The Devil's Dictum

by Frederick Gero Heimbach

In a topsy-turvy United States founded by pirates, the personal assassin to the chief justice receives a terrifying round up and kill all men who look like himself. Why does the chief justice want these men dead? What threat could they possibly pose? And can the assassin save them—or will he become the final victim? Spooky, sly and satirical, The Devil’s Dictum recasts J. Edgar Hoover as a Satanic high priest, Calvin Coolidge as a private eye, and Richard Nixon as the pilot of a giant armored robot. Readers hungering for original and mind-blowing alternate history need look no further.

Genres: Alternate History, Fiction

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2015

About the author

Look for Frederick Gero Heimbach's fiction in Analog Science Fiction and Fact and at Mysterion Online. He was editor of the Hugo Award-winning podcast StarShipSofa. He can be found on the internet as Fredösphere and in the real world as a resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan, along with his family. He is the author of three novels.

Reviews

[Scott Danielson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you in the mood for something atypical? I read this book not knowing what to expect and was pulled in from the first chapter, which begins "The Chief Justice liked his presidents crazy, but not too crazy." The year was 1946, and an assassin is intent on killing the President, whose identity is the book's first surprise. In this dark, crazy United States people get around by raven taxi and Edgar Allen Poe was president for nearly a year (1848). It's a fun read that will have you cackling maniacally!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be a difficult review to write, because the book does not fit into a standard genre and its hook is mainly in its cleverness. The author has created an alternate version of the United States that is part Stephen King horror, part Mark Twain parody, and part Neal Stephenson ramble of seemingly unrelated characters and events until all are pulled together. His writing is filled with subtle and sometimes outrageous humor, characters who are real historical figures but skewed into recognizable but horribly twisted mockeries of who they really were, and a plot line that kept me wondering what the story could possibly hold in the next chapter to top the last one.

Why do I like it so much? I suppose because it displays a "devilishly" detailed knowledge of the U.S. history we all learned in school and a lot more I never really learned but learned about. That, and the fact that is is just "different" from almost anything I've read (and I read a LOT!) I would not call this book a "gripping page turner filled with action and violence," although there is action and violence in there. It is certainly not a sensitive, gentle romance. Not really a tale of dysfunctional society and government (although that's in there too). I don't know WHAT it is, but its humor and uniqueness have stayed with me for weeks after reading it. To me, that alone makes a book worth 4-5 stars. Combine that with this author's skill in presentation and simply his skill with words (including parodies of poetry and songs), and, well...Just Wow. Give it a try. I'm looking forward to whatever this author creates next.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if the Mayflower were scared away from America's shores by pirates, who then founded the United States instead? That's the core of a weird, wonderful, and highly detailed alternate-history mystery in The Devil's Dictum.

Looking back at the other things I've read this year, none of them have been so downright FUN; I spent most of this past weekend unwilling to put it down. Don't let the famous names in unusual circumstances (like J Edgar Hoover as a high-ranking Satanic priest) intimidate you; you don't need to know diddly about American history going into this to have a good time.

[Joseph Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you review a book that laughs in the face of genre categories and leaves you feeling equally amused and confused? I still have no idea, but I’ll give it the old college try.

Imagine that Harry Turtledove, Douglas Adams, and Terry Pratchett decided to collaborate on a book where the Pilgrims take an unexpected journey to Haiti and America is instead founded by a bunch of pirates. That’s the setup, but the execution is something to behold. If you don’t appreciate the author’s prose, then it’s possible that we just have very different tastes. If you don’t laugh out loud several times, then you might need to seek professional help since you might have a terminal case of fuddy-duddy. And if you guess the final reveal before it gets there … well you must have been a better student of American history than I ever was.

I seriously enjoyed this one (as I have all the other things I’ve read from this author) and I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy it too.

P.S. I’m sure that any resemblance to the real-life House of Representatives is purely coincidental. 😉

[S. Pierzchala · Rating 5 out of 5]

The naive Special Master/ assassin working for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court becomes embroiled in a complex conspiracy that threatens the status quo in an upside-down alternate view of the United States. "The Devil's Dictum" is a darkly madcap Dantesque fever dream of a satire that drips acid and reads like a Lemony Snicket novel for adults or a much more politically-minded, allegorical Mervyn Peake work.

Set in a looking-glass republic founded by Satan-worshipping pirates, the novel is brilliantly written and often laugh-out-loud funny when not being nightmarishly perfect in its dark view. The story's main plot is interspersed with excerpts from found documents, brochures and history books, all delivered in a deadpan style that perfectly matches the genre of the purported works.

The protagonist, whose name is not revealed until the end, is strangely sympathetic, even in his strange, bumbling naivete, as he careens through the story and incurs the wrath of his former benefactor when he uncovers too much of the truth.

The author’s knowledge of history and historical figures is certainly put to good use, providing cameo appearances from genuine presidents, judges, and other members of government.

A highly diverting work that's enthusiastically recommended for fans of the absolutely bizarre.

[Brian Koser · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025:

Haha what a silly reader I was 9 years ago. Realistic?! This is a pulpy upside-down US history with battle mech Richard Nixon and flight powered by intelligent swarms of ravens!

Throw National Treasure, Anathem, and Brave New World in a blender; top with comic book pirates, spies, and evil priests. Yield: one heaven of a good time.


2016:

I like alternate history, and I like American history, so this book was a good combo for me. The premise is that instead of America being founded by Christians, it was founded by Satanists. The resulting world sometimes seemed over-the-top, but I kept thinking, “Well…maybe it could have happened like this?” And the author mentions writing pulp fiction in the acknowledgments, so a little over-the-top is to be expected. :) Most of the enjoyment for me was learning the history, seeing familiar characters in unfamiliar situations, and trying to guess identities. I actually was less interested in the plot than in reading about those “historical” details. Even so it was a page-turner and a quick read, and I’d recommend it for alternate history fans.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of alternate history. Most fall in the category of "what if Hitler won WWII?" or "What if the South won the civil war?" or something along those lines. Mostly a lot of the genres I see fall in the "pivotal battles reversed" category and the consequences thereof. Heimbach asks a different question: What if pirates founded the United States instead of the pilgrims, and then works his strange logic from there. Whereas most alternate histories dive in with precise moves, Heimbach leaps in from the high dive with a huge, splashy cannonball that's messy and fun. The book starts off with our protagonist, the Special Master of the Supreme Court, rather forcibly removing President Adolf Hitler from office.

The Special Master acts as the Chief Justice's right hand, the latter who's pretty much running the US as a petty tyrant. The Special Master's job runs from any skullduggery the Chief Justice envisions, from rigging an election to out and out assassination. Things take a turn for the weird as the Chief Justice wants the eiimination of men who look an awful lot like the Special Master, and as a result the Master finds himself uncovering secrets of his own past that have consequences that will shake the foundations of this rotten, perverse nation.

Heimbach keeps the narrative going at a satisfying pace and intersperses it with historical tidbits of this alternate world. There's humorous moments aplenty as well as struggles with conscience, dirty dealing, and more that kept me entertained. And even though I more or less guessed where this would all end, I didn't know how it would and there's even a couple of big reveals that are surprising and worth a good laugh.

[Kenneth Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prepare your minds. The Devil's Dictum is not an ordinary book and doesn't advertise as one. However, I don't think that I prepared myself well enough for what came in the first few chapters. The Devil's Dictum is heavy in its satirical nature, challenging the concept of politics, religion, and society. I found it hard to connect with the Special Master, the main character until the author began to show more of who the Special Master was before. I would say that I was thrown and struggled to read some sections of the book. With such a different societal construct, I found it hard to resonate with any of the characters. There was some dedication put into the storyline's worldbuilding portion, though it came heavy-handed at times.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "The Devil's Dictum" there is science fiction, urban fantasy, and an alternate history, but mostly there is satire. The heart of the story doesn't kick in until about half-way through the book, but the Mark-Twainian wit is entertaining, and kept me reading.

If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller, this is not it, but if you like satire, especially political satire, along with a solid story, you will like this book.

[Haris · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ingenious premise (the pilgrims are rerouted to the Caribbean by pirates, who found what is now the United States) and very funny in parts. Plot is meh because it's hard to figure out why anything matters, and I generally don't enjoy action scenes in books.

[Alex Himebaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I was confused for 3/4 of the book until the end when all the puzzled pieces connected. This isn't the kind of book where you read half of it and then give up; you HAVE to finish it. It's worth it; trust me.
I loved the mystery element and the plot twists! It's weird (and vulgar) but that's what made it funny. A great read.

[Chris Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally unique, blends historical names with bizzare non-historical events. Fun read, really keeps you guessing and eventually rooting for Chief Master/Satanist

[Will · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a fan of uchronia, I expected one kind of book and got another.