Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Why Douglas Adams Is One of My Favorite Writers

Dirk: "... In the past, people would stare into the fire for hours when they wanted to think. Or stare at the sea.The endless dancing shapes and patterns would reach far deeper into our minds than we could manage by reason and logic. You see, logic can only proceed from the premises and assumptions we already make, so we just drive round and round in little circles like little clockwork cars.We need dancing shapes to lift us and carry us, but they're harder to find these days. You can't stare into a radiator. You can't stare into the sea. Well, you can, but it's covered with plastic bottles and used condoms, so you just sit there getting cross.All we have to stare into is the white noise. The stuff we sometimes call information, but which is really just a bubble rising in the air."

Kate: "But without logic..."

Dirk: "Logic comes afterwards. It's how we retrace our steps. It's being wise after the event. Before the event you have to be very silly."

-The Salmon of Doubt (by Douglas Adams, of course)

This from a detective Dirk Gently who's trying to explain to his friend how immersing himself into a random sequence of events solves one of his cases, not to mention doing it as objectively as he can.

Now that is what I call writing.

Too bad Mr. Adams died before he was able to finish this book.

Now that is what I call tragedy.

Oh well, only ten more days until Towel Day comes around.

posted by Ocnarf @ 5:33 PM   3 have spoken

The Keeper

Franco Regalado

"Scriptito ergo sum."

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