I see two responses to this post: first an analysis from a theoretical perespective, and second from the notion of letting fiction loose onto the world.
So first: the theoretical perspective. You seem to be advocating a view of negative hermeneutics in the tradition of Paul Ricoeur, who argued a need for a form of exegesis based on a reduction of "the illusions and lies of consciousness". The hermeneutic tradition, of course, is to allocate special meaning to texts based on the temporal placement of a reading. Certainly Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde had special meaning to the era in which it was released, and subsequent analyses of the historical Jack the Ripper have provided further basis for 'placement' of Stevenson's tale. But Stevenson is also merely capitalising on the horror of his own period to explore the very old tale of Faustus/Prometheus. Education, the soul and the urge to expose the 'truths' and ugliness of the 'real world' are the age-old and intrinsically interlinked subjects which have again and again been intertwined
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I'm not sure if a self-aware fictional universe is really likely to form, considering that fiction that permanently breaks the "4th wall" tends to be pretty uninteresting. The closest thing I have run across was in a Guardians of Flame-style RPG. In GoF (haven't read it, yet), a bunch of Gamers get their fondest wish - the RPG they're playing in is actually going to end up dumping them in a fantasy world with new bodies to match. It is, of course, not as easy as it looks
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Interesting...librarygorillaDecember 13 2003, 23:49:26 UTC
It's all fiction. All of it. The worlds we contruct and call real, ourselves, the whole deal. Ever since the first cro mag had enough time between dodging sabretoothes and raping his women to wonder
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Re: Interesting...mycroftxxxDecember 14 2003, 03:25:52 UTC
Maybe you are being pounded with billions of times more information than we can deal with, but I'm kinda bored to tell the truth. As far as I've been able to work out, people are eventually able to deal with anything non-lethal in damn near any amount. So far, I'm having no trouble staying ahead of the curve in the early 21st century. I'm much more worried about things slowing down, and the tolerance I've built for infodensity turning into withdrawl.
So, Sir Richards, what exactly happens when you can't do any more drugs because there aren't any moe to do?
Ye gods. I've been reading you for a while because you write fascinating essays and little stories. I only just now realized that you write Transmetropolitan. Gaah. I have to wander off and marvel at my sheer unobservance.
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So first: the theoretical perspective. You seem to be advocating a view of negative hermeneutics in the tradition of Paul Ricoeur, who argued a need for a form of exegesis based on a reduction of "the illusions and lies of consciousness". The hermeneutic tradition, of course, is to allocate special meaning to texts based on the temporal placement of a reading. Certainly Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde had special meaning to the era in which it was released, and subsequent analyses of the historical Jack the Ripper have provided further basis for 'placement' of Stevenson's tale. But Stevenson is also merely capitalising on the horror of his own period to explore the very old tale of Faustus/Prometheus. Education, the soul and the urge to expose the 'truths' and ugliness of the 'real world' are the age-old and intrinsically interlinked subjects which have again and again been intertwined ( ... )
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So, Sir Richards, what exactly happens when you can't do any more drugs because there aren't any moe to do?
You hurt mate, you hurt.
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Of course, the argument could be that if you torture something long enough it will eventually go insane to shut out the pain.
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Since Demolition Man has already predicted his rise to Presidency.
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