition of the Paradox Short Story Contest is to spread the word about the storytelling created by players in strategy games.If you want the chance to join Harry Turtledove and our other authors in the quest for histories that didn't come to pass (but could have), follow these simple steps:THE DEADLINE HAS EXPIRED!The three winners will be announced the 28th of February, 2014.The three winning short stories will be published in the alternate history anthology, with a standard writer’s fee from Paradox Books. All winners will receive a hard copy of the anthology signed by the developers at Paradox Development Studio. Not only that, the winners will receive the Paradox Interactive Collection, a bundle of over 50 games.Please note: There may be honorable mentions and more than three short stories may be included in the anthology. All contributions selected will receive a standard writer’s fee.The anthology will be published by Paradox Books in 2014. The release date will be announced later.