h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

continued from the-day-before-yesterday's journal : F8387085?thread=8305989
and yesterday's journal : F8387085?thread=8306024


Previously in SF's NaJoPoMo...

21st April 2002.
The far-right candidate beats the Socialist candidate.
The second round of the presidential election will be between Chirac and Le Pen, who is, shall we say, rather hostile to quite a lot of people.


Le Pen is famous, among other things, for his comment on the gas chambers being "a historical detail",
and when a man confronted him saying someone in his family had been sent to a concentration camp, he answered with a smile "oh, he came back, did he? Well, it can't have been that bad, then!".


So there are demonstrations.

And people start circulating a little book.
The reason should become obvious when I've presented it.



It was first published in 1998.
It is called "Matin Brun" (and published in English in 2003 under the title "Brown Morning", which is the litteral translation, but "mâtin" is also a word for a big dog).
The author is French, his name is Franck Pavloff.
... And yes, it does mention dogs.

The story is only 10 pages long, but it carries so much meaning.


The hero is an average man, who likes to have a coffee and play cards with his best friend.
The new regime, the Brown State, has passed a law that makes it illegal to own a cat that isn't brown.
White cats, black cats, multicoloured cats: forbidden.
That's because there are too many cats, you see, and the scientific studies have proven that the brown ones are better : healthier, cuddlier, you name it.
... So why not obey? It is the law after all.

Then, the law is extended to dogs.
The same scientists back it up.
... So why not obey? It is the law, after all.

Where does it end, though?
How long do you let the regime take away your rights, just because "hey, it's not that big a deal if you can't choose, and they know best, anyway".


This tiny little book is a real gem, full of symbolism and *beautifully* written.

Deb

This reminds me of Martin Niemoller's famous poem
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Martin_Niem%C3%B6ller

I was going to submit a story I had heard but first I read your link MVP. Which was the story I was going to submit.

Nuff said.

Yes, the basic idea is the same.

[Amy P]