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Thuy-Dzuong Nguyen: The Truth Lenders (Những Kẻ Cho Vay Sự Thật)

Quý vị có thể trả tiền bằng PAYPAL


www.truthlenders.com


The Truth Lenders

Những Kẻ Cho Vay Sự Thật

 

Một tác phẩm hài hước, bằng Anh ngữ, có tính cách huyền thoại, giả tưởng mà sát thực tế, mô tả một xã hội tương lai 500 năm sau. Cô tác giả 24 tuổi Thùy-Dương đã tưởng tượng ra những bối cảnh đời sống khác lạ, đầy ngạc nhiên. Những biến đổi có khả năng xảy ra 5 thế kỷ sau, kể cả những thói đời khó hiểu và vô lý thời văn minh hậu chiến.

 

Một thế giới văn minh vật chất phức tạp với các kiến trúc kỳ lạ dưới biển, những toà nhà bằng kính xuyên suốt các phòng ốc, con người sống chung với loài thú biết nói qua biến tính di truyền, như vũ xí long (pterodactyl), sứa biển. Như ở trong truyện cổ tích.

 

Thời này, tài nguyên thiên nhiên cạn kiệt. Những người khác chính kiến có thể bị bắt cóc, thử nghiệm, biến thành chất lỏng và nguyên liệu đốt. Các tập đoàn công ty tìm kiếm, chế biến, thử nghiệm, loan truyền dữ kiện thông tin kiểu mới. Nhật báo khổ nhỏ xíu, có thể xếp bỏ túi. Tin tức được loan truyền theo lối cổ điển rỉ tai, hoặc tân kỳ ở dạng thuốc viên, sách điện tử, hay con chíp điện tử. Món ăn được xào nấu bằng máy, bị chế biến nhân tạo, kể cả trứng gà. Hươu cao cổ bị tuyệt chủng, chỉ còn là huyền thoại. Loài ong làm mật không còn, nông nghiệp bị khủng hoảng, cây lá trồng thành nhiều tầng ở khắp nơi.

 

Ở đó, các hạ tầng cơ sở vận hành biệt lập và hữu hiệu cách riêng. Có một chính quyền quân chủ với vua quan hưởng thụ, quan liêu, xa rời quần chúng. Họ đóng kín cửa, thư nhàn hội họp, phó mặc dân. Đầy dẫy trên mặt đất những kẻ duy vật vô thần, "những kẻ cho vay sự thật", trục lợi. Họ bố trí những mạng lưới công an, với những toán đặc công chuyên khủng bố truy lùng những ai "phản động", nhất là giới ký giả phóng viên có sứ mệnh loan truyền Sự Thật.  Có những đại công ty truyền thông đưa ra những bản tin tối nghĩa, mị dân. Có những kẻ vay mượn sự thật để tuyên truyền, giảng dạy các lý thuyết mơ hồ vô giá trị.

 

Thời đại này, máy điện thoại bị cấm, tự do ngôn luận và báo chí bị kiểm soát. Giới ký giả hoạt động "chui" cùng với văn nghệ sĩ chân chính được dân chúng bảo vệ và dấu dưới tầng basement, trong những căn hầm ở dưới lòng đất, nối nhau xuyên qua những căn nhà. Họ sống chui, trú ẩn an toàn vui vẻ ở dưới đó, một thế giới thân ái và bí mật, bất tuân dân sự trong một đời sống hầm trú. Họ bất hợp tác với chính quyền, bất kể những luật lệ nghị quyết hay sắc lệnh gì ban hành. Các chiến sĩ truyền tin "chui" phải hóa trang khi lên mặt đất, di chuyển, săn tin.  Con người và loài vật liên kết sinh hoạt với nhau, sống "chui" thú vị ở thế giới riêng, tự do hội họp, tự do sáng tác và dí dỏm ca hát.

 

www.truthlenders.com

Quý vị có thể trả tiền bằng PAYPAL


500 năm sau, ở trên hành tinh này, giữa những thử thách và biến đổi khác thường của nền văn hóa nhân bản và văn minh khoa học kỹ thuật, loài người và loài vật vẫn nương tựa nhau sống vui, sáng tạo. Họ đoàn kết để mưu sinh thoát hiểm, đầy khả năng sinh tồn và chiến thắng sự sợ hãi.

 

Mời quý vị, nhất là các bạn trẻ, hãy bước vào một thế giới phong phú của trí tưởng tượng, đầy ngạc nhiên thích thú. Một xã hội giả tưởng, ngỡ xa lạ mà quen thuộc, với những khía cạnh đời sống xấu tốt, thiện ác, tự nhiên hay phản thiên nhiên. Để gặp gỡ những nhân vật ngộ nghĩnh như trong phim hoạt họa. Mình có thể đọc chú thích (footnotes) bằng audio với vài giọng nói hay tiếng hát của các nhân vật trong truyện. Nghe các bản nhạc sáng tác của vài nhạc sĩ thật sự ngoài đời, trẻ tuổi, chuyên nghiệp, ở Tây Bắc Hoa Kỳ.

 

"The Truth Lenders" là một tác phẩm multi-media. Quý vị quý bạn đọc sách cùng với một CD audio đính kèm. Có thể nghe cách phát âm của một nhân vật, thưởng thức một bản nhạc I Crave A Crustacean (tôi thèm ăn tôm cua), nghe đài truyền hình loan tin tức về Giraffes (hươu cao cổ). Thưởng thức bản nhạc "cổ truyền" danh tiếng Clair de Lune của Claude Debussy do tác giả đàn piano, nghe Duck Wave Function là một bản nhạc náo động của bầy vịt và thằn lằn mở party vui đùa. Nghe nhạc rap chế giễu phóng viên truyền hình Graind Peters Rap làm dáng, đưa tin xúc tích khó hiểu. Thưởng thức một sáng tác tiêu biểu Until I heard the sound của một nhạc sĩ "chui" cất tiếng bày tỏ niềm khao khát được sống Tự Do trong tình yêu Thiên Chúa (we will be saved, and for a moment we will have freedom, floating high on a cloud to the good Lord's Kingdom)

 

Tác giả là Thùy-Dzuong Nguyen là nữ hướng đạo sinh, tốt nghiệp cử nhân ngành Journalism và History tối ưu (summa cum laude) ở Gonzaga University Hoa Kỳ, một đại học Công Giáo ở tiểu bang Washington. Trong hai năm, cô là chủ biên (editor) và ký giả (staff writer) cho tuần báo Gonzaga Bulletin của đại học. Ra trường cô làm việc toàn thời trong vai trò Multi-media Producer gần hai năm cho nhật báo Spokesman Review là tờ báo lớn nhất ở Spokane. Nghề tay trái là phóng viên nhiếp ảnh và thông dịch viên ngành y tế và luật.

 

Tác phẩm The Truth Lenders dày 270 trang, viết bằng Anh ngữ, phát hành hồi cuối tháng 4-2010 vừa qua, thực hiện phối hợp cùng các bạn trẻ ở địa phương Spokane, tiểu bang Washington, Hoa Kỳ. Muốn đọc thử vài chapters ngắn và các bài điểm sách, quý vị vào www.truthlenders.com. Tác giả rất mong được sự ủng hộ của quý vị và quý bạn.

 

Sách + CD giá bán $17 tại địa phương

 

Sách gởi theo đường bưu điện:

Hoa Kỳ,  $20 bao gồm cước phí

Canada, $24 bao gồm cước phí

Úc & Âu châu, $27 bao gồm cước phí

 

Quý vị có thể trả tiền bằng Paypal

hoặc gởi money order hay chi phiếu về:

Thuy-Dzuong Nguyen

P.O. Box 18031

Spokane, WA 99228

Email:  truthlenders@gmail.com

Website: www.truthlenders.com


Với sự giúp đỡ của nhà văn lão thành Trần Phong Vũ (đặc trách tủ sách www.tiengquehuong.com), tác phẩm Anh ngữ The Truth Lenders đã được phát hành ở Hoa Kỳ trong tháng 4 năm 2010. Sách trình bày trang nhã, dày 270 trang, được thực hiện phối hợp cùng một số văn nghệ sĩ và chuyên viên về kỹ thuật âm thanh ở vùng Tây Bắc Hoa Kỳ.


Để đọc vài chapters, các bài điểm sách, hay mua sách, kính mời quý ông bà cô chú bác anh chị em quý vị vào www.truthlenders.com. Thùy Dương mong được sự ủng hộ thân ái của quý độc giả trên thế giới.

 

Sách + CD giá bán $17 tại địa phương

Sách gởi theo đường bưu điện:

Hoa Kỳ,  $20 bao gồm cước phí

Canada, $24 bao gồm cước phí

Úc & Âu châu, $27 bao gồm cước phí

 

Quý vị có thể trả tiền bằng PAYPAL


hoặc gởi money order hay chi phiếu về:

Thuy-Dzuong Nguyen

P.O. Box 18031

Spokane, WA 99228

Email:  truthlenders@gmail.com

Website: www.truthlenders.com


Telling the ‘truth’
Friday, July 02, 2010    By Tiffany Le Bookmark and Share

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Photo courtesy of Getty Images

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This multimedia novel comes with a CD with the character’s voices and music to compliment the text. The book can be found online at www.truthlenders.com for $20

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MISSION: Thùy Dzương, independently wrote, edited and self-published her first book at 24-years-old Photo by Raja Rose.

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GENESIS of IDEAS: Thùy Dzương playing “house” in 1991 with her plush mammals, and MacGyver the dinosaur. Truth Lenders is a highly imaginative book with dinosaur and animal characters. Photo courtesy of Nguyễn family.



Getting laid off from her job could prove one of the best things ever to happen to Thùy-Dzương Nguyễn.

For three years, an idea for a book festered in Nguyễn’s mind. But between finishing college — she was a double major in journalism and history at Gonzaga University in Washington — and launching her career as an online producer at The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Nguyễn put off writing the volume.

Until the day, that is, that she got word that she was part of the 25 percent of staff, she said, at The Spokesman-Review who would lose their jobs in 2008, victims of the economic downturn.

That’s when her book, “The Truth Lenders,” came to life.

“When I wasn’t working there anymore, I had time to work on the book,” she said. Being unemployed also gave Nguyễn the chance to re-connect with her friends.

Last year, she spent one week per month traveling to cities across the U.S. to meet up with old friends. She visited New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Texas, and more.
“Using this book is a way to preserve my memories from traveling,” Nguyễn said. “When I did these journeys, I walked 12 miles a day….and met new people.” She incorporated the people she met into her writing.

“A lot of these characters are real people,” Nguyễn said. “It’s fun to add these characters based on what my friends have done.”
In real life, her friend, Joe Varela, is “Peter,” the main character. Another character near and dear to her is “Lady McGee,” based on Bobbee McGee Hepworth, a retired librarian who died at age 82 just as Nguyeãn was finishing the book.

“It really came down on me when Bobbee died,” Nguyễn said. The two, despite their age difference, enjoyed spending time together at tea parties that helped Nguyễn to cope with the dreary winters in Washington. The two ladies talked about life and their love of literature.
“In the book, there’s stories about tea parties,” Nguyễn said.

“The Truth Lenders” is self-published by Nguyễn and is a story about how we might consume, spread, preserve and value our information, news, and creative thought 500 years from now. It takes place in the 26th century, when design consultants Peter and Donaldson are hired to test a product called a “news pill” taken at bedtime, inducing psychedelic dreams in which the reader gets to experience the news firsthand. It’s a look at a future that includes “truth” more readily available than ever, such as in quantum physics and math education. “The Truth Lenders” has a deep-thinking theme on how culture consumes news.

Perhaps Nguyễn's love of writing comes from her grandfather, who translated a memoir by Pierre Darcourt, a Vietnamese journalist. Her parents also write as well. They write non-fiction, research articles and commentaries on current events.
In an innovative twist, the book comes with a multimedia CD loaded with songs by local musicians. Nguyễn, who has played the piano since age 5, said she wanted to include music in her book.

“I’ve always remembered being involved in music,” she said.
Nguyễn was born in the United States and learned how to read and write Vietnamese by reading Vietnamese books out loud to her mother. She currently works as a linguist.

“I love explaining things for a living,” Nguyễn said. “I don’t expect to make a living off this book. ... When I get older and look back, I want to say this was something fun I did at 24.”
www.truthlenders.com














Note from Eric Cunningham
Associate Professor of History
Gonzaga University

Terence McKenna says that when a civilization finds itself with its back against a wall, it will reach back in time to find the last stabilizing metaphor to serve as the core of its reinvention.

What happens when you reach back and there are no stabilizing metaphors? The Truth Lenders reaches into an eschatonic no-past-no-present-no-future, the place we may all have to land when our civilization has finally unraveled.

Drop your expectations of any false happy closure, plunge into the experience, and enjoy.



Review by Ryan Pitts
Senior Editor for Digital Media
The Spokesman Review


"We don't make the news – we simply make it easier to swallow." News Now! Corporation is on the verge of a breakthrough – a pill that takes you inside
any news story, right as it happens and right while you sleep. It's an efficient system: Take one of these and by morning you're not just refreshed, you're informed.

Peter Scharber, architect and designer, is part of the team testing News Now!'s new pills; he and colleague Donaldson West provide the feedback the company needs to prepare a product that carries information to the masses. The real star here is Sammy, a meticulously designed psychedelic news anchor. If the events of the day are too graphic, too tragic – or too boring, for that
matter – she serves as a comforting dream companion.

Celebrated at cultural conventions and always available via streetside kiosk, everyone knows Sammy, and that kind of touchstone is priceless in a society that takes diversity so seriously. Because really, culture isn't what it used to be since the great wars ended and genetic reconstruction remixed the world. Now amphibious monkeys and komodo dragons take tea and commute to work alongside human beings (and the occasional tree frog), private sidewalks lead to relocated vintage homes, and mailmen sell pre-war packages to the people (and pterodactyls) who live there.

It's a society propped up on pillars of absurdity.  Telephones are banned to protect people from invasive communication, but office buildings rise with transparent Steelglas that lets colleagues from the floor below see just what you're up to. Giant jellyfish with titanium teeth teach Zen English classes to children, while their parents travel in trundcars between domed cities under the sea.

But soon everyone will dream the news with Sammy, and she'll help people (and river rats, and gnomes) experience all of life – in a homogenized distribution of truth that
shouldn't disrupt everyday convenience. That kind of science offers world-shaping power, and Peter begins to spot signs that News Now! isn't as benevolent as their PR
people might tell you.

Journalists and culture critics aren't much use in this society. They're hunted down, their atoms reclaimed and rearranged into something useful, like drinking water.
Remaining newsgatherers practice their craft underground from basement networks, publishing their stories onto capsules that plug into computers, televisions and old-time radios. And onto newsprint, of course, perhaps even the broadsheet size if you're daring and don't mind dirty looks from the other commuters. And that's where you read the kind of truth you just won't get from a dream.



Review by Ken Sands
Digital media Strategist, Washington DC
Former Online Publisher of
The Spokesman-Review


"Writing is a solitary pursuit. Perhaps for that reason, it seems to attract loners, introverts, and some spectacularly
talented social misfits. Novelists can sit in front of a keyboard, alone with their imaginations, and tell truths about our lives and society that nonfiction can’t quite capture.

Reading is a solitary experience, too – Words on a page (or
computer screen) come to life in the readers’ imagination, which ensures that every reader has a unique experience.
What then, are we to think of a collaborative, multimedia form of storytelling?

In “The Truth Lenders,” Thuy-Dzuong Nguyen has stretched the form in creative ways: she’s plumbed the imaginations of friends and colleagues; and incorporated audio recordings into the narrative. The story itself is a subversive social commentary that fits into the category of science fiction only loosely, in a way that will be familiar to Kurt Vonnegut fans.

The narrative includes a talking frog, a komodo dragon that’s a temp worker at a news agency, and grippyfeet shoe attachments. The audio is a unique and unexpected treat. Kevin Long, in particular, is a talented guitar player and vocalist. Isamu Jordan has a terrific combination of writing and performing skills.

Thuy-Dzuong Nguyen shows her creative genius in pulling all of this together. This is a remarkable first effort, especially for a writer who is not a loner, introvert or social misfit."


GLOSSARY-INDEX

for The Truth Lenders

by Thuy-Dzuong Nguyen

updated May 29, 2010

           

            Some might argue that an index for a novel would give away details too early, when a reader looks something up, only to see that the item in question does indeed appear later in the story. This glossary-index has been specifically designed to clear up new nouns in the new universe without interfering with surprise and suspense. Wherever possible, entries will point to only the first reference or the most descriptive passages, unless that particular character or element is not closely related to the plot (in which case, the entry lists any or all instances). Inventions or features not essential to the plot are referenced by page number. All said, please use at your own risk.


!46er (newspaper size), pp. 43-44

 

A

atomic rearrangement, see footnotes on p. 34 and 54. See also 41-43, 51, 58, 97, 172, 185-188.

Atlas, a glass-encased undercity in the Atlantic Ocean. Please see footnote on 19-20 for description of Atlas zoning laws, and 99-101 for description of urban geography.

 

B

bartenders, see explanation on p. 40 about why bartenders are not extinct.

basements; see pp. 28, 35-36, 54. See footnote on p. 53 for explanation of basement layout

biosuits, full-body lab suits; see 24, 94

bees, beekeeping, and bee exhibits, see 22-24, 64, 99, 194

Behrens, Kay; minor character, investigative reporter at Age of Absurdity. Fictional news stories by the character appear on pp. 23, 77, 169.

Bendy-Bot, a action figure made by flatware company Spoon!oza. Also a popular film. See pp. 95, 192. and a movie review on p. 151.

Binman and the Flaw, an indie band that evolved from being a folk band to a nanoband. Description and band history appear in footnote on p. 32.

Boofo, Nattie's plush toad, p. 124, 125, 191, 196.

book diseases, pp. 108-109

"Book Consumption Strategies," a passage in Donaldson West's new work of nonfiction, called Observations and Research on the Modern Age; see p. 232.

brain-enhancing drugs, pp. 56, 99.

  Branshire, Robert L.; side character who makes one

appearance in a crime story on pp. 116-117.

broadsheet newspapers, broadsheet reader discrimination, see newspapers.

brusknot; a device used to re-fizz your soda, p. 50.

 

C

Cardell, Betty-Yvonne; side character who makes one appearance in a news story on p. 169.

Carl Bernstein Academy, Nattie's elementary school; first appears in chapter π and further described in chapter 4.

character theft, p. 120

Chef Machine, a domestic food machine that cooks meals from scratch. See pp. 106, 125, 150.

City Hall, pp. 56, 88, 114-115

carbon redemption and carbon management programs, see atomic rearrangement

Commons, Deletria; side character and NN!C spokeswoman who makes one appearance on p. 170, in the attribution of a quote.

creative persons are atomically rearranged. See atomic rearrangement.

culture convention full revised program is on p. 64.

 

D

Dandelion Wine; minor character, a musician and dancer in a cabaret show. pp. 155-157

Doggleson, Donaldson West's mixed-breed dog, first appears on p. 60.

Doodlefrog, Erasmus (Raz), a medium-sized frog in a medium-sized coat, living with Ptomas Pterodactyl, Nattie Philodendron, and Spoor. Erasmus first appears on p. 18.

dust-eating fungus: a live fungus used to reduce household allergens. p. 14


E

eggs, military grade: superstrong eggs with a very specific cracking procedure. p. 60

editors, also see Republicans, p. 58

experimental residency (resident researchers, research prisoners), pp. 110-111.

 

F

Fabienne, Charlie L; side character and NN!C news director, mentioned on p. 169 in the attribution of a quote.

Fantastinade; a green, lime-flavored drink. See pp. 26, 39, 40, 235.

Flak Jacket cocktail recipe, p. 38

Franklin, Benjamin; Nattie's imaginary friend first mentioned on p. 31.

 

G

Gearing, Joseph D; minor character, former professor of hate studies at Varela University. pp. 158-159, 166-168, 220.

giraffes, pp. 55, 217, and footnote on p. 55

glass technology, pp. 11, 21, footnote on p. 20

Glatfly, Phoebus Apollo (giant jellyfish); Zen English teacher at Carl Bernstein Academy and superintendent of public schools. First appears on p. 15 (chapter π).

glockenspiel, an instrument that sounds like a cake. pp. 111, 135, 149, 182, 184, 189, 228.

gravityplate, a device causing food to hover as a mid-air food cluster. p. 68

Grummons, Dave; minor character, glass developer for Age of Absurdity, first appears on p. 57

 

H

herdball, a naturally-occurring phenomenon among young children asked to play football [soccer]. Players form a herd and chase after the ball without considering any positions or strategies. pp. 64, 67, 168

hoverchess. a new, three-dimensional chess board configuration. p. 151.

 

I

 indie bands

   Binman and the Flaw, band description appears in footnote on p. 32

       Binmanners, followers of the band Binman

                 and the flaw

 

   soba noodles, a cult-favorite food of the Binmanners. pp. 33, 227.

   SpynSpeck, post-postmodern deconstructionist electronica duo. Band description appears in a footnote on p. 65.

Ingram, Steven J.; side character who makes one appearance in a news story on p. 169.

ink mites, a parasite commonly found in books, described on p. 108.

J

Jones, Billy (Captain); side character, Captain Billy Jones and the Whale is a children's book in Nattie Philodendron's personal collection. See p. 82.

 

K

Kavanaugh, Pat; bartender at Standard Deviation, first appears on p. 35.

King of Spain; side character, described in footnotes on pp. 19 and 42.

kiosk use, see Sammy - kiosks

 

L

Lace, Fey; a famous fashion designer mentioned on p. 13.

Ligature, Jimmy; an NN!C employee from the 33rd floor, who meets an untimely demise on p. 84.

M

mail is sold door-to-door; first explained on pp. 48-49.

Mary Janes; also listed as Penelope Rose "Mary Janes" Redwest, partner of Donaldson West and mother of Natalie Philodendron. First appears on p. 132.

mathematics. An explanation of the Math Wars, traditional/fuzzy math, and solution-agnostic math appears on pp. 128, with relevant passage on pp. 129-130. 

McGee, Lady Anaïs; Nattie's next door neighbor and supporter of the underground. First appears on p.  28.

mice: An explanation of mice evolution appears on p. 89.

migration tunnels, tunnels connecting one undercity with another. p. 87.

Mopawei; pronounced mop-away, a mop storage device that eliminates the hassle of having to dry the mop first, see p. 41.

 

N

nanobanana, a new banana format rendered in a small cube shape. See footnote on p.41.

Nattie (Natalie Philodendron) first appears in on p. 15.

Neil Diamond impersonators mentioned briefly on p. 15.

New Language Model, a new Zen English curriculum, demonstrated on pp. 79-80.

News Now! Corporation (NN!C), a media conglomerate, first appears on p. 19.

newspapers

   46er (newspaper size), pp. 43-44

   Age of Absurdity, an underground newspaper. AoA stories appear on pp. 23, 77, 102, 169.

   Atlas Shrug, a newspaper that consists of mostly statistics, appears on p. 44.

   broadsheet reader discrimination, see pp. 44, 51, 76, 94, 136, 236.

   Interesting Times, a semi-mainstream broadsheet newspaper briefly mentioned on p. 37 in which they spotlighted the word "yo", and on p. 51 in which Ptomas is said to hoard back issues.

   Studies in Fiction, a broadsheet newspaper filled with fictional or word-related content, see pp. 154-158.

   subscription lobbyist, a newspaper occupation. pp. 78, 152

   Ultimate Enquirer, a tabloid, p. 54.

news quiz, briefly featured on p 22.

 

O

Oaksley, Sharon; extremely minor character and Atlas' director of urban development, mentioned on p. 87 in the attribution of a quote.

Observations and Research on the Modern Age, a work of nonfiction by Donaldson West. See excerpts on pp. 74-75, 128, 232.

official languages of Atlas are English, Spanglish, and Turtle.

Ofloxacin, Jack; minor character, investigative reporter at Age of Absurdity. Fictional news stories by the character appear on pp. 102, 169.

 

P

Pan, an undersea city briefly mentioned on p. 87.

parietophone, a type of speaker, mentioned on pp. 228-229, 233.

Parliament briefly mentioned on pp. 53, 75, 170.

Penelope Rose Red, see Mary Janes.

pest control industry described in detail on pp. 23-24.

Peters, Graind; side character, a news anchor briefly mentioned in dialogue on pp. 39, 102; spotlighted in footnotes on pp. 40 and 102 and lyrics on p. 265.

pharmacist machine, mentioned on p. 22.

Pilot, Von; minor character and owner of laundromat on p. 231.

Philodendron, Natalie, first appears on p. 15.

pollination industry, pp. 99-101

post-modern deconstructed burrito; A burrito format in which the ingredients are served on a plate, and with a spoon, with the tortillas set aside, p. 106.

Pterodactyl, Ptomas; lives with Natalie Philodendron, Erasmus Doodlefrog, and Spoor in a house in Brooklyn. First described on p. 17.

 

Q

quality broker, occupation of Ptomas Pterodactyl and Erasmus Doodlefrog. Involves quality control, inspections, and style consultations, as shown on pp. 18, 21-23.

 

R

Republicans, also see editors, p. 58

research prisoners, see experimental residency

"Restroom-Finding Strategies", a passage in Donaldson West's new work of nonfiction, called Observations and Research on the Modern Age; see pp. 74-75.

revisionists, a revolutionary movement. See pp. 158-159, 166-167.

Richard the komodo dragon, intern at design firm Schooner & Maubury, first appears on p. 121 and is later spotlighted in a poem and passage on p. 178-180.

 

S

Sammy, a friend of Peter Scharber, first mentioned on p. 12.

Scharber, Peter; architect and designer at Schooner & Maubury, and roommate of Donaldson West. Peter first appears on p. 10.

Schneider, Herbert; NN!C senior production manager who first appears on p. 25.

Schooner & Maubury; design firm and employer of Peter Scharber and Donaldson West. First mentioned on p. 17.

Scrabble; pp. 48, 96.

Scrandlehoff, Frances; side character who makes one appearance in a crime story on pp. 116-117.

shrinking algorithms explained in a footnote on p. 39.

Signet, Tey; side character, supervisor of Donaldson West and Peter Scharber at design firm Schooner & Maubury, mentioned throughout the text but makes an appearance on p. 138.

Sjomske, Gnome; a Jewish investigative reporter who is not a giraffe. First appears on p. 29.

soba noodles, the preferred food of the Binmanner movement, briefly mentioned on pp. 33, 35, 42, 227, 236. Also, a sobasucker is an eating utensil allowing users to slurp up soba noodles as if through a drinking straw.

solution-agnostic math, see mathematics.

soup deprivation. Vaguely mentioned without elaboration as a torture technique. pp. 84, 167, 239.

Spandrel, Andrew; extremely minor character. An employee of NN!C, casually mentioned on p. 84.

Spiggle, Alistair; minor character, Nattie's solution-agnostic math teacher whom the students address as 'your honor', briefly mentioned in other passages but makes one memorable appearance on pp. 29-30.

Spoon!oza, a flatware company briefly mentioned on p. 19, but also on p. 151 in connection to one of its products, an action figure called Bendy-Bot.

Spoor, a shapeshifter living in Ptomas Pterodactyl's house. A descriptive passage appears on p. 52.

Spranglock, Marshall; a bully in Nattie's class, first mentioned on p. 45. Marshall's parents are Tricia and Langley Spranglock, fee advocates contracting with Donaldson's employer Schooner & Maubury.

SpynSpeck: a post-postmodern deconstructionist electronica duo and publicly traded company. See footnote on p. 65.

Standard Deviation, a bar and grille in Atlas' 54th district. See pp. 35-38, 40-41, 67, 140, 252.

Steelglas, a reinforced glasslike material stronger than steel. first mentioned on p. 11.

Strand, Pinot; underground photographer for Age of Absurdity. First appears on p. 56.

street sweeping is explained in a footnote on p. 31.

Strudel Woman, a side character who appears in public on pp. 237-238

Studies in Fiction, see newspapers

subscription lobbyist, see newspapers

Super!Map, a navigation device briefly mentioned on pp. 19, 31.

 

T

telegraphs and telephones: telephone ban explained on p. 42.

titanium teeth, briefly mentioned on pp. 29, 38, 44, 81, 87, 122, etc.

trund system, identified in chapter φ, which occurs slightly before 2.

 

 

U

Umbrella Conquest; a band from the '80s (The 2480s, that is) briefly mentioned on p. 249.

undercity (e.g. Atlas and Pan): a city built in a clear undersea globe attached to artificial suns.

Upbridge, Nancy-Ann; side character who makes one appearance in a crime story on pp. 116-117.

 

V

Varela University and its College of Social Development; descriptive passages occur on pp. 70, 102, 120, 145.

verbivore, see footnote on p. 55.

vintage home relocation explained in a footnote on p. 27.

 

W

West, Donaldson; architect and designer at Schooner & Maubury, first appears on pp. 13-14.

Weirr, Barry; extremely minor character, Atlas maintenance director for pest control, mentioned on pp. 23-24 in attributions of quotes.

Whitehall, Ophelius; new mailman, first appears on p. 59.

Willows, Dr. Lord; researcher at News Now! Corporation. First appears on p. 91.

 

X-Y-Z

Yanni, a 21st-century musician, briefly mentioned in a footnote on p. 32.

Zarrow, Shann; Varela University president and publisher of Atlas Shrug. First appears on p. 69.

Zen English; one of Nattie's classes at Carl Bernstein Academy, taught by Phoebus Apollo Glatfly, see p. 15.

zip codes, examples of; see p 48.

ZosterVox, a goo-based audio speaker. p. 229

 

 


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