S is for what now? Somtow Papinian Sucharitkul (who sometimes uses the pen name S. P. Somtow) is a science fiction author, a composer of classical music, and an orchestra conductor. I first encountered him in the pages of Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, and in last year's A-Z challenge I mentioned my fascination with his alternate-history take on how the ancient Romans may have attempted to conquer the New World.My absolute favorite book of his is 1983's collection Fire from the Wine Dark Sea which, in addition to one of the Roman stories, contains poetry, two biographical interviews, and one piece of sheet music -- in addition to a host of wildly creative short stories that span the topics of roller coasters, creepy twins, dancing on the surface of a star, and an alien invasion that results in something similar to the movie Groundhog Day (but with two alternate endings).
Somtow also followed in Tolkien's (and Barker's!) footsteps and created some beautiful new languages for his fictions. I couldn't find good online examples of the language (and the flowing, Tengwar-like alphabet) from his Inquest novels. Even more creative, though, was his graphical attempt to render the telepathic communications of whales. From his novel Starship and Haiku comes the following passage, which I've attempted to reconstruct as exactly as possible with Powerpoint...
"And he shouted out another word in the true speech of the whales, words that for humans can only be suggested as clumsy pictographs, a word of melding, trying to break them free of their cages---
Even though I know virtually nothing of his novels from roughly 1990 to present (which include vampires, other historical periods, and more contemporary/horror themes) and even less about his more recent domination of the Thai classical music scene (he serves as the artistic director of the Bangkok Opera and the Siam Philharmonic Orchestra), I can say without reservation that I just love this guy's creative mind and heart.
2015 update: More on Somtow's flowing Inquest alphabet here!
' "And he shouted out another word in the true speech of the whales, words that for humans can only be suggested as clumsy pictographs, a word of melding, trying to break them free of their cages---
ReplyDeleteEnd quote. :-)'
This attempt in the center, which (haha) didn't translate when I copied it to respond, reminds me of fractals. Not the kind that scare me. The concept. The shoving blindly at the edges and coming out with a weirdness for which we have no words.
Looove the last pic.
That picture came from his blog, which unfortunately he's not posted to in a while.
DeleteWhich kind of fractals are the scary kind?
Well, they all are, actually. But I wasn't scared by what you reproduced, here.
DeleteI think fractals emerge from pushing at the boundaries of the identity that is bound by the brain. Mind is scary to the brain. Fractals are the brain trying to cope with Mind. Mathematics is of the brain. The names of angels we are ill-equipped to comprehend are of the Mind.
"I am a strange loop."
DeleteLast pic is definitely awesome. Starship and Haiku is also a wonderful title.
ReplyDeleteIt was a pretty decent novel, too. Lots of wild ideas. Maybe a bit overboard on the idea that Japanese culture is so utterly unique on the world stage, though.
DeleteI may need to check it out!
DeleteFair warning: it might set you back a bit. I was surprised how much the used bookstore charged me for an otherwise unremarkable-looking little paperback, but then I learned it had an unusually small print run.
DeleteWhat a fascinating man. I didn't know all of this about him. Alt history is fun.
ReplyDeleteSomtow's "Aquila" trilogy was extremely fun... it definitely didn't take itself too seriously.
DeleteYou two (M and Cyg) would get along SUPERBLY.
Delete