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Duchamp Versus Einstein
Inspired by Marcel Duchamp's archived letters, Duchamp versus Einstein is a science fiction novelette spanning some of the most monumental events of the 20th century, and bringing together two of the most transformative figures of the era in art and science for a surreal chess match that could reshape history.
- GenresScience FictionFantasy
100 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2019
10 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Hinz
53 books76 followersChristopher Hinz is an author of science fiction thrillers – novels, comic books, screenplays and more.
Born in 1951 in Reading, PA, USA, his early passion for all things SF led to the writing of his first “book” in elementary school. A four-page epic, it featured a giant monster brought back from Mars who escapes and climbs the tallest building in Chicago, only to be blasted from that perch with a nuclear cannon. The inevitable fallout, along with other youthful digressions, steered Hinz away from science fiction writing – and Chicago – for many years.
His first mature work,LIEGE-KILLER, was originally published in 1987 by St. Martin’s Press. ANACHRONISMS, ASH OCK and THE PARATWA soon followed. The latter two novels, together with LIEGE-KILLER, form “The Paratwa Saga.”
A subsequent foray into comic books led to a number of publications, including creator-owned GEMINI BLOOD (with artist Tommy Lee Edwards) and DEAD CORPS (with artist Steve Pugh) for DC Comics, and BLADE for Marvel Comics, also with Pugh. An evolution into screenwriting resulted in the sale of BINARY, a script based on LIEGE-KILLER.
In addition to other SF projects, he has worked a variety of Earth-based jobs, including picture framer, turret-lathe operator, TV technical director and newspaper staff writer. He has played in rock bands, modeled dioramas and designed and marketed an auto racing board game. He currently creates new stories from the semi-seclusion of a wooded realm in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
Born in 1951 in Reading, PA, USA, his early passion for all things SF led to the writing of his first “book” in elementary school. A four-page epic, it featured a giant monster brought back from Mars who escapes and climbs the tallest building in Chicago, only to be blasted from that perch with a nuclear cannon. The inevitable fallout, along with other youthful digressions, steered Hinz away from science fiction writing – and Chicago – for many years.
His first mature work,LIEGE-KILLER, was originally published in 1987 by St. Martin’s Press. ANACHRONISMS, ASH OCK and THE PARATWA soon followed. The latter two novels, together with LIEGE-KILLER, form “The Paratwa Saga.”
A subsequent foray into comic books led to a number of publications, including creator-owned GEMINI BLOOD (with artist Tommy Lee Edwards) and DEAD CORPS (with artist Steve Pugh) for DC Comics, and BLADE for Marvel Comics, also with Pugh. An evolution into screenwriting resulted in the sale of BINARY, a script based on LIEGE-KILLER.
In addition to other SF projects, he has worked a variety of Earth-based jobs, including picture framer, turret-lathe operator, TV technical director and newspaper staff writer. He has played in rock bands, modeled dioramas and designed and marketed an auto racing board game. He currently creates new stories from the semi-seclusion of a wooded realm in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 9, 2019
This review and others can be read on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.
One of the things I adore most about Angry Robot as a publisher is that they’re willing to give books that are just a bit off-beat a fair shake. They’ve got unicorns in space with Space Unicorn Blues, stuffed triceratops detectives in The Imaginary Corpse, and soldiers who travel at light speed by becoming light in Kameron Hurley’s The Light Brigade. Angry Robot is the home of books that push the boundaries that might be a little further out than other traditional publishers are willing to go, and they often find some wonderful hidden gems by doing so.
Unfortunately, this also means that some of the books they take a chance on fall a bit flat. For me, Duchamp Versus Einstein fell into this category. This was especially disappointing as it was Angry Robot’s first foray into short fiction – I had been expecting a much stronger publisher debut in the new category. However, while looking into the two authors, I did notice that Etan Illfeld was the owner of Watkins Media, of which Angry Robot is an imprint. That struck me as a bit odd, and perhaps explains why this novelette was taken on to lead this new category.
The novella opens with an intriguing prologue: the year is 2061, and following a devastating 3rd World War, historians have discovered a series of hitherto unknown letters from Marcel Duchamp. It introduces our third main character, as well – an alien, noncorporeal woman made up of pure unemotional information. Unfortunately, these future events are never discussed or touched on in the novella after the prologue. While I see the point the authors were trying to make here within the broader text – that war is an inevitable part of the human condition – it felt extraneous and a bit like an unused, dusty Chekhov’s gun. It felt like clumsy writing.
Following this, another interesting plotline is started up. Duchamp is hanging out with separationist revolutionaries in New York, where they’re having a rollicking party on the bridge. Much like World War III, I assumed this would become plot relevant and potentially an interesting commentary on the political state of America at the time. Unfortunately, once more, this plotline fizzled out. It serves only as a backdrop to begin the odd main plot, with Duchamp seeing a strange, glowing, multicolored baby floating in the air. There are several more instances of this as the novella progresses, each one as disappointing as the first.
To paraphrase the lovely Alix E. Harrow’s thoughts on novellas and other short form fiction, authors looking to write a novella need to pick the one thing they really care about, care about it as hard as they possibly can, and tell absolutely everything else to fuck off. I’m not entirely sure what the authors of Duchamp Versus Einstein cared about in this book, as it felt like there were a lot of different things going on – all of them competing for my attention.
The actual premise of the book, a chess game between Duchamp and Einstein, comes about for somewhat ambiguous reasons. The novella seemed to care about how this chess game comes about more than it does about why it came about, and the game itself only goes on for a handful of pages. The alien character, called Stella or Estrella at various times, has somewhat unclear motivations and origins, which are explained just enough to seem a bit ridiculous and odd instead of being mysterious and engaging. There were several gratuitous sex scenes, which came off as more than a bit onanistic on the author’s part. I don’t necessarily mind sex scenes which don’t advance the plot, but I do mind it when they’re not even a good sex scene. While the ones included in Duchamp Versus Einstein were technically plot relevant, said relevancy felt shoehorned in as opposed to being a natural progression of ideas.
This book held promise, and kept me interested by introducing new ideas and premises as it progressed. It was short and a quick read. The prose was more than serviceable. However, every promise the novelette made to me as a reader ended up unfulfilled. I think this book needed to pruned back heavily, and perhaps would have been more appropriate as a short story instead of a novelette.
If you enjoyed this review, please consider reading others like it on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.
One of the things I adore most about Angry Robot as a publisher is that they’re willing to give books that are just a bit off-beat a fair shake. They’ve got unicorns in space with Space Unicorn Blues, stuffed triceratops detectives in The Imaginary Corpse, and soldiers who travel at light speed by becoming light in Kameron Hurley’s The Light Brigade. Angry Robot is the home of books that push the boundaries that might be a little further out than other traditional publishers are willing to go, and they often find some wonderful hidden gems by doing so.
Unfortunately, this also means that some of the books they take a chance on fall a bit flat. For me, Duchamp Versus Einstein fell into this category. This was especially disappointing as it was Angry Robot’s first foray into short fiction – I had been expecting a much stronger publisher debut in the new category. However, while looking into the two authors, I did notice that Etan Illfeld was the owner of Watkins Media, of which Angry Robot is an imprint. That struck me as a bit odd, and perhaps explains why this novelette was taken on to lead this new category.
The novella opens with an intriguing prologue: the year is 2061, and following a devastating 3rd World War, historians have discovered a series of hitherto unknown letters from Marcel Duchamp. It introduces our third main character, as well – an alien, noncorporeal woman made up of pure unemotional information. Unfortunately, these future events are never discussed or touched on in the novella after the prologue. While I see the point the authors were trying to make here within the broader text – that war is an inevitable part of the human condition – it felt extraneous and a bit like an unused, dusty Chekhov’s gun. It felt like clumsy writing.
‘The desk was found within the sealed basement of a former New York City skyscraper, the site covered in five meters of atomic slag from the Manhattan Detonations. Noted World War III apocalyptic historian Trinitia Rodriguez, the granddaughter of a woman born in Socorro, New Mexico, was within minutes of the world’s first atomic detonation…’
Following this, another interesting plotline is started up. Duchamp is hanging out with separationist revolutionaries in New York, where they’re having a rollicking party on the bridge. Much like World War III, I assumed this would become plot relevant and potentially an interesting commentary on the political state of America at the time. Unfortunately, once more, this plotline fizzled out. It serves only as a backdrop to begin the odd main plot, with Duchamp seeing a strange, glowing, multicolored baby floating in the air. There are several more instances of this as the novella progresses, each one as disappointing as the first.
To paraphrase the lovely Alix E. Harrow’s thoughts on novellas and other short form fiction, authors looking to write a novella need to pick the one thing they really care about, care about it as hard as they possibly can, and tell absolutely everything else to fuck off. I’m not entirely sure what the authors of Duchamp Versus Einstein cared about in this book, as it felt like there were a lot of different things going on – all of them competing for my attention.
The actual premise of the book, a chess game between Duchamp and Einstein, comes about for somewhat ambiguous reasons. The novella seemed to care about how this chess game comes about more than it does about why it came about, and the game itself only goes on for a handful of pages. The alien character, called Stella or Estrella at various times, has somewhat unclear motivations and origins, which are explained just enough to seem a bit ridiculous and odd instead of being mysterious and engaging. There were several gratuitous sex scenes, which came off as more than a bit onanistic on the author’s part. I don’t necessarily mind sex scenes which don’t advance the plot, but I do mind it when they’re not even a good sex scene. While the ones included in Duchamp Versus Einstein were technically plot relevant, said relevancy felt shoehorned in as opposed to being a natural progression of ideas.
This book held promise, and kept me interested by introducing new ideas and premises as it progressed. It was short and a quick read. The prose was more than serviceable. However, every promise the novelette made to me as a reader ended up unfulfilled. I think this book needed to pruned back heavily, and perhaps would have been more appropriate as a short story instead of a novelette.
If you enjoyed this review, please consider reading others like it on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.
October 8, 2019
Full review is here, on my blog.
This was an often odd story. It was inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s letters, and does involve Duchamp playing a chess game with Einstein, though, the way they come together is quite a story. More than the game itself, in my opinion.
This one bounces through time, sometimes forward and sometimes back, and it takes place from the point of view of both Duchamp and Einstein as well as a third party, the woman who, shall we say, who brings them together to play the game. Her presence is the strangest part, and seeing some of the story from her point of view.
As I said, it is oftentimes odd, with the occasional random glowing infant present, among other things. Weird as hell sometimes, yes, but not confusing really. It’s actually fairly straightforward. It was a quick read, and it was interesting. I never got bored with it, but I can’t say it’s in the favorites pile. I liked it alright, but didn’t love it. It didn’t blow my mind, but it was certainly an entertaining 100 pages for the most part, and it was rather thought-provoking at times. Sure, there were parts that I could really have done without, but c’est la vie.
I’d say definitely give it a try if you are a fan of either Duchamp or Einstein’s work, or if you are into books that look at history through the eye of the future. If you liked El-Mohtar and Gladstone’s This is How You Lose the Time War, you may also like this, because I felt that it had a somewhat similar vibe at times.
Thanks to the authors as well as Angry Robot for the review copy.
This was an often odd story. It was inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s letters, and does involve Duchamp playing a chess game with Einstein, though, the way they come together is quite a story. More than the game itself, in my opinion.
This one bounces through time, sometimes forward and sometimes back, and it takes place from the point of view of both Duchamp and Einstein as well as a third party, the woman who, shall we say, who brings them together to play the game. Her presence is the strangest part, and seeing some of the story from her point of view.
As I said, it is oftentimes odd, with the occasional random glowing infant present, among other things. Weird as hell sometimes, yes, but not confusing really. It’s actually fairly straightforward. It was a quick read, and it was interesting. I never got bored with it, but I can’t say it’s in the favorites pile. I liked it alright, but didn’t love it. It didn’t blow my mind, but it was certainly an entertaining 100 pages for the most part, and it was rather thought-provoking at times. Sure, there were parts that I could really have done without, but c’est la vie.
I’d say definitely give it a try if you are a fan of either Duchamp or Einstein’s work, or if you are into books that look at history through the eye of the future. If you liked El-Mohtar and Gladstone’s This is How You Lose the Time War, you may also like this, because I felt that it had a somewhat similar vibe at times.
Thanks to the authors as well as Angry Robot for the review copy.
October 7, 2019
Eh. Wasn't really a fan of this at all. Tries too hard to sound clever at times, and comes across as more Sheldon Cooper than Albert Einstein as a whole. Review to come.
October 26, 2019
Sehr spannende Prämisse. Leider halten weder Figuren noch Handlung das Versprechen, das aus dem Zusammentreffen dieser zwei Geistesgrößen erwächst.
October 17, 2019
This is a novella that requires a lot of philosophical thinking once you’ve read the book. It hints at the backdrop of humanity’s insane desire for conflict. This novella is perfect for reading with the Orville’s soundtrack which you can find on youtube.
At some point, I think the novella should have been a hundred and twenty pages longer to give Stella’s POV. I really wanted to know what kind of alien creature Stella was. The authors could have maybe had her as a mythical creature from Greek Mythology that in reality was purely something else. I got this vibe often. The historical elements of the characters weren’t certainly wasted, and they were well defined. I did get an idea that Einstein and Duchamp were often aware of this parallel existence they had with Stella, but I would have wanted to seen more questioning. Where I think they needed to add twenty pages was to discuss the philosophy of warfare and contrast it with Indian Philosophy, expressely the Bhagavad Gita. The quote, I am become death, the destroyer of worlds was a very moving statement that was recorded more than 3000 years ago. I myself cannot hold claim to the knowledge that Duchamp and Einstein possesed. I can certainly understand their motives. That being said, if this was a short story, or a Netflix short movie, it would be a philosophical debate about humanity and it’s desire to ensure conflict.
Overall, my rating is a solid 4/5. It needed more pages, but def do not miss this.
At some point, I think the novella should have been a hundred and twenty pages longer to give Stella’s POV. I really wanted to know what kind of alien creature Stella was. The authors could have maybe had her as a mythical creature from Greek Mythology that in reality was purely something else. I got this vibe often. The historical elements of the characters weren’t certainly wasted, and they were well defined. I did get an idea that Einstein and Duchamp were often aware of this parallel existence they had with Stella, but I would have wanted to seen more questioning. Where I think they needed to add twenty pages was to discuss the philosophy of warfare and contrast it with Indian Philosophy, expressely the Bhagavad Gita. The quote, I am become death, the destroyer of worlds was a very moving statement that was recorded more than 3000 years ago. I myself cannot hold claim to the knowledge that Duchamp and Einstein possesed. I can certainly understand their motives. That being said, if this was a short story, or a Netflix short movie, it would be a philosophical debate about humanity and it’s desire to ensure conflict.
Overall, my rating is a solid 4/5. It needed more pages, but def do not miss this.
October 8, 2019
1.5 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
The entire premise seems to be ‘What if Marcel Duchamp and Albert Einstein played chess?’
And that’s it.
Now, if you could make it past this and still be interested in the story, someone might be forgiven the obvious question of: ‘Why?’, instead focusing on: ‘How would they do that?’ because, as far as I know or could figure out, Duchamp and Einstein never met. There’s also the fact that while Duchamp turned into quite the chess player later in life, Einstein never showed it much interest. So, why would they play?
Enter a mysterious, extra-terrestrial Observer, as seen in such things as John Carter, MIB, the Themis Files, etc. She, for some reason, decides to facilitate the game. Which she does through seducing both men.
Apparently inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s archived letters (which are, yes, real), though the novella itself doesn’t seem to include any real ones. Instead, it introduces a series of letters, newly discovered in 2061, following the 3rd World War. This is the first and only time this event or the future is mentioned, which was just odd.
So… I liked the description of the world. I never had a problem picturing any of the things mentioned in the text. Duchamp Versus Einstein was well described and well-written.
Otherwise, it was awful.
There’s no real plot, just the premise ‘what would’ve happened if these two dudes played chess’. The ending was incredibly unsatisfying. Abrupt. The whole thing likely was nothing but an allegory for the illusion of free will. Neither of the characters are believable as their historic counterparts. Well, maybe Duchamp. More so than the portrayal of Einstein, at least. The pacing was strange, the time-skips stranger, the character Stella the strangest.
TL;DR
While Duchamp Versus Einstein initially seemed mildly intriguing, whatever appeal it held soon faded. So… nope, can’t recommend it. I liked the description. Really didn’t care for anything else. Like, nothing. The pacing, the nonexistent plot, the characters, the lack of realism, the premise. The ending was abrupt and unsatisfying. Definitely not my cup of tea.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
The entire premise seems to be ‘What if Marcel Duchamp and Albert Einstein played chess?’
And that’s it.
Now, if you could make it past this and still be interested in the story, someone might be forgiven the obvious question of: ‘Why?’, instead focusing on: ‘How would they do that?’ because, as far as I know or could figure out, Duchamp and Einstein never met. There’s also the fact that while Duchamp turned into quite the chess player later in life, Einstein never showed it much interest. So, why would they play?
Enter a mysterious, extra-terrestrial Observer, as seen in such things as John Carter, MIB, the Themis Files, etc. She, for some reason, decides to facilitate the game. Which she does through seducing both men.
Apparently inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s archived letters (which are, yes, real), though the novella itself doesn’t seem to include any real ones. Instead, it introduces a series of letters, newly discovered in 2061, following the 3rd World War. This is the first and only time this event or the future is mentioned, which was just odd.
So… I liked the description of the world. I never had a problem picturing any of the things mentioned in the text. Duchamp Versus Einstein was well described and well-written.
Otherwise, it was awful.
There’s no real plot, just the premise ‘what would’ve happened if these two dudes played chess’. The ending was incredibly unsatisfying. Abrupt. The whole thing likely was nothing but an allegory for the illusion of free will. Neither of the characters are believable as their historic counterparts. Well, maybe Duchamp. More so than the portrayal of Einstein, at least. The pacing was strange, the time-skips stranger, the character Stella the strangest.
TL;DR
While Duchamp Versus Einstein initially seemed mildly intriguing, whatever appeal it held soon faded. So… nope, can’t recommend it. I liked the description. Really didn’t care for anything else. Like, nothing. The pacing, the nonexistent plot, the characters, the lack of realism, the premise. The ending was abrupt and unsatisfying. Definitely not my cup of tea.
March 23, 2020
Hinz, Christopher, and Etan Ilfeld. Duchamp Versus Einstein. Angry Robot, 2019.
In this intriguing novella, an ethereal, transtemporal woman in a shimmering dress (because light is not always what it seems) inspires Albert Einstein and the surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp. Two historical events seem to have inspired the story: a chess game Einstein played with Robert Oppenheimer and some archived letters in which Duchamp says he had a vision of a glowing woman (not unlike his nude descending a staircase). Believe it or not, there is a plot that makes a bit of sense, but if the premise here does not get to you, you won’t care. FYI: it got to me.
In this intriguing novella, an ethereal, transtemporal woman in a shimmering dress (because light is not always what it seems) inspires Albert Einstein and the surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp. Two historical events seem to have inspired the story: a chess game Einstein played with Robert Oppenheimer and some archived letters in which Duchamp says he had a vision of a glowing woman (not unlike his nude descending a staircase). Believe it or not, there is a plot that makes a bit of sense, but if the premise here does not get to you, you won’t care. FYI: it got to me.
August 10, 2020
Do you want to imagine a 60-year-old Albert Einstein having sex? Does it make sense to you that Marcel Duchamp could have encountered a spectral infant and glowing, phantasmal woman and still go on to make the decidedly anti-romantic, anti-symbolic, anti-ethereal work he is so well known for? Are you super interested in chess? If you can answer yes to all three of those questions, "Duchamp versus Einstein" is the novelette (or novella?) for you.
I do appreciate that the authors were clearly trying to do something a little different. However, in my opinion, it just didn't work.
Lovely cover, though.
I do appreciate that the authors were clearly trying to do something a little different. However, in my opinion, it just didn't work.
Lovely cover, though.
October 28, 2019
Not sure whether this should be on the Sci-Fi shelf or not, but anyway I hadn't picked up a title like Duchamp vs Einstein for the longest time. I wasn't disappointed! Hinz and Ilfeld have imagined a wonderful match-up between two of the outstanding intellects of the 20th C. and fleshed it out with some of their own creative details. Early on I guessed at the true identity of the character in her black, star-strewn dress but it didn't stop me enjoying this right up to the last page.
December 23, 2019
This book was....eccentric, but not in a bad way. I love the way it explored the ideas and letters of the two protagonists. Because it is such a short book, the reader isn't provided many opportunities to digest and contemplate the plot or themes of the book; that being said, combining sci-fi with Duchamp and Einstein was an interesting, and rather daring experiment, and for that, I applaud the author.
December 30, 2019
Engrossing, creative, logical and thought provoking
I took an imaginary voyage through the build up of a promised chess match between the two of the greatest minds of the 20th century. The authors’ gaze on the story and the messages behind, were able to sift through influences of science, art, philosophy... to leave us a thought-provoking, unique, engrossing and sensual experience. Thoroughly enjoyed!
I took an imaginary voyage through the build up of a promised chess match between the two of the greatest minds of the 20th century. The authors’ gaze on the story and the messages behind, were able to sift through influences of science, art, philosophy... to leave us a thought-provoking, unique, engrossing and sensual experience. Thoroughly enjoyed!
December 30, 2019
A very interesting way to explore some of the biographical events that occurred in the lives of both of these great thinkers. I think that the literary style is interesting, certainly a departure from traditional science fiction, and it's enjoyable to see the authors play with the convention of what a novella can be. I thought that the splicing of real-world letters throughout the piece added a very interesting textural counterpoint.
Super cool if you are a writing nerd!
Super cool if you are a writing nerd!
October 8, 2021
It seems every short book I've recently picked up (at the time of reading this particular volume) turns to ashes in my hands. This was deeply weird, and I didn't connect with it in any way. I'll give it an extra star for its audacity...but I'm afraid this isn't for me.
October 20, 2019
A very well written story with a curious juxtaposition of two fascinating lives.
October 21, 2019
A mind-bending meditation on war, science, art, chess and vibrators. And the (alien) Muse that makes all things possible. A quick, thought-provoking read that stays with you.
November 22, 2019
A cute little story about a rather interesting chess match, but the pretentious prose weighs it down and when I finished it, all I could think was an uninterested, '...so?'. Not that fantastic to me.
December 22, 2019
Quick, interesting, quirky.
August 9, 2021
Not all ideas are good ideas.
August 2, 2024
Ehhhh,
The ending really confused me.
The ending really confused me.
January 13, 2025
This didn't work for me. Einstein and Duchamp play chess because of a time traveling alien. I guess. It was not that engaging.
February 1, 2021
Short book, nicely readable.
Spoiler:
But the story ends in disappointment for the players when the chess game ends in a draw. Would these two really not be smart enough to see that coming? Especially Einstein who's requested rule change is in the same vein that no doubt every amateur chess player would have wished for.
Bummer.
What my ratings mean:
5 – I felt this book was an exemplar in its genre/field. That does not mean I agree with everything it says (or the moral of the story). It is likely to be a book that will change my thinking about a topic.
4 – A very impressive book for its genre/field. It probably didn’t change me or my thinking though.
3 – An enjoyable way to spend the time reading it.
2 – There was something wrong about the way this was written.
1 – Life’s too short and/or I’m not smart enough to get the point of this book.
Spoiler:
But the story ends in disappointment for the players when the chess game ends in a draw. Would these two really not be smart enough to see that coming? Especially Einstein who's requested rule change is in the same vein that no doubt every amateur chess player would have wished for.
Bummer.
What my ratings mean:
5 – I felt this book was an exemplar in its genre/field. That does not mean I agree with everything it says (or the moral of the story). It is likely to be a book that will change my thinking about a topic.
4 – A very impressive book for its genre/field. It probably didn’t change me or my thinking though.
3 – An enjoyable way to spend the time reading it.
2 – There was something wrong about the way this was written.
1 – Life’s too short and/or I’m not smart enough to get the point of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews