book image Review - Making History.

Steven Fry... A Science Fiction novel ???
Well yes, and no. What makes a science fiction story ?
Or to paraphrase the question, what is the definition of science fiction ?
Many readers, writers and fans better than I have attempted to answer that question. I tend towards the late lamented Bob Shaws definition. From memory, this states that to be considered Science Fiction (rather than merely sciffy) the essence of the plot must revolve around the science. Take away the scientific postulate, and the plot collapses.
In this respect, the story just scrapes by, the plot grounded in the concept of altering the past to create an alternate history.
Where it falls down are in a number of quite unforgivable holes which are nonetheless required for the plot to work at all. Not just in the science, which is sketchy to the point of fantasy, but in the internal consistency of that science.
For example, at the moment when history is changed, two people are juxtaposed with the machine that does the deed. Only one of them however, the hero, retains his memory of the 'old' history.
This device is used to drive the plot forward and the entire book would lose much of it's effect had the more logical path of both memories being retained been taken. Another story entirely could have been constructed around the basic premise, had it been consistent within itself, and it would probably have been a better story, albeit more challenging to write.
As a piece of light reading I must say I enjoyed it once the niggles were ignored and belief duly suspended. Our hero who is portrayed as being somewhat scatty comes across as being quite likable, helped no end by dint of his nickname being 'Puppy'. Indeed so scatty is he that sometimes one has to remind oneself that here is a man suposedly within a few days of attaining a doctorate at Cambridge university.
Pups subject is history and his thesis is on the early years of Adolf Hitler. By chance, he bumps into a physicist who for reasons of his own is attempting to change history and rid the Twentieth Century of the Nazi extermination camps. Together they have the knowledge, the motivation and the means to attempt the trick. Once achieved, the version of the world without Hitler is laboriously explored through Pups eyes, and through the eyes of the Hitler analog in the new scheme of things.
Because of course there must be a Hitler analog. For readers of this type of fiction there is nothing new in the concept of historical imperative requiring that a particular function must be filled by a body, and if that body is missing then another must take its place. Knowing this, much of the tension intended for the center part of the book is lost.
This also is the area of the book where a degree of real research into the first world war and the early days of the Weimar republic is apparent. It is dissapointing therefore that more was not made of that research and worked into the plot. The detailing for instance is not nearly as compelling as Turtledoves 'Guns of the South' or Mores 'Bring the Jubilee'.
Once it is clear to Pup that the brave new world is perhaps not so desirable a place to reside, a method must be devised to return things to as they were at the begining. On the way, Pup discovers his sexuality and ostensibly completes a journey of self discovery, although to my mind, what he discovers could as easily be portrayed on a matchbook as in a novel the size of this one.
Whether he achieves his goals I will leave to you to ascertain.
Suffice it to say that the final chapter relys on manipulating the science and the probablity laws to such a great extent that it remained, for me at least, unsatisfying.

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