Making History, by Stephen Fry

Lyly

So, I stumbled upon something that created a thought process like this: Stephen Fry writes novels? > He wrote an alternate history novel? > I've not read about this on AH.com?

making-history.jpg


Anyway, it's true. Stephen Fry does write novels, and he has written what can easily be called an alternate history novel, and I've not ever once seen a mention of it on AH.com (and the search function seems to not be working). The premise of this story takes an alternate history cliche and makes from it something totally clever and unique. Time traveler (of sorts) prevents Hitler ever being born. Yeah, yeah, and the world is a wonderful place, right? No. Fry does something very different. The world is not a wonderful place at all. Instead of Adolph Hitler, we get Rudolph Gloder, a more stable, sensible, and efficient man than Hitler ever was and with drastic and horrifying consequences.

I've not the read this yet, but I intend to track down a copy. It was written back in 1996, so there should be a good portion of the AH.com community who's read this. If so, is it a good read? Something I should definitely add to my library? Or is my bringing up the topic of this book a horrible mistake as only a few reviews have indicated?
 

Codae

Butterflies are crushed by this book. For one thing, Gloder ends up giving exactly the same speech Hitler does at his first Nazi meeting.

Apart from that, I'm not really sure I can make a judgment on the book, although I was under the impression that the author was a different Stephen Fry from the one that everyone (except me, since I read the book before encountering any lasting references to the actor) knows. I'll have to check.

EDIT: I was wrong. They are the same guy.
 

general

I would give it a go. I read it years ago; interesting, if only for the dystopic future and different spin on the Cold War. (I could have done w/out the sex scene though!)
 

Amerigo Vespucci

I'd recommend it for the simple fact that it avoids most alternate history cliches. It's an alternate history that focuses on the characters, and I don't regret having read it. It's not Just Another WWII Alternate.
 

Andrew

I read it a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's true that it wouldn't meet the high standards of some on this site, but then I think Fry was using the Alternate History conceit to tell a story rather than explore AH for its own sake; the 'pure' AH of how Gloder magically takes over Europe is the weakest part of the novel.

Having said that, some of the convergences were quite well done, e.g. the variations on the First World War battle in which Gloder died OTL. We might sometimes get on our high horse about butterflies here, but it's somehow satisfying to see alternate timelines rhyme with ours.
 

jakewilson

I own it and have to say it was hugely fun to read. The characters and plot are very engaging, and Stephen's wit very much comes through in the writing. As alternate history, the POD is explicitly ASB (involves time travel), and butterflies are crushed with abandon (including identical alternate timeline twins over a century after the POD). Some of the discussion of alternate timeline technology and cultural history is interesting.
Certainly worth the read, and it doesn't break any rules that Turtledove doesn't.
 
The Kiat

The Kiat

Codae said:
Butterflies are crushed by this book. For one thing, Gloder ends up giving exactly the same speech Hitler does at his first Nazi meeting.
Click to expand...

It's a novel, not thesis for a history doctor-ate. Can't blame the author for not wanting to go into all the detail to craft his own speech. Dialog is a pain enough to create.
 

Marius

I enjoyed it, thought it was pretty good.

Could have done without some of the gay sex scenes but was a good, interesting read.
 
Shimbo

Shimbo

I thought it was OK overall. Good points and bad points.

The general writing/wit was good.

The 'Pup' character was rather good.

The description of the PoD was good.

The Hitler analogue AH after that wasn't that great.

The AH America was pretty good.

The way Pup turns gay at the end was a bit unbelievable, although it did make for a happy ending.
 
Shimbo

Shimbo

nandalf said:
I igree with your points Shimbo, and i also do not realy got PUP turning gay at the end.
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Well he was obviously not that happy, and I could just about buy him having sex with that guy in AH America out of sympathy for the poor thing, but the the denouement was just to give it a happy ending.

IMO, Pup needed to be set up as confused or repressed about his sexuality. As it is, at the start of the book he's straight (he has gay friends and shows no interest in them) and at the end he's gay, after a 'conversion' that comes out of nowhere - which is not very believable.
 
Grey Wolf

Grey Wolf

Donor
It was certainly fun and thought-provoking tho the "let's all become gay" ending was a bit odd, but will probably go down well here since it seems to happen a lot in Chat!

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
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