bddbab25 No.3712887[Reply][Last 50 Posts]
/lit/ 2.0
Recommend literature, discuss literature, quotes from wherever. Philosophy. What do you consider recommended reading? For furries in particular? What are you reading now or the last thing you read? (besides tms shitposts)
Finished binge reading all the released Pack Street chapters the other day:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/12141837/chapters/27547896According to TV Tropes, "In 2023, Weaver announced Pack Street to be going on hiatus, possibly indefinitely, as a result of real life troubles relating to the people he wrote the story with."
That's a shame, because Pack Street is very compelling storytelling. TV Tropes also gives a good description:
>You know Zootopia? A Shining City of interspecies cooperation in a World of Funny Animals, where "anyone can be anything"? Well, there's a Wrong Side of the Tracks there, too, and if you didn't already know there were predator/prey tensions, that's where you'll find out.Pack Street is in the same world as Zootopia; but the author created his own characters, and the story centers around them. The protagonist is a sheep, Remmy Cormo. Here's an excerpt of him at the local burger joint that uses bug meat, accompanied by his mates Ozzy the hyena and Wolter and Anneke the aardwolves:
Post too long. Click here to view the full text. 65154350 No.3764481
>>3753972Interesting. Been doing the left-edge deletion thing without knowing what it's called. I knew it wasn't proper English, but it's more efficient.
>>3764298Nice cat poem.
>>3764478Didn't know this was a thing…
65154350 No.3765677
Being Visited
One morning not long ago I woke up with the memory of my father richly pulsating inside my cranium. For a shining moment my dreaming mind seemed to have brought him back to life in the most vivid fashion, even though “he” had had to float in the rarefied medium of my brain’s stage. It felt, nonetheless, like he was really back again for a short while, and then, sadly, all at once he just went poof. How is this bittersweet kind of experience, so familiar to every adult human being, to be understood? What degree of reality do these software beings that inhabit us have? Why did I put “he” in quotation marks, a few lines up? Why the caution, why
the hedging?
What is really going on when you dream or think more than fleetingly about someone you love (whether that person died many years ago or is right now on the other end of a phone conversation with you)? In the terminology of this book, there is no ambiguity about what is going on. The symbol for that person has been activated inside your skull, lurched out of dormancy, as surely as if it had an icon that someone had double-clicked. And the moment this happens, much as with a game that has opened up on your screen, your mind starts acting differently from how it acts in a “normal” context. You have allowed yourself to be invaded by an “alien universal being”, and to some extent the alien takes charge inside your skull, starts pushing things around in its own fashion, making words, ideas, memories, and associations bubble up inside your brain that ordinarily would not do so. The activation of the symbol for the loved person swivels into action whole sets of coordinated tendencies that represent that person’s cherished style, their idiosyncratic way of being embedded in the world and looking out at it. As a consequence, during this visitation of your cranium, you will surprise yourself by coming out with different jokes from those you would normally make, seeing things in a different emotional light, making different value judgments, and so forth.
[cont.]
65154350 No.3765678
[cont.]
But the crux of the matter for us right now is the following question: Is your symbol for another person actually an “I”? Can that symbol have inner experiences? Or is it as unalive as is your symbol for a stick or a stone or a playground swing? I chose the example of a playground swing for a reason. The moment I suggest it to you, no matter what playground you have located it in, no matter what you imagine its seat to be made of, no matter how high you imagine the bar it is dangling from, you can see it swinging back and forth, wiggling slightly in that funny way that swings wiggle, losing energy unless pushed, and you can also hear its softly clinking chains. Though no one would call the swing itself alive, there is no doubt that its mental proxy is dancing in the seething substrate of your brain. After all, that is what a brain is made for — to be a stage for the dance of active symbols.
If you seriously believe, as I do and have been asserting for most of this book, that concepts are active symbols in a brain, and if furthermore you seriously believe that people, no less than objects, are represented by symbols in the brain (in other words, that each person that one knows is internally mirrored by a concept, albeit a very complicated one, in one’s brain), and if lastly you seriously believe that a self is also a concept, just an even more complicated one (namely, an “I”, a “personal gemma”, a rock-solid “marble”), then it is a necessary and unavoidable consequence of this set of beliefs that your brain is inhabited to varying extents by other I’s, other souls, the extent of each one depending on the degree to which you faithfully represent, and resonate with, the individual in question. I include the proviso “and resonate with” because one can’t just slip into any old soul, no more than one can slip into any old piece of clothing; some souls and some suits simply “fit” better than others do.
[Excerpt from I am a Strange Loop by Douglas Hofstadter.]
8832ba96 No.3765679
>>3755089A Mouse Reading “Fifty Whiskers of Cheese”
Introduction
Once upon a time in a cozy little burrow beneath an old oak tree, there lived a curious mouse named Mortimer. Mortimer was not just any ordinary mouse; he had an insatiable love for reading. His favorite pastime was to explore the world of books, and one day, he stumbled upon a peculiar title: “Fifty Whiskers of Cheese.” Intrigued by the name, Mortimer decided it was time to dive into this new adventure.
The Discovery
As Mortimer opened the book, he was greeted by vibrant illustrations of various cheeses from around the world. Each page turned revealed a new type of cheese, accompanied by delightful stories about its origins and unique characteristics. There were creamy Brie from France, sharp Cheddar from England, and even exotic varieties like Roquefort and Gouda. The book promised not only to educate but also to entertain with whimsical tales about each cheese’s journey from farm to table.
The Journey Begins
Mortimer found himself whisked away on a journey through the pages. He imagined himself as a brave explorer traveling through lush green fields where cows grazed peacefully, producing milk for the finest cheeses. With every story he read, he could almost taste the flavors described—rich and nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano or tangy blue cheese that crumbled perfectly over salads.
As he read about the different cheesemakers who crafted these delicious treats, Mortimer learned about their dedication and passion. He admired how they used traditional methods passed down through generations to create their masterpieces. Inspired by their stories, Mortimer began to dream of becoming a cheese connoisseur himself.
8832ba96 No.3765680
A Culinary Challenge
One day while reading about a famous cheese festival in his favorite book, Mortimer felt a spark of inspiration. The festival featured competitions for the best cheese dishes made by local chefs. Determined to participate, Mortimer decided he would create his own special dish using his newfound knowledge from “Fifty Whiskers of Cheese.”
He gathered ingredients from his surroundings: fresh herbs from the garden above ground and nuts that fell from nearby trees. With great care and creativity, Mortimer concocted a delightful cheese platter featuring tiny morsels of various cheeses paired with fruits and nuts—a true homage to what he had learned.
The Festival Day
On the day of the festival, Mortimer nervously set up his booth among other talented chefs. As mice gathered around to sample his creation, they were enchanted by the flavors and presentation. The combination of textures and tastes delighted everyone who tried it.
To his surprise, Mortimer won first prize! The judges praised him for his creativity and understanding of cheese pairings. Overjoyed with his success, he realized that reading “Fifty Whiskers of Cheese” had not only expanded his knowledge but also ignited his passion for culinary arts.
Conclusion
From that day forward, Mortimer continued to read voraciously about food and cooking while experimenting with different recipes inspired by what he learned in books like “Fifty Whiskers of Cheese.” His love for literature transformed into a love for gastronomy as he shared his creations with friends in their cozy little burrow under the oak tree.
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