Alexandr Korol

or explore sacred texts and mythological stories, everything around me seems to become magical and vivid. At the same time, like you, I have everyday life. Each of you has family, friends, relatives, and work. But life can be lived with different states of mind. And I enjoy the mood set in “Alternative History”. That’s why I always keep this book with me, always within reach. I try not to forget about it for a single day, constantly deciphering and uncovering more. But I want you to understand — this is not just about me, it is not just my task, as if that explains everything, while you remain separate. No, I am just like you. You have a regular job — I have a regular job. You have friends — I have friends. But if we spend our time watching random YouTube videos, life suddenly feels different, and our mood shifts — work becomes frustrating, our attitude toward others and even ourselves changes. And when you read “Alternative History”, it feels like your life — just as it is, yours and mine — but somehow it becomes brighter and kinder. Pay attention to that. People I know have told me that when they read Alternative History, whether it’s one of the volumes or the whole series like watching a TV show by seasons, while they are reading it for a month, their life during that time feels like a fairy tale. As if their perception shifts to the eighth angle — there’s a gentle tolerance, no conflicts with anyone, nothing irritates them, no fears, no aggression, as if everything is simply kind and peaceful. But when you forget about “Alternative History” and stop controlling how you spend your free time — start reading random online groups, scrolling through social media, following the news — you continue living the same life, but a month later, you look back and realize that you yelled at people, they yelled at you, you lost motivation to work, and everything seems worse. The same routine, but the perspective has changed. And there are many of these angles of perception — it’s just a state of mind, like seasons, like the weather. Do you want to live in cold, gloomy weather forever, or in sunshine? Do you want an eternal sunrise or an eternal sunset? I hope that after reading this volume, you will try to hold on to the impression I hope many of you felt in this moment, so that you don’t lose it — just keep reading. Read in your free time, even just a little, in order: first, second, third, fourth, then the fifth. And then again—first, second, third, fourth, fifth. This book, this novel, should be read in a spiral, over and over again. Each time, you will see everything differently.