Books which Inspired Fallen London

Fallen London
1

Well, I trust (read: really, really hope) that I’m not in violation of any code by mentioning this, but in my attempts to wrestle with a certain portion of Fallen London (only alas, to find myself stumped at the very end of the damnable thing), I happened upon the works of Jorge Luis Borges and Italo Calvino–two authors whom I should have never have hoped to have heard of in my life otherwise, and two authors whose works I have instantly found myself greatly enamored with.

Considering this, the question I find myself struck with now is if there are any other authors or works which have had (or may likely have had) a notable influence upon the writing in this game. Certainly I’m seeing the odd reflection of G.K. Chesterton and H.P. Lovecraft here and there, but I’ve the feeling that there are a great many more authors involved who’s works I’ve never yet heard of, yet would most likely greatly enjoy reading.

Might there be any kind souls out there who would be able to reccomend any books meeting this criteria?

2

While I’m not well read enough to answer your question directly, I can point you in the direction of relevant links. I think Alexis mentioned inspirations that contributed to FL (Jack Vance being one who gets a memorial card in game). There’s also a thread on the forum about Neathy books.
As for the piece of story you were wrangling, though, I think I could send you some pointers.

Edit: This may be of interest:

edited by dismallyOriented on 9/19/2014

3

[quote=dismallyOriented]While I’m not well read enough to answer your question directly, I can point you in the direction of relevant links. I think Alexis mentioned inspirations that contributed to FL (Jack Vance being one who gets a memorial card in game). There’s also a thread on the forum about Neathy books.
As for the piece of story you were wrangling, though, I think I could send you some pointers.

Edit: This may be of interest:

edited by dismallyOriented on 9/19/2014[/quote]

Ooh. There’s a thing. A thing I bookmarked. Now … where was it?

4

I don’t know how I hadn’t read A Night in the Lonesome October before yesterday. Zelazny is my favorite, and it was excellent.

There was a lot of Fallen London in it. Or more accurately, the reverse, which I approve of. Small wonder I like this game.

5

I went looking for some Jack Vance, having been the beneficiary of many picturesque tales.

Here’s one that students of the Correspondence may find familiar.

6

Not much like the correspondence, but still a wonderful little story. Thank you for showing me it.

7

&quotThe situation of the poet as the poem’s protagonist (and the protagonist of this poem must be a poet) at the close of the first three stanzas is that he confronts a choice. He can either surrender himself to the wind as an object for it to experience, as the leaf, cloud, and wave are objects for it, or else he can attempt to call upon the wind to take up a stand in relation to him, to enter into him, and he into the wind. This last has nothing to do with any kind of mystical union, nor is there any vagueness about it as an aspiration. The poet here is confronted by the categories of religious choice: the way of despair, which is a submission to the natural process, a dwindling of the myth down to object status, a denial of poetry; or another way (which on the natural level is also, of course, a way of despair, but which at least aspires towards hope), a renewal of myth, an affirmation of images and image-making power, a refusal to live with It alone, in relation to the wind and whatever is behind the wind.&quot

Harold Bloom on Shelley’s &quotOde to the West Wind&quot. Aside from sounding very much like the Stormy-Eyed quality, I’ve been reminded that I ought to go read more Shelley (the quote showed up in a book on &quotWuthering Heights&quot, funnily enough.)
edited by Teaspoon on 8/27/2016

8

Well isn’t this interesting.