Friday, October 18, 2002
Hitler Victorious
edited by Gregory Benford and Martin Harry Greenberg
This book is one I picked up on impulse at the Friends of the Library sale. When I hit the sale, I usually have a handful of books that I specifically look for. Then I peruse my favorite categories and finally I end up by skimming over the science fiction paperbacks and snatching up a couple that catch my eye. This fall I grabbed Hitler Victorious, a collection of short stories that share the theme of "What if the Nazis won World War II?" I didn't know why I grabbed it, save that I enjoy alternate history tales. But now that I've read the introductory essay by Norman Spinrad, I have a clue. He ponders why Hitler and the Nazis have become such icons in our culture while Stalin, Tojo and Il Duce seem well on their way to becoming historical trivia. He has is own opinions, but the one that jumped out at me was that Hitler added an artistic touch to his Reich. To quote, "Hitler ... spent much time, energy, money and attention crafting symbol systems, ceremonies, color schemes, architecture, and even uniforms ...". It doesn't make him or his regime less monstrous, but it does explain why I would snatch up this volume as opposed to one about alternate Churchills or Elvises. Anyway, the tales themselves are fairly good. Most are rather dark, obviously, though a few present a pretty pleasant society... for the aryans, anyway. It's real good waiting room material, just nothing I would rush out to find.
LibraryThing link
This book is one I picked up on impulse at the Friends of the Library sale. When I hit the sale, I usually have a handful of books that I specifically look for. Then I peruse my favorite categories and finally I end up by skimming over the science fiction paperbacks and snatching up a couple that catch my eye. This fall I grabbed Hitler Victorious, a collection of short stories that share the theme of "What if the Nazis won World War II?" I didn't know why I grabbed it, save that I enjoy alternate history tales. But now that I've read the introductory essay by Norman Spinrad, I have a clue. He ponders why Hitler and the Nazis have become such icons in our culture while Stalin, Tojo and Il Duce seem well on their way to becoming historical trivia. He has is own opinions, but the one that jumped out at me was that Hitler added an artistic touch to his Reich. To quote, "Hitler ... spent much time, energy, money and attention crafting symbol systems, ceremonies, color schemes, architecture, and even uniforms ...". It doesn't make him or his regime less monstrous, but it does explain why I would snatch up this volume as opposed to one about alternate Churchills or Elvises. Anyway, the tales themselves are fairly good. Most are rather dark, obviously, though a few present a pretty pleasant society... for the aryans, anyway. It's real good waiting room material, just nothing I would rush out to find.
LibraryThing link
Labels: WaitingRoomMaterial
// posted by John @ 10:45 PM 
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