Lazyweb question: airships and alternate history

[redbird]

The remark that airships are a sign of alternate history--and possibly that world-splitting generates them the way splitting uranium generates neutrons--has been around for at least a few years. Does anyone remember who first came up with it, or when? My vague memory suggests either Dave Langford or james_nicoll.

Also, can anyone think of an alternate history story with airships earlier than Leiber's "Catch That Zeppelin"?

[Edited to add important qualifier.]

Comments

[timill]

"As Easy As A B C" and "With the Night Mail", though you could claim they're not AH.

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

At the time, they were pure SF. And "With the Night Mail" is a gadget story, complete with massive helpings of technobabble. Normally I hate those, but a century of aging makes it delightful.