So my latest book venture was The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck. Its a short novel about an unidentified mning town that is conquered during WW II. Steinbeck originally wrote it about an American town in order to bring about sentiment against Germany before the US was even involved in the war, but there were many concerned with the suggestive nature of the story. Plus, the story doesn't actually name Germany as the conqueror, but it is does typify Nazi protocol!
I liked this novel because it did not paint Germany as a bunch of evil men. They peacefully came into the town and basically told the people "Our country needs the coal from your mine, so we just want you to go about your daily lives like you normally would. Just let us have the coal and we can all live in harmony." However, the townspeople, a normally peaceful type, feel as though their freedom has been taken and they slowly rebel. This causes the enemy to attempt to keep order by killing. Its an interesting story about the double-edged sword of war. One of the realizations I had (that kind of reveals what a geek I am) is that the Nazis and the Borg from Star Trek are very similar. Both wanted to take over all other civilizations by bringing to them what they considered a higher existence while still proclaiming that they wanted the conquered people to maintain their uniqueness. However, part of what makes each culture unique is its ability to keep traditions and government. Anyway, it was a thought-provoking read that brings truth no matter the time-period.
2 comments:
I'm not sure the borg are what Steinbeck had in mind when he wrote the novel, but I wonder if the Nazis were what the Star Trek writers had in mind when they wrote the borg ... ?
Interesting review. Kind of makes me want to pick up a book and read it, too!
Romulans match the Nazis better. They seek to conquer any other race they see as inferior, and EVERYBODY is inferior to them.
The Borg are more a disease than anything else. They completely subsume the racial and personality of the races they conquer, forcing integration and no choice. Think more like Romans or a twisted US.
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