Das Königsprojekt

Das Königsprojekt
Author(s)	Carl Amery
Country	Germany
Language	German
Genre(s)	Science fiction novel
Publisher	Piper
Publication date	1974

Das Königsprojekt (English: The Royal Project) is a Science fiction novel by the German writer Carl Amery, published in 1974. The book was the first of three Science Fiction novels written by Amery.^[1]

Background

Amery's novel, set mostly in the background of Rome and the Vatican reflects on his upbringing as a Bavarian Catholic who had studied on the Catholic University of America.^[1]

Plot

In the novel, the Vatican gains possession of a time machine through Leonardo da Vinci after the inventor's death. Selected members of the Pope's Swiss Guard are sent back in time with this machine to alter history in favour of the Catholic Church. All this is supervised by a very small group of church officials and without the specific knowledge of the current Pope.

Through usage of this time machine, the Vatican comes to realise that history can not be altered, only manipulated. This means that a fact of the past, like the Reformation, can not be undone. For example, an attempt on Martin Luther's life fails and provides the reason for Luther's visitation by the devil, who in truth, according to the book, was a member of the Swiss Guard trying and failing to assassinate him.

In 1688, the Progetto Reale (English: Royal Project) is undertaken by the men in charge of the department. The project's aim is to reestablish Catholicism in England through restoration of the House of Stuart. The Catholic Church perceives the Stuarts as too weak for their purposes and instead selects the Bavarian House of Wittelsbach as an alternative. For the purpose of legalising the claim to the British throne, a member of the Swiss Guard, Arnold Füßli, is sent out to exchange the Stone of Scone for a fake. While this mission succeeds, the stone is deposited at what later becomes a reservoir and is lost for the cause.

The Church's main asset, its loyal Swiss Guard soldier Franz Defunderoll, however, chooses to desert and meet his unsuspecting self in the future.

Eventually, the time machine is destroyed.

In a bizarre finale of the book, the rebellious Bavarian-Scottish troops self-sacrifice in the reservoir, heeding the call of the Stone.

Translations

• Czech by January Hlaviaka, title: Kralovsky projekt, Ivo Zelezny 1997^[2]

Editions

• Piper, 1974: ISBN 3492020747
• Deutscher Taschenbuchverlag, 1978:
• Heyne, 1984: ISBN 3453310314
• Süddeutsche Verlag, 1987: ISBN 3799163662

Sources

• Das Königsprojekt by Carl Amery, publisher: Heyne
• SF im Allgemeinen und Lem im Besonderen - Carl Amery: "Das Königsprojekt" (in German)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Carl Amery - Obituaries The Independent, accessed: 6 August 2008
2. ^ Amery, Carl. Das Königsprojekt: Roman Uchronia: The Alternate History List, accessed: 6 August 2008