Same universe?

For discussion of John Ajvide Lindqvist's short story collection Låt de gamla drömmarna dö
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BravoHotel
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Re: Same universe?

Post by BravoHotel » Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:31 pm

It seems I did not make myself sufficiently clear.
No you did, I think the one not being clear enough is me, what I mean is while JALs other stories do not exist in the same universe if the "squid" monster can exist in Elis' universe may there be a few other things in there as well.
"He's got a cracking smile but he can't dive for toffee."

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metoo
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Re: Same universe?

Post by metoo » Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:00 pm

BravoHotel wrote:No you did, I think the one not being clear enough is me, what I mean is while JALs other stories do not exist in the same universe if the "squid" monster can exist in Elis' universe may there be a few other things in there as well.
Maybe the village monster's world was inhabited by an actual lunatic who believed he was a vampire. Besides, it's not necessarily so that the monster exists in Eli's universe, even though Eli might exist in the monster's. :ugeek:
But from the beginning Eli was just Eli. Nothing. Anything. And he is still a mystery to me. John Ajvide Lindqvist

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BravoHotel
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Re: Same universe?

Post by BravoHotel » Tue Jul 15, 2014 9:30 pm

Maybe the village monster's world was inhabited by an actual lunatic who believed he was a vampire.
That did confuse me for a while actually on first reading this story whether or not it was actually referencing LTROI, or just a joking nod to it.
Obviously my conclusion became they are the same universe but I am open to both to be honest.
Besides, it's not necessarily so that the monster exists in Eli's universe, even though Eli might exist in the monster's.
Yes! :D This will do me nicely, I've been wanting a way to "organise" so to speak these two universes in terms of how they relate to each other etc in my own head canon for a while now, and while I think I've come close to this way of thinking before, I never quite got there which is kind of why I started this thread, to use the ideas of others to help me formulate my relationship of the two.
You've nailed it for me thanks. If it doesn't bother you me asking how do you relate Village on the hill to LTROI?
And anyone else of course that is reading this.
"He's got a cracking smile but he can't dive for toffee."

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metoo
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Re: Same universe?

Post by metoo » Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:22 am

BravoHotel wrote:You've nailed it for me thanks.
You're welcome! :)
BravoHotel wrote:If it doesn't bother you me asking how do you relate Village on the hill to LTROI?
Well, they are written by the same author, who has stated that he uses places he knows because he wouldn't be able to make his stories credible otherwise. Thus both stories take place in the same physical environment.

However, I prefer to regard the fictional environments as separate. I don't want a universe where anything can happen – just something, but a different something in each story.
Last edited by metoo on Sat Jul 26, 2014 1:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
But from the beginning Eli was just Eli. Nothing. Anything. And he is still a mystery to me. John Ajvide Lindqvist

Opeth
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Re: Same universe?

Post by Opeth » Sat Jul 26, 2014 10:15 am

Is there something about the building Lacke or Jocke thinks back to on a drunken late night walk in Village? I can't really remember the passage but maybe I'm just mixing it up with the main building in the short story.

Edit - this is it:

He passed the commercial laundering center, the chimney with its single red eye, the muted rumble from inside.
One night when he was on his way home—drunk to the gills—he had experienced a kind of hallucination and seen the chimney detach itself and start gliding down the hill toward him, growling and hissing.
He had curled up on the path with his hands over his head, waiting for the attack. When he finally put his arms back down the chimney stood where it always was, magnificent and unmoving.

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intrige
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Re: Same universe?

Post by intrige » Mon Jul 28, 2014 1:11 pm

Now this is really interesting! LOVE the word eliverse, or whatever.
I think it sort of would make sence that all of it existed in the same univurse but seen though by different people incountering different things. Like zombiues and "The death", like red smoke comiung out of people's heads and babies with tails. I mean, if a monster in the drains, and a vampire exists in the same world, why not an awakening of zombies, and a seemengly dead man lying in a bed in some random cabin. I mean why not? Who are we to say what is right from wrong here? It could and it could not. Only JAL can tell.

I am very exited to see what Himmelstrand is all about anyhow!!
Bulleri bulleri buck, hur många horn står upp

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metoo
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Re: Same universe?

Post by metoo » Mon Jul 28, 2014 4:57 pm

intrige wrote:I am very exited to see what Himmelstrand is all about anyhow!!
It's about these people:
The linguistically challenged might want to know that the song's chorus says man ska ha husvagn, i.e. you've got to have a caravan.
But from the beginning Eli was just Eli. Nothing. Anything. And he is still a mystery to me. John Ajvide Lindqvist

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