Beethoven Was an Alien Spy/Playing With

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Basic Trope: The in-universe version of a Real Life historical figure is revealed to be involved in the speculative elements of the setting.

  • Straight: Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the greatest composers of all time, was really an alien spy for the planet Tropetron.
  • Exaggerated:
    • Along with nearly every other German/Austrian composer active at around the same time.
    • Or: Julius Beethoven Da Vinci
    • Or, every Real Life historical figure has something to do with something weird. John Lennon was a vampire hunter, Isaac Newton was switched with a copy by aliens, etc.
  • Justified: Tropetronians have been observing human history for quite some time, and have access to technology and mental abilities far beyond humans; it is natural that a few of them would stick out.
  • Inverted:
    • Humans land on Tropetron and infiltrate its society to observe them. Some famous figures in Tropetronian history are humans in disguise.
    • Everyone except Beethoven was an alien spy.
  • Subverted: Evidence is revealed indicating that Beethoven was a spy for Tropetron but it turns out to be nothing more than stories and rumors to which there is nothing.
  • Double Subverted:
    • Evidence is revealed indicating that Beethoven was a spy for Tropetron. It is later discovered that this evidence was fabricated...by a cabal of vampires who invented the idea of "Tropetronian observers" to cover up their own existence. Beethoven was one of these vampires.
    • "Don't be ridiculous, Beethoven wasn't an alien! What a stupid idea. Now Chopin, on the other hand..."
  • Parodied: If you play the "Ode to Joy" backwards, you can hear the chorus chanting "I am from Tropetron!"
  • Deconstructed: The Illuminati have been manipulating history and the media to promote their former members' fame and profile, and thus make people believe that history is decided by a small number of great individuals. They believe this will prevent uprisings and maintain their position as a secretive oligarchy. In reality, there wasn't much special about Beethoven - he's only famous because he was part of The Masquerade.
  • Reconstructed: Beethoven was a normal human being which shared a body with a Tropetronian in return for his musical skill, making him appear perfectly human from birth to death.
  • Zig Zagged: Evidence prooves that Beethoven was a Tropetronian... and then lost historical records are discovered, showing that the setting is Tropetron, not Earth. ...And then it turns out Beethoven was really from Earth all along.
  • Averted: Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the greatest composers who ever lived, was an exceptional human being, no more, no less.
  • Enforced: The author is a fan of classical music and wants to find a way to work his favorite composer into the story, even if it is just a throw away reference.
  • Lampshaded: "Aliens have been living on Earth for hundreds of years? Have they done anything famous?"
  • Invoked: Tropetronian agents are under orders to attempt to influence human culture as much as they possibly can.
  • Defied: Tropetronian agents are under strictly enforced standing orders not to directly intervene in human affairs or to do anything that draws attention to themselves.
  • Discussed: "Beethoven? A spy? Only spacemen from Venus would be crazy enough to even consider using a deaf composer as a spy!"
  • Conversed: "If the aliens needed a competent spy, why'd they choose Beethoven?"

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