I think this is some of your best, Ian. I’m perpetually amazed at your range. And I think this one will hit home for a lot of us creative types, struggling to make our way in a world of efficiency and profit margin.
High praise, thank you, Eric! While many of my stories have a certain thesis, one definitely felt more raw, more of an exploration of a particular emotion.
GEEZ. Okay. There's so much I want to say about this story, but as usual, I'll restrict my comment to a single point of analysis: the clubbed foot.
Don't get me wrong, every part of your analogy works so well. Maroczy's trade being destroyed, despite the transcendental qualities that make it so vital to the human experience—his emotional relationship with his art (I could write a whole essay about the book alone)—the constant pressure of commodification—the creature as an off-kilter, plastic-grinned mimic that can only consume—you did an incredible job balancing symbol and story.
But man...the CLUBBED FOOT!
Because the clubbed foot is what makes Maroczy a liability. It's what makes him unable to labor and contribute to the community in any way deemed "acceptable." It's a great representation of the plight of all us creatives: the physical inability to "move on" from our work, even if we WANTED to metaphorically labor in the fields. (And of course, Maroczy's foot also has the benefit of creating additional conflict/suspense during the chase scenes!) Through the lens of the AI analogy, it's an awesome vehicle.
So when the creature replaces Maroczy, but conspicuously does NOT have the clubbed foot...on first glance, it ties into the overall metaphor in the obvious way: The creature is now accepted as an "improved" version of Maroczy, despite being a shallow facsimile of the real thing, specifically because it can perform physical labor more efficiently. And then you can take it a step further if you want, and point out that Maroczy's foot was a defining character trait (one that the other monk had always known him to have). So the creature lacking that particular characteristic is not only uncanny, but it also turns the impersonation into a symbolic removal of individualism. Very cool.
But I STILL couldn't stop thinking about the clubbed foot! I had no idea why I'd latched onto it so tightly—why the foot of all things made my heart ache. Until finally, it hit me that Maroczy's foot is what gives his journey meaning.
Because, yeah. He struggles. He hurts. He's barely able to run away from dogs and jump over fences and escape spooky creatures.
But that SAME foot carried him down an unforgiving road towards hope of a village. And took him across frozen ground to a derelict chapel so he could sing his prayers. And allowed him to go door-to-door searching for a friendly face, and visit a dying hermit, and at the end, his "feet moved beneath him" in one last effort to save his book. At every turn, he actively pushed through pain, fighting against his own body, in order to fulfill his calling. And that kind of struggle—that kind of PURPOSE—turns every simple gesture into a sort of sacrament.
Man. THAT'S what it means to be human.
So of course the creature didn't have it.
(Sorry for the long comment, and for stating things that you, as the author, already know. I just really care about this story. Thanks for sharing!)
This is fantastic. As with so many literary symbols the clubbed foot began as an easy plot device but grew as, like you, I started to uncover its implications.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and found such meaning. Thank you as always for reading. You’re the type whom I write for.
This is very good. It hits same chord as the existential horror I feel when thinking of creative work in the modern world. It has similar tones as Candela Obscura: Needle and Thread, if you’ve ever watched that, or the last season of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, or Blacktongue Thief, if you’ve read that. Excellent stories. All this to say, I’d read a whole novel of this.
Blacktongue Thief is a very good book. Needle & Thread is a dnd actual play (show on YouTube). If you ever do watch/read either (and are not simply being polite), I would be curious to hear your thoughts. Either way, I enjoyed this. 👍🏽
Ian, you know I’m a sucker for monks. You never fail to deliver, my friend. The tension you were able to keep throughout the entire story was palpable. I seriously felt the hairs on my own neck stand at multiple points throughout the story. Thank you for such a chilling tale! A welcome escape from the summer heat.
I think this is some of your best, Ian. I’m perpetually amazed at your range. And I think this one will hit home for a lot of us creative types, struggling to make our way in a world of efficiency and profit margin.
High praise, thank you, Eric! While many of my stories have a certain thesis, one definitely felt more raw, more of an exploration of a particular emotion.
GEEZ. Okay. There's so much I want to say about this story, but as usual, I'll restrict my comment to a single point of analysis: the clubbed foot.
Don't get me wrong, every part of your analogy works so well. Maroczy's trade being destroyed, despite the transcendental qualities that make it so vital to the human experience—his emotional relationship with his art (I could write a whole essay about the book alone)—the constant pressure of commodification—the creature as an off-kilter, plastic-grinned mimic that can only consume—you did an incredible job balancing symbol and story.
But man...the CLUBBED FOOT!
Because the clubbed foot is what makes Maroczy a liability. It's what makes him unable to labor and contribute to the community in any way deemed "acceptable." It's a great representation of the plight of all us creatives: the physical inability to "move on" from our work, even if we WANTED to metaphorically labor in the fields. (And of course, Maroczy's foot also has the benefit of creating additional conflict/suspense during the chase scenes!) Through the lens of the AI analogy, it's an awesome vehicle.
So when the creature replaces Maroczy, but conspicuously does NOT have the clubbed foot...on first glance, it ties into the overall metaphor in the obvious way: The creature is now accepted as an "improved" version of Maroczy, despite being a shallow facsimile of the real thing, specifically because it can perform physical labor more efficiently. And then you can take it a step further if you want, and point out that Maroczy's foot was a defining character trait (one that the other monk had always known him to have). So the creature lacking that particular characteristic is not only uncanny, but it also turns the impersonation into a symbolic removal of individualism. Very cool.
But I STILL couldn't stop thinking about the clubbed foot! I had no idea why I'd latched onto it so tightly—why the foot of all things made my heart ache. Until finally, it hit me that Maroczy's foot is what gives his journey meaning.
Because, yeah. He struggles. He hurts. He's barely able to run away from dogs and jump over fences and escape spooky creatures.
But that SAME foot carried him down an unforgiving road towards hope of a village. And took him across frozen ground to a derelict chapel so he could sing his prayers. And allowed him to go door-to-door searching for a friendly face, and visit a dying hermit, and at the end, his "feet moved beneath him" in one last effort to save his book. At every turn, he actively pushed through pain, fighting against his own body, in order to fulfill his calling. And that kind of struggle—that kind of PURPOSE—turns every simple gesture into a sort of sacrament.
Man. THAT'S what it means to be human.
So of course the creature didn't have it.
(Sorry for the long comment, and for stating things that you, as the author, already know. I just really care about this story. Thanks for sharing!)
This is fantastic. As with so many literary symbols the clubbed foot began as an easy plot device but grew as, like you, I started to uncover its implications.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and found such meaning. Thank you as always for reading. You’re the type whom I write for.
I never thought about it as an allegory for AI.
Powerful stuff. Easily one of the strongest fantasy pieces I've come across on Substack.
I'll be sure to read more of your work in future.
Thank you so much, Maximilian! So glad you enjoyed it! I’ve admired your work as well for some time!
This is very good. It hits same chord as the existential horror I feel when thinking of creative work in the modern world. It has similar tones as Candela Obscura: Needle and Thread, if you’ve ever watched that, or the last season of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, or Blacktongue Thief, if you’ve read that. Excellent stories. All this to say, I’d read a whole novel of this.
Thank you so much, Kate! The only one of those I’m familiar with is FMA, but that alone is very high praise! I’ll add the others to my list!
Blacktongue Thief is a very good book. Needle & Thread is a dnd actual play (show on YouTube). If you ever do watch/read either (and are not simply being polite), I would be curious to hear your thoughts. Either way, I enjoyed this. 👍🏽
Cool! I have to dnd group I’m currently connected with, but I’ll remember Blacktongue Thief!
Ian, you know I’m a sucker for monks. You never fail to deliver, my friend. The tension you were able to keep throughout the entire story was palpable. I seriously felt the hairs on my own neck stand at multiple points throughout the story. Thank you for such a chilling tale! A welcome escape from the summer heat.
Glad you liked it, Brannley! Super happy the tension held throughout as I know some of my stories can be a little "slow burn."
Hot Damn!
Haha thanks Prince of Permsia!
“Crethensdays here are wetter in the autumn.”
My first thought was, "Oh no! He turned into an NPC."
Great story! Very disturbing.
Thanks, Kailani! An NPC is not far off from what I was going for, so I’m glad that beat landed!