The Fox by Adam S. Toporek
August, 1933. Seven months after Hitler’s ascension to Chancellor, Germany is almost completely Nazified. Friedrich Foxx, the most famous radio personality in the country, has been a part of this transformation—a brash voice for German rebirth.
As the country he loves descends rapidly into a fascist dictatorship, Friedrich is brought face-to-face with the legacy of his words and is forced to make a decision—continue to support the madness or fight it.
In clarion call for our times, author Adam S. Toporek revives the ghosts of the media’s past to lay bare the small compromises that fuel the creep of tyranny and to show the tragic ends to which propaganda and misinformation can lead.
About the author
Adam S. Toporek is a fiction writer, filmmaker, and musician who believes that “art is love.”
Adam is the author of the short fiction The Tear, The Enemy, and The Fox and the writer/director of the experimental comedy short film Sexy Summer Stock.
His production company, El Arte Es Amor Productions, is focused on expanding the boundaries of artistic expression, particularly through exploring the possibilities of short form art.
Adam’s podcast, A Kick in the Art, as well as his website, are burgeoning resources to help writers, musicians, and artists of all stripes, break through mental barriers and emotional resistance, develop powerfully productive creative habits, and share more of their art with the world.
Adam is also a published nonfiction author widely known for his work in the area of customer experience.
Review
‘The Fox’ is a captivating tale set before and during the second world war and looks at how a person can go from supporting something to despising it. It follows the story of ‘the Fox’ a radio broadcaster based in Berlin. A lot of historical fiction is based on the Allied point of view so it was refreshing to read something from the German perspective.
August 1933 - Hitler has been Chancellor for seven months and almost the full country has embraced the change and become Nazified. Friedrich Foxx has been part of that transformation by advocating the new party via his radio broadcasts. With friends high up in the party he believes that they will rebuild Germany into a strong nation. But as he is confronted by what the Nazi party actually stands for he has to make a choice - will he support or fight it!
This is a short novella which I flew through in one sitting. It was an interesting and thought-provoking read. We all know that history is written by the winners and that is also reflected in this historical fiction genre. It's rare to find a piece that looks at it from a German perspective compared to the number set in Allied countries. It was interesting to see what Friedrich’s line in the sand was going to be and what his reaction was after this was crossed. The story jumps from 1933 to the closing days of the war in 1945 and it's illuminating to see the difference in his character. This isn't a story for the faint-hearted there are some quite brutal scenes in it. I found it to be an interesting read.
Let me know if you pick this one up.
