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Convolution and Complexity

It is clear from the very first sentence that Tycho Brahe's Elemenstor Cycle is heavy-laden with convolution and complexity both linguistic and narrative. Brahe demonstrates remarkable bravery in his willingness to employ plot devices most authors consider too silly, to difficult, or too completely incoherent--devices like timesorc'ley, physiks, and of course Elemenstation itself. Rather than building a world for others to enter with ease, Brahe demands that his readers pry the world from his mind through intellectual fisticuffs and linguistic wrestling of the most strenuous variety.

This is not to say that every passage is completely inaccessible; indeed, many entries exhibit the most languid prose, the most lucid imagery, the most compelling dialogue an author could ever hope to commit to paper. But these passages seem to be rewards, sugary delights, moments of respite for those committed enough to pay the initial toll. "Everything inherently laudable we must bestow with appropriate valuation," Brahe once commented when addressing this subject, "Else we would have no foundation upon which to call it inherently laudable." Thus the convolution and complexity might be seen as Battal's entrance fee.

Criticism of Brahe's Approach

Of course, not everyone wishes to pay this price, and Brahe has faced a fair bit of criticism for it. The most common objection is that any convolution or complexity of plot stems directly from poor thread management. In other words, if the author can't remember what he was writing or why he was writing it, attempts to reconcile disparate plotlines will result in the appearance of complexity. If accepted, this would render The Elemenstor Cycle not intentionally convoluted, but accidentally (and necessarily) convoluted.

This is difficult to reconcile, however, with those aforementioned passages which exhibit only literary brilliance unfettered by the challenges of complexity. Some critics point to the multiple authors theory or the somewhat disputed drinking and pill binge as explanations for these wide swings between unquestionable brilliance and abject madness. Others simply believe that Brahe really did employ convolution and complexity to discourage "lesser" readers, supporting this with another common theme of The Elemenstor Cycle, Betterness.

All of this tends to distract from the other convolution and complexity of this epic saga, however--namely, the convolution and complexity so often found in the author's language. To call Brahe a linguophile would be a most egregious understatement. For as complex as the story is, its structure is infinitely more so. Consider the following excerpt from Book 13:

The thoroughgoing application of semicolons is hard to miss, but the overall convolution of the passage--including the bizarre tense structure--is characteristic of the series as a whole. Indeed, this particular passage is crystal clear when juxtaposed with some of the more extreme examples.

Having established Brahe's modus operandi, we are now left to wonder--if this convolution and complexity is in fact deliberate, why? We have seen a few possible explanations; an entry fee into Brahe's world seems possible if not likely from a market perspective. But in the end all we can really do is follow the author's example, and leave this question as an exercise for the reader.