In the dying days of World War II, Nazi Germany spent increasingly large amounts of its dwindling manufacturing capability on the construction of a small fleet of flying saucers capable of travel beyond the atmosphere. While these saucers were too few in number to affect the eventual outcome of the war, they did allow for a small, but fanatical Nazi group to escape Germany, first to Antarctica, and then on to the moon!
For the first time, the history of the Nazi space program has been revealed - with a focus on the design, construction, and layout of the moonbase. Using detailed maps, the entire moonbase is reconstructed, noting the locations of various important features, such as weapon emplacements, the Vril generator, the air recyclers and water extractors. The book also covers the various attempt by the allies to overcome this last Nazi stronghold through both subterfuge and outright battle.
Graeme Davis was born at an early age and has lived ever since.
His enduring fascination with creatures from myth and folklore can probably be blamed equally on Ray Harryhausen and Christopher Lee. He studied archaeology at the University of Durham before joining Games Workshop in 1986, where he co-wrote the acclaimed Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay game among others.
He has worked on over 40 video games, countless tabletop roleplaying game products, and a few more sensible books in the realms of history, mythology, and folklore. Most recently, he has written multiple titles for Osprey Publishing's Dark Osprey and Myths and Legends lines.
É fácil imaginar os editores da Osprey, que se dedica a explorar o nicho de mercado dos nerds militaristas, a especular sobre que recepção teriam entre os geeks dos mundos imaginários. Os livros desta editora são dedicados às minúcias da história militar, com infinda obra sobre conflitos, unidades militares, estratégias ou dissecação quase pornográfica dos mecanismos de armamento. Tudo muito fiel ao rigor histórico, afastado de fantasias e especulações. Com excepção da sua colecção Dark Osprey, que se dedica precisamente a este campo.
Isto ajuda a explicar esta divertida bizarria de livro. Escrito naquele tom de autor tarefeiro a encher parágrafos para leitores que só estão interessados nas fotografias e ilustrações militaristas, detalha os tenebrosos segredos vindos do lado oculto da II Guerra, com a exploração das forças Vril pelos elementos mais radicais das SS para criar novas armas devastadoras. Elementos que, perante a derrota inevitável, se transferem primeiro para a Antártida, e depois para a Lua, levando consigo as armas mais secretas do II Reich, pondo em marcha um plano de sobrevivência e combate com o fim único do regresso, vitorioso, a uma Terra em cinzas. Contam com armas tenebrosas: potentes raios da morte, temíveis discos voadores, canhões capazes de disparar rochas lunares. A sua fortaleza lunar, último reduto do Reich, tem sido inexpugável perante as tentativas americanas de ataque. Nesta história, é-nos revelado que o verdadeiro objectivo das missões espaciais americanas, europeias e russas/soviéticas era o de defender o planeta da ameaça dos nazis entricheirados na lua.
O fantástico deste livro, para além do tema (nazis! tecnologias dieselpunk! conspirações! como não adorar?), é a forma como o autor consegue manter sempre um tom neutro, detalhando as histórias e tecnologias fictícias como se estivesse a fazer um resumo rigoroso de factos reais. Suspeito que haja por aí muitos leitores que não se apercebam da óbvia ironia do livro e acreditem mesmo que existam fortalezas germânicas na Lua. Chega ao ponto de misturar páginas web de teorias de conspiração com filmes e comics na bibliografia, mantendo sempre um tom de normalidade e rigor. Um bom humor perfeito.
Não é uma ideia nova, e a Internet está pejada de páginas que, fascinadas com desvios para o que não se apercebem ser um imaginário profundo, detalham as tecnologias ocultas do Reich, os projectos avançados de armas em boa parte reais, mas que não saíram do papel, especulam sobre conhecimentos ocultos, ligações a civilizações existentes no interior da Terra, entre outros elementos que estão na fronteira ténue entre o imaginário de FC e a esquizofrenia. Um manancial aproveitado pelos criadores de cultura de género, destacando-se o bom uso dado a esta iconografia por Mike Mignola em Hellboy ou no divertido filme finlandês Iron Sky. Esta edição da Osprey explora bem esse filão, e tornar-se-á uma referência neste reduzido mas divertido nicho.
As if I am NOT going to read a book called Nazi Moonbase?
First thing you should know is that this novella-length book is fiction, but it's not a standard story with characters and dialogue and emotions and action. Instead, it's written like non-fiction, telling the "true" story of how the Nazi Moonbase came to be. The author perfectly captures the "work-for-hire" pedestrian prose of the Time-Life series of books on every topic under the sun.
As I said, there are no characters to analyze and no dialogue to praise (or deride). If I tell you the basic story, I'll have given away the complete book, because it's nothing but story. Suffice to say that there is a Nazi base on the moon, established soon after the end of World War II, and there's not much the US can do about it.
The book is not going to be for everyone. But for those of you who like science fictional worldbuilding (or Nazi Moonbase-building), you'll have quite a treat
A very fun read as it done with a very serious, professional research writing style as with Osprey 's other historical books. I look forward to reading more of Osprey's Dark series if they are done like this.
I am not sure what to say about this book. As a Dark Osprey title it has the same delivery of 'facts' as the other with a ring of truth, if one hand waves a few wild assumptions (psychic communication with Aryans on a distant planet?).
The information was presented in a believable fashion. The illustrations were a good mix of artist renditions of what the text says was conjecture and photographs of a vague, grainy sort to hold the weave together.
I found some references to stand out as connections to other science fiction and B movie plots to raise a chuckle and show some 'research' was done.
It now resides on the shelf as input to some roll playing ideas mixing around my head.
This is a fun little volume of alternate history, with great illustrations by Darren Tan. While the many works of fiction built around Nazi super science could probably fill a library, author Graeme Davis does a good job of pulling together threads from many sources and weaving them into an almost-plausible narrative. The logical gaps abound, but Davis steps over them with a deft touch and manages to make the idea of a Nazi moon base surviving into the twenty-first century into a compelling read.