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Before anyone else posts anything I'd just like to say that this anomaly definitely isn't what it seems. There is some fridge logic at work, and no details should be insignificant.
review credits go to Randomini for mad brainstorming, and Jekeled, Twistedgears, Tygently, Greenwolf, Cimmerian, Kalinin, DrMagnus, Boogeyman23, Taffeta, Rimple, ARD, and AbsentmindedNihilist for reviewing. Hit me up if I forgot anyone!
So, is this somewhat connected to an idea? Because what you're describing to me is items that somehow was or were existing, which then suddenly became non-existent If that's so, is it like "House of Leaves"?
Because in the book, Zampano1, (who originally wrote part of the book) mentions a movie that doesn't exist called The Navidson Record2. As it happens, Zampano references books and articles that also don't exist and the one who found the manuscript Johnny Truant, mentions this, as well as write too much in the footnotes3.
I also got big HoL vibes from this, although I'd argue that it's way more brilliant and well thought out (Sorry to Z fans, I too love HoL and I even have tattoos of it, but all his later works proved that he's a one trick pony who thinks he's way more artsy and innovative than he actually is and it's retroactively ruined his debut work for me a little bit). It does make you briefly panic that "The Navidson Record" was indeed a real, tangible thing within the book, and has simply been another casualty of 2724.
This is definitely my favourite SCP thus far. The fact that its actual file mirrors the nature of the SCP (without massive banners saying the file has been corrupted, etc.) is genius. Its much bigger than it seems and it perfectly captures the feelings of intrigue and mild fear that most high quality SCPs carry. Amazing work!
This is definitely thought provoking, and I'll probably read it a couple more times to try and piece it together as much as I can. +1
Edit: Saw this linked in chat so I came back and reread it and honestly, this is one of my favorite articles on this site. The fact I had to reread it a couple of times when it was first posted had me a bit confused but whenever I realized what was going on, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It's not often I get that feeling either, so kudos there. This is a great article.
From what I can gather sofar, is that things all tend to 'end' with a significance on a 7th item, person, chapter or reference that's the start of the disappearance of whatever this is referenced in…
Good god that punchline hits hard.
OK, so, to explain why the hell I like this so much, I'm gonna do a crit of it. Note that this will involve spoilers, so I would not advise reading it until you realise what's going on.
This also isn't even remotely canon, so yeah.
SPECIAL CONTAINMENT PROCEDURES
[Radiohead's I/O]
Niiiiice. The black and white of the cover is both a) reminiscent of the actual cover for A Moon Shaped Pool and also b) fitting given the repeated mentions of black and white throughout the rest of the piece.
Also: Fractals! Self-repeating imagery will feature a lot, as will the imagery of light trying to reach the darkness but failing.
Controlled observation of SCP-2747 will take place using local computing resources to procedurally generate narratives at varying levels of complexity and nestedness.
Any set of SCPs that involves something like this has to be worth an upvote. Playing with narrative like it's a physical object is a damn intriguing premise, as is the idea that the Foundation is running http://shittyplotgenerator.com with a supercomputer.
In order to increase the observable resolution and range of deeply-nested metafictional manifestations, this watchlist should consist mainly of individuals, groups and organisations whose works tend toward containing metafictional content, such as mise-en-abymes and stories-within-stories.
This is a pretty good bit of buildup and continues the theme of metafiction, as well as continuing the intriguing idea of the Foundation using creative arts as a screen into this fictional dimension.
DESCRIPTION
Description: SCP-2747 is a phenomenon appearing in print and online media whereby platforms dedicated to the discussion of works of fiction begin to mention a nonexistent instance of fictional media.
Foreshadowing. It's also a nice and simple introduction to a great high concept.
however, when questioned under duress, said individuals invariably deny having written the affected material, and deny all existence of the fictitious media mentioned within.
We're getting a sense of this thing's malevolence, although it's pretty understated – imagine having written an entire series about something that doesn't exist and not knowing a single thing about it.
The reason for this is unknown. conforms to pataphysical observations documented in full in Appendix B.
It is the current hypothesis of the SCP-2747 research team that SCP-2747 represents evidence of a naturally-occuring anafabula, or anti-narrative:
inb4 introductory antinarrativics
Seriously, we need more pataphysics skips. While antimemetics explored the destruction of memory, antinarrativics (if that's actually a term now) explores the destruction of creative work, which is an interesting take on the whole concept.
a cluster of interdependent signs, iconography and narremes that, when included to a sufficient extent within a fictional construct, leads to mutual annihilation.
Foreshadowing.
It can effect through layers of metafictional narrative, i.e. a metanarrative containing the anafabula will cease to exist within the narrative, followed by the narrative itself disappearing from our reality.
The use of meta-narratives to watch narratives getting annihilated from existence is actually pretty genius both on the part of the author and the Foundation.
The key identifier of the anafabula is that it invariably represents an in-universe antagonist or anathema in all manifestations of SCP-2747
Makes sense. You'd think that you'd attribute the entire annihilation of your reality to an antagonist.
Due to the metaphysical implications and inherent uncontainability of SCP-2747 as detailed in Appendix B
Foooooreshadowing. Let it never be said you didn't drop hints throughout the piece.
APPENDIX A
Here, I've selected bits and pieces I thought were pretty blatantly foreshadowing – minmin can correct me at any time.
Punta de la espira
a desolate, "black, horned" mountain
The motif of black1 is used throughout the entire thing as an admittedly rather anvilicious way of symbolising 2747's presence. It makes sense, really: things just falling out of existence, leaving black holes…
Taitaru
one scene features the protagonist physically grappling with the shadows in her apartment
The use of shadows again, symbolising something bad happening to the narrative.
described under the trope entry for "Your Mind Makes It Real" as the manifestation of her creative block
Something bad happened to the narrative alright – she's completely unable to complete it. Again, returning to the theme of narrative within narrative and an inability to complete a narrative.
No Sister of Mine
The game's non-playable characters continuously mention a "coalblack thornbound tome" that, when read from, would enable one to either obtain great power, or unleash a dreadful curse
Again, the symbol of a black book. A cursed narrative…
The Scolipendra Wiki
The Scolipendra Wiki is deduced to be an online collaborative fictional universe belonging to the horror, speculative fiction, and weird fiction genres.
GOOD GOD COULD YOU DROP THAT ANVIL ANY HARDER
This is one of the less subtle pieces of foreshadowing throughout the piece, and it's something I'm not too happy about, but if you didn't get it before, you probably will now.
I/O
"spirals of isolation and inspiration… of feedback loops that resonate into the level of the deeply personal, the trembling core of creative psyche"
Take close note to the "trembling core" that's mentioned here. That's gonna become important later.
Mavigne, Or: A Treatise On The Metaphysics Of Inner Space Travel, And The Kingdom Of Erikaar, Whose Name Is Darkness Made Light, And Further Theological Expositions Thereof
At the beginning of the novel, Maas dreams of a supernatural being that is aware of its nature as a dream-entity and is highly indebted to Maas for bringing it into existence.
A dream-entity, an entity within a fantasy… a narrative, you might say…
It speaks of 6 realms demarcated by thresholds, ranging from the realm of treasure and minerals to an intangible plane of light and sound.
Going from the material to the fictional (light and sound presumably being the light from a video game/book and sound being the Radiohead album).
Beyond these 6 realms lies another threshold, this time one of cold and silence, which is described to be the Earth's core
The core comes up again. It's a "trembling core" alright, and considering how the closer you get to this core, the more "fictional" we're getting, it seems like that this is another mention to whatever the hell 2747 is.
ex lux
From here, the resultant narrative structure cannot adequately be described as simple framing devices or stories-within-stories, as the inner tales eventually begin to intertwine such that later tales shed new light on ones recounted earlier, or themselves link to segments of text earlier on in the narrative after lengthy detours.
YOU MOTHER FUCK
If that isn't a shot of meta to the face, I don't know what is.
At several points, characters attempt to consult the testimony of an absent individual, referred to as the Stranger.
A more subtle bit of foreshadowing, and one that really works for the story.
APPENDIX B
[DATA LOST]
Big spoiler time:
What's the first thing you learn when you sign up as a new member to this site?
THE FOUNDATION ISN'T REAL.
It's 2747 at work again. The narrative within the narrative that got erased was Appendix B, and the narrative that's gonna be erased next?
The SCP file, and with it, the SCP Foundation's universe itself.
Apologies if this got all ramble-y. This is a really, really great piece of fiction and anything that forces me to fridge logic about it to this degree is something I can get behind. A +1 with sprinkles and chocolate sauce.
antinarrativics (if that's actually a term now) explores the destruction of creative work, which is an interesting take on the whole concept.
Where antimemetics are a negative cognitohazard, antinarrativics are a negative infohazard.
(Also just spoke with minmin about it. Yes, later tales do indeed shed light on earlier stories.)
Aiden Eldritch, that was a really enjoyable read. Marp knows I'd love to see more "why this is cool" line-by-lines from happy reader/reviewers.
Hehe. If anything, my work stands mainly as testament to how much is packed into this one skip and the various layers of mindboggling metanarrative. It's a damn well-constructed piece, and going through the different "whooooooooa"-inducing bits is something I'm happy to do because of that quality of construction.
A: That was the best post I've read in a long time. Thank you for that tidy exposition of exactly why this piece had me leaning progressively closer to my computer screen, grin getting toothier and eyes wider, the more I read. Thank you also for pointing out a few lines of evidence I didn't catch the first time.
B:
It's 2747 at work again. The narrative within the narrative that got erased was Appendix B, and the narrative that's gonna be erased next?
The SCP file, and with it, the SCP Foundation's universe itself.
…And by extension, what narrative would come after that? Eeeheeheeheehee.
Reminds me of Swann's 001 Proposal, both in general theme and in the delicious little shock it sent down my back.
Holy crap.
This is such a complicated concept that I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind about it even with such a good explanation (which, by the way, thank you so much because there's no way I would have gotten it on my own), but hoooooly crap. We're basically just those Scolipendra Wiki fanfiction writers and I love it.
I really, really hope this gets big because it's so gosh darn well written and it's one of the few that implies a screw with the reader's own universe.
I really enjoyed your explanation. I thought it was a neat article, but didn't quite get it. Your breakdown makes me enjoy this SCP many times more than I did.
god the only way this would get better is if the SCPs stop after series 6 …
and wait, there's the whole Russian copyright thing going on right now. holy crap.
Now I understand even better what Appendix 2 means and it makes sense, this is a great kind of meta
The use of the six works as the six realms, and the use of TV Tropes, (a twisty labyrithine site about narratives) is brilliant. The concept is easier to grasp than other metaphysical skips, which I appreciate.
+1
… jeezy petes. Who'da thought that a throwaway creepypasta about a 2spooky statue who breaks people's necks in a puddle of blood and poop would eventually give rise to something this high-brow? Look how far we've come, everyone. God damn.
So, let me preface the rest of my comment with an admission that this is a clever, marvellous, clever, clever piece of writing. What an idea! What an execution! As Mr Eldritch has done a fine job of explaining(/spoiling!) to us. But…
If anything, it's stupidly clever. And this is where my personal bias comes in. My own writing philosophy is quite unashamedly populist, and what you've written here is so damn smart that ninety-plus per cent of people are simply not going to get it at all. This thing is flying so far above most people's heads, it's not even in Earth orbit.
As was obvious from your casual use of the word "pataphysical", I can tell that you don't give two hoots about some people not getting it. And I won't for one second judge you. I would never say that every single piece of media needs to have mass appeal in order to be good.
But you shouldn't be surprised if this doesn't break +100. In quality of the idea, and of the writing, and the hook, this blows most of the Top Rated Pages out of the water. But you've erected a big intellectual barrier to understanding this that not many readers will be able to climb.
However: +1 from me, with no hesitation
edit: NOM NOM NO M HUMBLE PIE DELICIOuOS
With full knowledge that it risks making me sound like a complete prat, I guess I have to admit that kind of is what I'm saying. To massively belabour my point, using semicolons to boot: the vast majority of people who visit this site are casual browsers; compared to us folks who make an account and vote regularly on submissions, those guys probably won't be as uber-comfortable with the SCP format and as generally obsessed with reading and writing; I think you need to be very comfortable with the SCP format and have a really good ability to tease out throughlines and interpret complex narratives to properly get what's going on here. Plus, we know that a good half of the users who completed the Community Survey are teenagers, and I'm pretty sure that I personally wouldn't have understood most of this piece if I read it before I turned 17, at least. I'll also say that I don't think you're in any way a better person if you can really "get" a piece of writing like this. All it means is that, over the course of your life, you got the chance to read a bunch of stuff, and therefore you got a bunch of practice in interpreting tricky writing. Sorry to defend myself so lengthily, but I just wanted to show that, despite appearances, I'm not a total arse. I do a lot of work in teaching, and I guess it's made me a little pessimistic about the average Joe's reading comprehension skills.
I regret my phrasing with the "ninety-plus per cent won't get it at all". Stupid hyperbole there, but I'll stand by the basic point.
Also, looks like my prediction about the score was way off. I am prepared to eat 1 (one) slice of humble pie at the now-inevitable centennial.
Not all readers are members of the site, and not all members vote on SCPs. Simply put, the folks who vote are the folks who'll figure it out. The number of available voters makes this clear how many people are well-read enough to properly contextualize this.
I have a reputation among my friends for recondite and obscure knowledge, which may explain why I knew about pataphysics. The SCP still might as well have been a bridge column in the newspaper. I am grateful to the comments that helped me understand.
In short, yes, in my opinion this was a challenging piece of fiction.
Goddamn this is one solid entry. Interesting premise, evocative imagery, and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion. +1 with gusto.
ETA: Is 2261 the right skip? Compared to 1304, it seems like a non sequitur.
Let me preface this by pointing out that I was asked and wanted to critique this in its earlier stages, but did and could not.
There are more narratives that can be constructed from this one, thanks to the rampant numerology. It's a metanarrative to a concept that reaches through the first six to find the seventh tantalizingly out of reach… just yet.
Furthermore, the constant theme of effort resulting in never reaching the goal, an outpouring of toil leading to no actual progress… Let's just say that it's been a recurring theme in some of my works.
The infinite asypmtotic approach to finality, the singularity that you can get ever closer to, yet never precisely reach. The fractal spiral.
Where have we seen these before? In many places, throughout the wiki.
That is the (trembling) core of the awakening.
Would you like the on-mount-golgotha tag?
