SCIENCE FICTION : EXPLORE WORLD OF `WHAT-IFS' IN ALTERNATIVE HISTORY NOVELS.

Byline: Chuck Moss Special to the Daily News

World history is full of ``what ifs'': What if Hitler had won World War II? What if Rome hadn't fallen? What if Bob Dole had married Yasmine Bleeth? The great thing about alternative history is that science fiction authors get to explore turning points in our own past, and examine the consequences of our decisions.

In ``The Tranquillity Alternative'' (Ace; $21.95), Allen Steel examines the Space Age and asks: What if America had really committed itself to space exploration? How would things be different? The answer is ``not much.''

In 1945, goes the story, America invented a ground-to-space plane. No rockets. Instead we get a space station and a moon colony (along with Nixon winning in 1960, President Robert Kennedy assassinated in the '70s, Bob Dole's administration running Desert Storm but losing re-election to Bill Clinton). It's a weird but familiar scenario as the dominoes tumble in a separate path to the same end; America, in social decline, surrenders leadership to the Europeans.

The skeleton for the book is a thriller plot, with terrorists trying to steal atomic missiles, other bad guys trying to wreck the station, good guys trying to save it. But the real point of the novel is the idea that American decline is inevitable, and even a golden age of space wouldn't have saved it. In fact, the alternate America is slightly worse off, having lost the computer revolution. (The Internet is ``Le Matrix,'' developed by the French.) If you like downbeat historical determinism, this book is for you.

You like your alternate history weird? Try this: In 1942, in the middle of World War II, aliens invaded the Earth. Hitler, Stalin, FDR and Churchill all stop fighting each other and combine to clobber the Lizards, who have superior technology but certain vital weaknesses.

This makes for a twisted romp now in it's third volume. ``Worldwar: Upsetting the Balance'' by Harry Turtledove (Del Rey; $23) takes the poor lizards' travails even further. Not only have the humans kicked reptile butt, invented atomic weapons and discovered that common ginger root is like cocaine to the aliens - but now the invaders are starting to mutiny.

Harry Turtledove has become a one-man writing machine - I had to choose among three of his novels for inclusion here. It looks like he's going for the Piers Anthony Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Award.

Maybe Hitler and Stalin will both get killed and eaten in the next volume.

Let's shift gears for a second. Alexander Jablokov produced one of the most appealing first novels I've ever seen. ``Carve the Sky'' was a joyous, artistic chase through a 25th-century solar system brimming with weird and seductive cultures. His eye for detail and talent for creating intriguing characters, plus an animating spirit of eager curiosity, made ``Carve'' one of my personal favorite rereads.

After a spate of other books, Jablokov returns to his future history in ``River of Dust'' (AvoNova/William Morrow; $22), which takes place 50 years before the events in ``Carve.'' The book chronicles the events on Mars briefly referred to in the previous tome, focusing on the early life of Miriam Kostal, a colorful and heroic figure in ``Carve.'' It's nice to see the author back in his best milieu. However, ``Dust'' suffers by comparison. It's ... well, desiccated.

Jablokov's later books have been marked by a darkness of spirit, a weary sort of negativism. ``Carve'' was appealing because it showed a bizarre yet familiar world in which possibly the author, and certainly the reader, would like to live. ``Dust,'' by contrast, delves into the underside and grim dilemmas of existence, worthy subjects of literature that, when unleavened by joy, make dispirited reading.

Maybe it's time for Jablokov to return to his chief creation, the Lord Monboddo, whose brief one-paragraph appearance in ``Dust'' lit up the landscape. But in the end, ``Dust'' is far too dry.

Now I don't mind evil empires. But S.M. Stirling's ``Domination of the Draka'' is one of the most thoroughly EVIL creations in science fiction. An alternate history where white racist South Africa grew to dominate Earth, the sheer viciousness of the Draka series made a reader long for a 1945-like reckoning for the Nazi-like race. Instead, Stirling gave the Draka victory.

Now the Draka are loose in our world. In ``Drakon'' (Baen; $5.99) a scientific experiment lets a female of the Domination loose in our time line. Strong, augmented and genetically tweaked, the nihilistic human wolf prepares to bring conquest and slavery to our reality. Fortunately, a refugee from the Free Worlds shows up to battle the slaver. Good fights inhuman evil against the backdrop of our time.

In a way, it's sad to see the fearsome Draka turned into Stephen King-like monsters stalking the streets at night. On the other hand, I like to see the villainous swine lose once in a while. It's too bad Stirling so evidently loves his evil creations. Otherwise, the overthrow and final defeat of the despicable Draka would make a four-star book!