I'm more in writing mode than blogging mode lately, so I'm working on several story ideas. One short story I may potentially write is called the "Many Assassinations of Adolf Hitler" (copyright 2010 John Weaver, not that I think any regular readers would steal an idea . . . and a poor one at that). In this story, an alternate universe Hitler (who is also a Jewish rabbi) goes through each progressive parallel universe, trying to assassinate his alter egos. When assassination proves untenable, he tries to substitute himself for the original and put his alter-ego in a concentration camp. Basically, the story is talking about the whole ethical relativism of the multiverse ideas championed by Michael Moorcock and company.
I'm also trying to question the whole morality of the alternative history genre, which holds that it can imagine any person being anything, given the right historical circumstances. Because people can write stories like the one above, I find the whole idea repulsive ultimately. But tell me, should I write this story or not?
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Why do you find it repulsive? Because you don't buy the idea that the same genetic person born under different circumstances can have vastly different outcomes, or that authors usually screw with respected personalities in a disrespectful way?
ReplyDeleteIt is basically just a thought exercise, but can be entertaining done correctly. You could title it Holocost of Hitlers.
ReplyDeleteYea, I know it's basically a thought exercise. I just get sensitive about offending my Jewish students or readers when I bring up stuff like this, because I know for some of them it's still a sensitive issue.
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