this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2023

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Have you read: The Sirens of Titan by Vonnegut? (self.printsf)

submitted 2 years ago by troyunrau to c/printsf

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If so, do you have an opinion? Somewhat of a polarizing work.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The entire chrono-synclastic infundibulum.

It's the absurb beauty of it that tickles me most. Like, a cosmic and quantum meeting of the minds of sorts.

I giggled like a loon when I first read it. Then I realized that there's a deeper thought behind it. The concept of subjective truth, it's kinda mind blowing to me. That there doesn't have to be objective truth for the universe to function.

Vonnegut always liked to play with the idea of free will and how we can never truly know that it exists. The infundibulum idea suggests that our free will might choose determinism, and may have always done so. Which, is a tad of a stretch, I'll admit, but I think that's part of the beauty of Vonnegut's writing, that it makes you stretch your thoughts.

[–] troyunrau 2 points 2 years ago

No wonder so many stoners love his writing, hah! Yeah, it does do that now and again. Almost Terry Pratchett in that way, now that I reflect upon it.