Underground Airlines is a 2016 novel by Ben Winters which is set in a contemporary alternate-history United States where the American Civil War never occurred because Abraham Lincoln was assassinated prior to his 1861 inauguration and a version of the Crittenden Compromise was adopted instead. As a result, slavery has remained legal in the "Hard Four" (a group of Southern states that have kept slavery): Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and a unified Carolina. Its name evokes the Underground Railroad in relations to its setting. The novel attracted praise for exploring racism through the alternate-history mechanism.
A very disturbing, thought provoking, alternative reality novel. The author pulls at the threads of intolerance and man's inhumanity in numerous unique ways. For those who are intrigued about the dilemma of 'why people act towards others the way they do', this novel provides an excellent exploration.
This book was not at all what I expected. I guess because it has to do with slavery, I thought it would be a bit of a heavy slog. Not so! Set in a modern-day United States where the Civil War never took place and slavery still exists, It's actually a sharp, well-constructed page-turner. The story centers around a former slave who now works as a bounty hunter for the US Marshalls, tracking down escaped slaves. I'd rate this a 4.5. Clever, imaginative and fast.
Excellent story, in a combination of alt history and thriller. The end happens a little bit quickly but for such a well-thought-out universe I am forgive that.
