In Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, Alice is told by Tweedledee that she only exists as part of the Red King's dreams. "And if he left off dreaming about you," Tweedledee ponders, "where do you suppose you'd be?" As Carroll illustrates, the concept of self-referential realities is not new. Whether discussing the potential pitfalls of a book-based time-travelling plotline that ties a protagonist into the role of being their own grandparent, or focusing attention on the weltanschauung that supports reincarnation and clan-line prophecies, humans seem to have a need to write themselves into the story wherever they can, compartmentalizing fact, fiction, and speculation.

Continue reading We're all in the Red King's dream

We're all in the Red King's dream originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.