That is the number of days in between London’s fall and when Lewis Carroll told a whimsical story on a river trip. That was the birth of Alice in Wonderland. Was that time enough for the ripples to ruin that tale? Apparently not. In an old discussion, 427 days old, Tanah-Chook says that there’s a quote from Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There somewhere. That was published in 1871, 10 years after London fell. We can assume that Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was also published. But, where is he, now? The Christ Church in Oxford, as he did in real life? Will he, knowing death is close, come down the funicular on the Travertine Spiral, and reside in Fallen London, most likely at the University? A sidebar snippet states that disease and old age can kill you just as well as being hacked to pieces, but that’s probably untrue. At least, in certain cases.
You know, he was originally going to call it “Alice’s Adventures Underground.”
I feel this was almost undoubtedly renamed “Alice’s Adventures in the Neath” in Fallen London, probably still regarded as an adorable children’s story.
However, Charles Dodson himself was a rather shy and retiring teacher and I somehow doubt that even death would have urged him to enter the Neath.
… is Oxford underground though? I’d guess not. I wonder if the Tratior Empress still enjoys his work.
No.
It’s Fallen London. Fallen Oxford would be rubbish.
(I have strong feelings in the ongoing Oxbridge rivalry.)
Specifically, it’s on the plans of the Irrepressible, the Pianolist’s zubmarine. Which makes me wonder if Carroll is the Pianolist, or one of his former comrades of the Set.
Link, please?
You can see the plans in this Sunless Sea Kickstarter update. "To guard against the bites of sharks. An invention of my own."
Very, very slightly abridged from the original, which is as follows. "To guard against the bites of sharks," the Knight replied. "It’s an invention of my own."
Perhaps it’s been quoted from memory? Perhaps the line is slightly different in the Neathy version? Perhaps it’s just to make it flow better? It’s certainly a deliberate quote, since the other descriptions have no quotations round them. Hmm.
edited by Teaspoon on 6/26/2017