TLIAW: Making Murder Sound Respectable

[Comisario]

Curry and communism is a rare combination, but it has to be one of my favourites!

Just quickly caught up with this and I have to say bravo! This is certainly an interesting world you've created - a world in which the 1930s never ended and where the absurdities and excesses of the age's politics have become commonplace.

The comments about Spain are very dark, I've noticed. I don't know if you've entirely fleshed out that part of this fantastic world, but I'm guessing there is/was a long-lived Popular Front that ends up as a tool of the PCE?

 

[Meadow]

The sister just wants phresh communist memes from the Spanish collective meme farm. I can't blame her for that.

> RAYCOOKER

 

[Mumby]

The sister just wants phresh communist memes from the Spanish collective meme farm. I can't blame her for that.

> RAYCOOKER

Why buy phresh when you can buy phrozen and raycook it?

Raycooker has got to be one of my best AH neologisms.

 

[Alex Richards]

Oh my. Presumably the Whites in Russia won and then went soft-fascist then.

 

[wellis]

As someone who has very little knowledge of British politics, just how to the right is Britain here considering Mosley's Fascist Party survived into 2015 as a party and what is technology like here?

The stuff about Spain and its collective farms, or the violent political clashes leaving thousands dead with nary a comment, let alone the Nazis continuing on, really shows just how different TTL is to OTL.

You going to provide a map for all this?

Will we get to see stuff from other countries outside of Europe like China or the US?

 

[LancyIain]

I wish I had something constructive to say, but I can't think of anything. This is chilling and well done.

I don't know where things are going, but it seems to be to a very dark place.

 

[Geordie]

This is very well written. A bit confusing, more than a bit worrying, but well done.

I like the little neologisms, like raycooker, televisor and comportable.

To echo Japhy, it's a very good (by which I mean effective) dystopia precisely because it's not the Hobbesian war of all against all, with everything being utterly, unremittingly shitty, like most grimdark dystopian type things. Instead, this is one where life goes on for most people, much as it does in OTL, but they play that life out to a background of constant low level political violence, reports of riots and deaths, and general institutionalised nastiness. And it's all normalised. That's the horror of it.

Not entirely sure that makes sense, reading it back, but I hope you understand what I meant.

'Germany calling! Germany calling!' a heavily moustachioed gentleman gurgled jovially from the televisor.

Interesting choice of call sign. It appears Lord Haw Haw's family stayed in the media business in this TL. Lord knows what life is like in the ghettoes by this stage, if they still exist at all.

 

[traveller76]

Continue

Please pray continue, what do politics in the US look like?

 

[Japhy]

Please pray continue, what do politics in the US look like?

Can we not do this every time there's a timeline thats not about the US? Its embarrassing.

 

[The Director]

Just wanted to say this is excellent, Mumby. I especially like how it seems both modern and deiselpunk attitudes exist in the same world. Makes me wanna work on a Atompunk TL styled after this.

 

[fanthemadman]

Can we not do this every time there's a timeline thats not about the US? Its embarrassing.

Echoing this. I'm rather enjoying reading the Brit "bants" back and forth. I learn new works like "phresh" and "dieselpunk" and gain valuable insights into how the Westminster system of parlimentary governance is bound to lead to equality, liberty, fraternity and other classic UK values.



((but really.. I'm loving the TL and the back and forth.. pray continue))

 

[Gog (♀)]

Can we not do this every time there's a timeline thats not about the US? Its embarrassing.

but... but... my 'murica

 

[Japhy]

but... but... my 'murica

... should only really show up if its relevant to the timeline and not because every single time a timeline isn't all about 'Murica people start going on about how its needed. Mumby has already given us rather not-pleasant looks at Germany and Russia, and hits of Spain. If the US shows up by the end of things it does, no need to start going on about the lack before the thing is finished or ever.

 

[Gog (♀)]

... should only really show up if its relevant to the timeline and not because every single time a timeline isn't all about 'Murica people start going on about how its needed. Mumby has already given us rather not-pleasant looks at Germany and Russia, and hits of Spain. If the US shows up by the end of things it does, no need to start going on about the lack before the thing is finished or ever.

i thought my smiley indicated that i was not serious and was indeed parodying those who wanted to see the US

also good work Mumby, not many fascist victory TLs around here

 

[Puget Sound]

i thought my smiley indicated that i was not serious and was indeed parodying those who wanted to see the US

also good work Mumby, not many fascist victory TLs around here

Actually, it's not really a fascist victory ATL as it's "fascists become more respectable, get into government sometimes" TL.

 

[traveller76]

request

I withdraw my request. I apologize.

 

[zeppelinair]

Just found this. This shit is amazing.

 

[Mumby]

I'm on my phone right now. I'm a bit pissed off because my internet doesn't work when I'm not on my phone. I have an update ready to go, but I've been using Word.

 

[zeppelinair]

I'm on my phone right now. I'm a bit pissed off because my internet doesn't work when I'm not on my phone. I have an update ready to go, but I've been using Word.

Maybe you could use a friend's laptop or something? very excited for the update.

 

[Mumby]

I'm slightly overwhelmed by all the positive commentary. But here we go.

I can only agree with suleiman , theres something very creepy about this. can't wait to see whats next

Well, it's nice to see that Britain hasn't drunk the anti-Semitic Kool-Aid at least. That was a particularly creepy moment yes.

Thankfully for us, there is a reason the Unionists had to surge four years ago to find a place in government.

Oh, fuck, this is actually meant to be 2015.

Oh, you have no idea.

Yes, and I'm loving it, every dystopic, grime laden, terrifyingly brutal word of it.

Thanks!

This is monstrous. Monstrous and magnificent. I do love that as opposed to most -punk settings this piece has embraced that yes a march of time happens, all the while building a world where modern liberal democracy never got its shot at redemption.

Combine that contrast with the characters you've created and its a very dark, almost dystopic setting that isn't based on sheer brutality run amuck. Which means IMO, you've avoided the greatest problem with dystopias.

Certainly will be excited to see more of this coming. Thank you for writing it.

That's all very valuable stuff. I didn't go into this intending to write a dystopia, though frankly from what I aimed to do there wasn't really another way it could have gone.

Not really dystopian; I don't know who could construe this as a utopia.

One simple trick to fuck up the body politic! Moderates hate it!

Curry and communism is a rare combination, but it has to be one of my favourites!

Just quickly caught up with this and I have to say bravo! This is certainly an interesting world you've created - a world in which the 1930s never ended and where the absurdities and excesses of the age's politics have become commonplace.

The comments about Spain are very dark, I've noticed. I don't know if you've entirely fleshed out that part of this fantastic world, but I'm guessing there is/was a long-lived Popular Front that ends up as a tool of the PCE?

Obviously the circumstances of the Spanish Civil War were very different. Suffice to say, there was less foreign involvement and the Anarchists were able to preserve their prominence in the conflict. The Republicans won, and Spain is a very strange revolutionary state. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Oh my. Presumably the Whites in Russia won and then went soft-fascist then.

Close, but not quite.

As someone who has very little knowledge of British politics, just how to the right is Britain here considering Mosley's Fascist Party survived into 2015 as a party and what is technology like here?

The stuff about Spain and its collective farms, or the violent political clashes leaving thousands dead with nary a comment, let alone the Nazis continuing on, really shows just how different TTL is to OTL.

You going to provide a map for all this?

Will we get to see stuff from other countries outside of Europe like China or the US?

Well, the fascists are certainly prominent, but you may note the presence of the Communist Party of Great Britain. We're not more right-wing, we're more heterodox, and our extremes are more mainstream.

Technologically, its not vastly different.

I take ages making maps, so don't expect one any time soon.

I wish I had something constructive to say, but I can't think of anything. This is chilling and well done.

I don't know where things are going, but it seems to be to a very dark place.

Thanks!

This is very well written. A bit confusing, more than a bit worrying, but well done.

I like the little neologisms, like raycooker, televisor and comportable.

To echo Japhy, it's a very good (by which I mean effective) dystopia precisely because it's not the Hobbesian war of all against all, with everything being utterly, unremittingly shitty, like most grimdark dystopian type things. Instead, this is one where life goes on for most people, much as it does in OTL, but they play that life out to a background of constant low level political violence, reports of riots and deaths, and general institutionalised nastiness. And it's all normalised. That's the horror of it.

Not entirely sure that makes sense, reading it back, but I hope you understand what I meant.

Interesting choice of call sign. It appears Lord Haw Haw's family stayed in the media business in this TL. Lord knows what life is like in the ghettoes by this stage, if they still exist at all.

Thanks. To be fair we also hear about a lot of violence and institutionalised nastiness on the news.

And as for Baillie-Stewart, that's just me bludgeoning home that HE'S A FUCKING NAZI.

Please pray continue, what do politics in the US look like?

Can we not do this every time there's a timeline thats not about the US? Its embarrassing.

My current update mentions America.

Just wanted to say this is excellent, Mumby. I especially like how it seems both modern and deiselpunk attitudes exist in the same world. Makes me wanna work on a Atompunk TL styled after this.

I would read that.

Echoing this. I'm rather enjoying reading the Brit "bants" back and forth. I learn new works like "phresh" and "dieselpunk" and gain valuable insights into how the Westminster system of parlimentary governance is bound to lead to equality, liberty, fraternity and other classic UK values.

((but really.. I'm loving the TL and the back and forth.. pray continue))

Thanks!

i thought my smiley indicated that i was not serious and was indeed parodying those who wanted to see the US

also good work Mumby, not many fascist victory TLs around here

Actually, it's not really a fascist victory ATL as it's "fascists become more respectable, get into government sometimes" TL.

Nailed it.

Just found this. This shit is amazing.

Thanks!