Books — hermiene.net

An anthology with short stories which each presents a "dangerous vision" (although I would call them "visions for thought").

These thirty-two stories are all excellent in their own ways, but some stand out as superbly excellent. I've transcribed these and put them on my Short Stories page. They are Shall the Dust Praise Thee?, Evensong, The Malley System, Carcinoma Angels, and A Toy For Juliette. These are teasers, and I believe no further review is necessary. Go buy this book.

The Axis powers of Japan and Germany wins WWII and divide the world among themselves. The story follows a small number of characters in this alternate history. The title comes from a fictitious novel called The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, written by Hawthorne Abendsen. Grasshopper is about an alternate history (from the novel's point of view) where the Allied forces won WWII. Being a heretical notion, Abendsen perpetuates a myth that he lives in a fortified house (castle); hence the title.

It was a riveting read, but I was left wondering what the point of the novel was.