יום שבת, 21 ביולי 2012

Dan Simmons' Hyperion: Snarkish all The Way

It took me some 240 pages to realize that Dan Simmons' Hyperion is a Snark story with baby Rachel playing the beaver, but once that was in place everything is quite simple. Of course, there are many other references, Chaucer, and The Wizard of Oz ending being the most obvious, but it's Snarkish all the way.

I'll just put down some of the more obvious things.

A group sets out on a voyage to find a creature of annihilation.

Sol Weintraub dreams the Barrister's dream

There's a butcher on board.

One of the members of the group runs ahead, and there are signs of kidnap.

The first teller of his story faints and needs to be roused.

The dolphins' statement of missing the shark.

Who's who?

Bellman = Consul – in possession of the landing ship

Boots = Martin Silenus – wears boots

Barrister = Sol Weintraub, a professor of ethics, dreams the Barrister's dream

Banker = Het Masteen, goes ahead, kidnapped, flies, has everybody's time debt

Beaver = Baby Rachel

Baker = Father Lenar Hoyt, the first to tell his story. "The man they call 'Ho!'", "The man they called 'Hi!'". Father Dure is the dear uncle who tells him of the Snark. Like the Baker, he faints and needs to be roused

Butcher = Colonel Fedmahn Kassad, The Butcher of South Bresia

Broker = ?

Billiard-marker = ?

Brawne Lamia takes one spot, who takes the other? Probably Johnny. I'll put Lamia for Broker and Johnny for Billiard-marker for Keats' great skills.