Against the Blog: 2-2
Against the Blogging is being slowed down by end-of-semester work. But rest assured, it will continue!
This section is pretty clearly meant as a Lovecraft pastiche. It's written as extracts from Fleetwood Vibe's journal.
As the Étienne heads north, the Chums of Chance accost them--only, in Fleetwood's telling, the Chums now appear to be adults. I think I know what's going on here: Remember Merle Rideout's theory that Morley and Morgan were the same person, split in two, sort of, by light beams? One existing in this reality, and one off somewhere ninety degrees away? And remember how Iceland spar is supposed to have that effect? And remember how this area is meant to be the Iceland spar motherload? I think I've made my point.
Anyway, the adult Chums invite them up in the Inconvenience, and warn them that it would be a very bad idea for them to continue their mission--that there's something dangerous ahead. On the viewscreen thingie, they are shown a...thing. A living thing or not? It's not clear. I'll just quote:
Though details were difficult to make out, the Figure appeared to recline on its side, an odalisque of the snows--though to what pleasures given posed a question far too dangerous--with as little agreement among us as to its "facial" features, some describing them as "Mongoloid," others as "serpent-like." Its eyes, for the most part, if eyes be what they were, remained open, its gaze as yet undirected--though we were bound in a common terror of that moment at which it might become aware of our interest and smoothly pivot its awful head to stare us full in the face. (140)
Foolishly, they decide, against the Chums' warning, to recover this...statue. Thing. While in this process, they encounter a native mystic, who gives them a cryptic warning about..."them." It is vague and ominous. One of them claims that people like this mystic exist outside of linear time. Like the wormhole prophets on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. That's my comparison, not Pynchon's.
Anyway, inevitably, the thing eventually escapes (driving those of the ship's crew who see it to gibbering madness, of course), and the city--possibly Washington DC, although I seriously can't tell--is in chaos, with people running around, terrified of invisible demons and whatnot.
A brief scene in the Explorer's Club--now I'm pretty sure we're in DC--where those present speculate that time itself has been disrupted, and god knows what's going to happen now...
This section is pretty clearly meant as a Lovecraft pastiche. It's written as extracts from Fleetwood Vibe's journal.
As the Étienne heads north, the Chums of Chance accost them--only, in Fleetwood's telling, the Chums now appear to be adults. I think I know what's going on here: Remember Merle Rideout's theory that Morley and Morgan were the same person, split in two, sort of, by light beams? One existing in this reality, and one off somewhere ninety degrees away? And remember how Iceland spar is supposed to have that effect? And remember how this area is meant to be the Iceland spar motherload? I think I've made my point.
Anyway, the adult Chums invite them up in the Inconvenience, and warn them that it would be a very bad idea for them to continue their mission--that there's something dangerous ahead. On the viewscreen thingie, they are shown a...thing. A living thing or not? It's not clear. I'll just quote:
Though details were difficult to make out, the Figure appeared to recline on its side, an odalisque of the snows--though to what pleasures given posed a question far too dangerous--with as little agreement among us as to its "facial" features, some describing them as "Mongoloid," others as "serpent-like." Its eyes, for the most part, if eyes be what they were, remained open, its gaze as yet undirected--though we were bound in a common terror of that moment at which it might become aware of our interest and smoothly pivot its awful head to stare us full in the face. (140)
Foolishly, they decide, against the Chums' warning, to recover this...statue. Thing. While in this process, they encounter a native mystic, who gives them a cryptic warning about..."them." It is vague and ominous. One of them claims that people like this mystic exist outside of linear time. Like the wormhole prophets on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. That's my comparison, not Pynchon's.
Anyway, inevitably, the thing eventually escapes (driving those of the ship's crew who see it to gibbering madness, of course), and the city--possibly Washington DC, although I seriously can't tell--is in chaos, with people running around, terrified of invisible demons and whatnot.
A brief scene in the Explorer's Club--now I'm pretty sure we're in DC--where those present speculate that time itself has been disrupted, and god knows what's going to happen now...
Labels: Against the Blog
posted by GeoX, one of the GeoX boys. at 3:12 PM
