<< I think someone asked on talk.origins whether one of the
characters, Sir Max ??? had a real-life counterpart. >>
I made it onto talk.origins? I'm flattered!
<< Could you give us
a few sentence synopsys of the plot to refresh my memory? And are you
seriously proposing that there really was a conspiracy, or is it more of
an "alternative history"?>>
"The Darwin Conspiracy" is whimsical fiction, about what "might" have
happened. Virtually all of the characters are real, though, and their thoughts
and words taken from historical accounts. My central character, Sir Max, is
representative of forces that seemed to work "behind the scenes," creating the
illusion of conspiracy. He is an atheist, and the ship's cook aboard the HMS
Beagle, where he befriends Charles Darwin and influences him for the rest of
his life. Sir Max lives to a ripe old age, subtly manipulating the likes of
Neitzche, Hitler, Earnest Hemingway, Bertrand Russell and even aiding Clarence
Darrow in the Scopes Trial. While I am not Oliver Stone and do not believe in
an overt plan to take over the world via Darwinism, I think the historical
record is replete with indications of a de facto "conspiracy" of cooperation
in various places. My novel deals with that scenario.
The novel is listed in Books in Print, and therefore can be ordered at any
bookstore. The ISBN is 1-885305-16-8. I am not those other James Bell's,
though I do know the Moody Press guy. Nice fellow.
Jim