By David Krogh
Readers of science fiction will be familiar with the concepts of alternative history, time travel and “what if” scenarios. SE Portland comedian and author DJ Hupp has written a book, The Patsy, that combines all of these into one story along with a special twist: dark comedy. Asked how he would classify his book, Hupp responded that it is “primarily Sci-fi, but also Alt History and Dark Comedy. There’s comedy on every page. Most of it is dark comedy, so it’s played straight. But I think it’s clear what is intended to be funny.”
In a nutshell, this is a JFK assassination conspiracy story which includes an alternative reality and time traveling. When asked where this story came from, Hupp said, “I’ve had this idea for so long, I don’t even remember where it came from. I didn’t write it until now because prior to AI, researching historical accuracies was daunting.” In this particular scenario, JFK was not assassinated and initiates a nuclear war with the Soviet Union causing world wide destruction. Scientists in an underground bunker discover a way to transmit a person’s consciousness back in time to another body. The powers that be determine the nuclear holocaust can be avoided and history changed if the consciousness of a government agent can be sent back in time to assassinate JFK.
To better understand what is involved with the story, one only needs to look at the title. A “patsy” according to the Oxford dictionary is “a person who is taken advantage of, especially by being cheated or blamed for something.” But is the patsy in the book Lee Harvey Oswald or the agent that is sent back in time to change the future? For the answer to this question, you will need to read the book.
The author has tried to follow history somewhat, so that the reader can better understand the action and scenes. But remember, this story is fiction, therefore actions and locations can change from known history. In addition, never having been to Dallas, TX, Hupp relied heavily upon online research. Also of note, Hupp tried to keep the scientific aspects fairly simple. “My intention was to include enough information for the science to make sense, but not so much that it would detract from the story.”
Hupp’s background is actually that of a comedian. However, he has done writing in terms of film scripts and comedy sketches. “Several years ago, I was performing sketch comedy with my troupe, Analysis Paralysis. We performed a couple of our sketches at Funhouse (in SE Portland) back then as part of a variety show. In the past few years, I’ve been adapting those sketches to short films. The most recent was It’s Zombie’s, which got into several Oregon film festivals and was well received. I also participate in the standup comedy contest Portland’s Funniest Person at Helium, every year. Videos of those sets are available at djhupp.com along with my short films, mashups and storytelling via The Moth.”
Besides comedy, Hupp is also active in film production and editing. According to his website, he “is the creative mind behind several innovative digital projects that blend humor with accessibility and social commentary.” In addition, his “work in film spans from collaboration with cult filmmakers to pioneering fan editing techniques that have influenced the broader film-making community.”
And like many new writers who have experienced difficulties in seeking publishing for their works, he formed his own imprint. “I created Symmetrical Press to publish my book. I followed my editor’s advice (who I met at the Belmont Street Fair). He suggested I create an ‘imprint’ (that’s what they call the publisher branding) to add legitimacy,” said Hupp. Basically, the imprint does not do any printing or distribution. That is done by a third party entity (in this case) called IngramSpark. “It’s the print on demand company that every bookstore orders from and uses to fulfill online orders,” states Hupp. “Potential readers can’t tell the difference from a traditionally published book.”
As to if he has another book in the works Hupp responded, “Yes. I am working on another novel that is a coming of age thriller set in the 80’s. Like if John Hughes wrote a version of Die Hard. I plan to publish it by the end of the year.”
And like so many of the JFK conspiracy stories, The Patsy will easily hold one’s attention and interest levels. But at 211 pages in length, the average reader will be surprised at how quickly they can get through this book (because it is hard to put down).
The Patsy is published by Symmetrical Press. At this time, the author doesn’t know when his book will be available at local booksellers. However, it is available to order at booksellers or via Amazon.com. Additional information is available at the author’s website.
Author DJ Hupp. Photo by Hupp.
