Title: Blitzenstein

Author: Stephen Volk

Date of First Publication: 2000

Place of Publication: Hideous Progeny

Type: Short Story

Characters: No Character

Themes: ANDROID; POSTHUMAN; RACE/POLITICS

Critical Summary: During an ongoing war with the Germans, a group of children gather together amongst the debris. At the sight of the dead bodies and strewn limbs, they all decide to build their own “Frankenstein.” They spend time building a man from different limbs they gather from dead corpses, and even animal parts which they manage to find. Nearly finished, they all become attached to this corpse they’ve worked on, joyfully claiming it to be theirs. One night during a thunderstorm, a flash of lightning strikes down and hits the small allotment where they’ve been hiding their creation. When they arrive the next day, they find that their “human” is gone. Fast-forward to their later years, each of the children has moved on with their lives and the war is no longer spoken of.

Blitzenstein ties in the mad scientist theme in which each of the children have their reasons for wanting to create their monster. While one is doing it simply because he can, others build him with a dream of it being a sort of father figure to them during the war. Much like Victor himself, they become consumed with their work and feel as though it gives them purpose. The Posthuman theme is loosely seen in the aftermath of their creations. The children all grow up and move on from the troubles of war and their coping methods for it. While the majority have fulfilled some other person, the narrator seems to have become fascinated with the way humans fear death. He speaks of himself as if he was the monster, and the way his experiences during the war made him feel alive.

Administrative Notes: Brenda Paramo, CSUF; Cynthia Alvarado (editing)