The Boys from Brazil (Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature)
At a glance:
- Author: Ira Levin
- First Published: 1976
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Science fiction—cautionary
- Time of Work: 1974-1975
- Setting: Various cities around the world
- Genres: Long fiction, Science fiction
- Subjects: 1970’s, Assassins, hit men, or contract killers, Nazism or Nazis, Mad scientists, Clones or cloning
- Locales: Earth
The Plot
Ira Levin presents an intricate plot involving Dr. Josef Mengele (the “Angel of Death” from the Nazi concentration camps), who has set up a laboratory in Brazil. Yakov Liebermann is a Nazi hunter, based on the legendary Simon Wiesenthal. The two enemies finally confront each other in the United States, where the plot is resolved.
Only far into the book do readers learn the nature of Mengele’s plan, but there are intimations throughout. At a meeting of old Nazis, Mengele gives out the names and locations of ninety-four men who will have to be murdered...
[The entire page is 995 words long]
