''Atomik Aztex'' is a 2005 speculative fiction

alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...

novel by Sesshu Foster. The novel combines elements of

speculative fiction Speculative fiction is an umbrella term, umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from Realism (arts), realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or ...

postcolonial literature Postcolonial literature is the literature by people from formerly colonized countries, originating from all continents except Antarctica. Postcolonial literature often addresses the problems and consequences of the colonization and subsequent deco ...

, and

metafiction Metafiction is a form of fiction that emphasizes its own narrative structure in a way that inherently reminds the audience that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. Metafiction is self-conscious about language, literary form, and story ...

. The narrative deals with interconnected alternate timelines, one of which is set in a reality where the

Aztec Empire The Aztec Empire, also known as the Triple Alliance (, Help:IPA/Nahuatl, �jéːʃkaːn̥ t͡ɬaʔtoːˈlóːjaːn̥ or the Tenochca Empire, was an alliance of three Nahuas, Nahua altepetl, city-states: , , and . These three city-states rul ...

defeated the Spanish and then conquered Europe.

Plot summary

Zenzontli is an Aztec warrior from the timeline in which the Aztecs conquered Europe, and rule over a North American empire. In that universe, he trades in European slaves who are ritually sacrificed. At one point, Zenzontli and other warriors are sent to an alternate universe, where they have to defeat the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

at the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad ; see . rus, links=on, Сталинградская битва, r=Stalingradskaya bitva, p=stəlʲɪnˈɡratskəjə ˈbʲitvə. (17 July 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, ...

in a timeline where the Europeans conquered the Aztecs. Meanwhile, Zenzontli and others experience visions of our universe, where the Spanish subjugated the indigenous peoples of the Americas. In this universe, they are illegal Mexican immigrants who work in a meatpacking plant. Zenzontli finds his job as a slaughterer to be similar to his role as a sacrificer in his own universe. Other versions of Zenzontli are show to occur across other timelines, all interlinked.

Structure and themes

The novel switches between multiple timelines in a setting where many universes exist in an "ever expanding omniverse". The narrative takes a

postcolonial Postcolonialism (also post-colonial theory) is the critical academic study of the cultural, political and economic consequences of colonialism and imperialism, focusing on the impact of human control and extractivism, exploitation of colonized pe ...

approach to time, positing a post-quantum cosmology in which time is circular. Foster describes the function of cyclical time in these universes as "

78 rpm A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The g ...

realities". This is inspired by the Aztec concept of cyclical time. It is a work of historiographic

. The novel is written in a

postmodern Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting the wo ...

style, with alternative spellings and slang. The various timelines are expressed in a disjointed manner, reflecting both the mental state of Zenzontli and the simultaneous nature of events across universes. Its narrative explores contemporary issues of economic and racial disparities in modern urban communities. The prominence of human sacrifice and other forms of institutionalized violence in the Aztec universe is used to reflect and criticize the violence which exists in our society. The secondary timeline of the novel, which takes place in modern California, is shown to be steeped in inequality and violence. A major theme of the novel is civilization, and the inhumanity of colonization and events like the Spanish conquest of the New World and the Holocaust.

Reception

The book received praise for its handling of alternate realities but its confusing and postmodern writing style was criticized by some.

References

{{Reflist American alternate history novels Metafictional novels Works set in the Aztec Empire Postcolonial novels Fiction about human sacrifice 2005 American novels