The Iron Elephant

"The Iron Elephant" (Originally published in Analog, May 1986) is the fourth story chronlogically in a A Different Flesh. The story is set in 1782, and chronicles a race between two trains, one drawn by hairy elephants (mammoths) and one drawn by a steam-powered engine. The story is a variation on the John Henry story.

As with the other stories, the mock excerpt that opens the story reveals a fair amount of this timeline's history. The railroad system came about much earlier because mammoths were used as beasts of burden. Naturally, this technology has pushed other technologies forward, most notably the steam-engine.

The story is interesting in that it features some inconsistencies with what has been chronicled in the collection. The central character, Prem Chand, reflects that the Federated Commonwealths have been independent for a generation in 1782, suggesting that they'd become independent in the 1760s. However, in subsequent stories, we learn that the Federated Commonwealths became independent in 1738.

Another interesting inconsistency is the presence of inventor Richard Trevithick, a historical person who was, in OTL, very important to development of the steam-power. However, Trevithick was a child in 1782. Moreover, Trevithick was born and raised in England. Admittedly, the course of events in England were dramatically different in this timeline, which probably accounts for this change.