Bringing famous figures back to life. Ever caught yourself saying 'I wonder what they'd make of ...', or wondering how a life cut short might otherwise have played out?

Open thread
guardian.co.uk, Thursday, 6 January, 2011

A princess with strong similarities to Diana, Princess of Wales is the subject of Monica Ali's new novel. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

Monica Ali's forthcoming novel will focus on the life of a princess "whose life trajectory bears more than a passing resemblance to that of Diana". Ali, whose Brick Lane was an international bestseller, has said: "I've sometimes found myself wondering, if the accident had never happened, how would she have emerged from that period in which she seemed to be at some kind of crossroads."

It can be intriguing to consider what historical figures would have gone on to do, had they lived longer. Or, alternatively, to imagine, as Paul Mason did recently with Karl Marx, what their take on the modern world would be. How would JFK had gone on to change the United States had he survived? What would Alexander Graham Bell have made of the internet?

How would you sketch out the life stories of favourite characters from history who suffered untimely deaths? Whom from the past would you like to interview, and what would you ask them about the modern world?

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