Annotated Chapter 38 Cover
I struggle with how kind to be to this chapter. For me, Chapter 38 is a lot like Gastonia. Viewed from within, there’s a lot to enjoy about it, a lot worth admiring. But there’s something rotten at the heart of it that is somehow more visible when viewed from without, at a distance.
It’s a work of conspiracy fiction; those are tricky to do well because most conspiracy theories are, IMHO, bullshit, and most actual collusion is not dramatic. I’m proud to say I think we avoided a couple of pitfalls of the genre. I just wish we hadn’t leapt into one big one, arms pinwheeling, ass over teakettle. And I wish the spot where we fell in was not so central to the arc. I can sort of read around it, but doing so means I have to interpret at least one character in a way I know we didn’t intend.
But we’ll get there when we get there. And there’s no reason not to enjoy the better material until then. Like this cover, and its continuing our sequence of laying on of hands. Or like tomorrow’s page…
