Amnesia Moon
Encyclopedia
Amnesia Moon is a 1995
novel
by Jonathan Lethem
. Lethem adapted the novel from several unpublished short stories he had written, all about catastrophic, apocalyptic
events. In finished form Amnesia Moon bears homage to Philip K. Dick
. In fact, during a party scene, one guest describes a battle of wills in West Marin
, clearly a reference to Dick's Dr. Bloodmoney, or How We Got Along After the Bomb
. One character even cites a West Marin inhabitant named "Hoppington", evocative of the mutant
telepath
Hoppy Harrington in the latter book.
in Wyoming
after an apparent nuclear strike
. The residents of his town of Hatfork are reliant on a sinister messianic
figure named Kellogg for food. Kellogg also has powerful dream
s, which he transfers into the minds of others. Chaos's mind is especially receptive, making him reluctant to sleep.
Both Lethem and Chaos abandon this premise early on, and Chaos also goes by the name of "Everett Moon", depending on where he is. The novel plays with several other dystopia
n and post-apocalyptic setups. One area is covered in a thick green fog, save for an exclusive private school. Vacaville, California
, has converted to a luck
-based social system, taken to totalitarian
extremes. Again, this is reminiscent of Dick's Solar Lottery
, where society is also based on chance.
There are echoes of other works by Dick. For example, when Moon and his travelling companion, Melinda, reach San Francisco
,
hallucinogenic
drugs play a role in altered perceptions that provide access to other characters in this world, as in The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
. Elsewhere, it is argued that the depicted realities splintered away from each other to provide resistance to a hive-like alien invasion
of Earth. Such solipsistic
worlds are reminiscent of Dick's early novel Eye in the Sky.
The one constant throughout is the idea that reality is shaped by powerful and charisma
tic "dreamers". The reason for the break in realities, and Chaos/Moon's place in this world, is a unifying mystery.
1995 in literature
The year 1995 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*The Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea is opened by Jimmy Carter....
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Jonathan Lethem
Jonathan Lethem
Jonathan Allen Lethem is an American novelist, essayist and short story writer. His first novel, Gun, with Occasional Music, a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, was published in 1994. It was followed by three more science fiction novels...
. Lethem adapted the novel from several unpublished short stories he had written, all about catastrophic, apocalyptic
Apocalypticism
Apocalypticism is the religious belief that there will be an apocalypse, a term which originally referred to a revelation of God's will, but now usually refers to belief that the world will come to an end time very soon, even within one's own lifetime...
events. In finished form Amnesia Moon bears homage to Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
. In fact, during a party scene, one guest describes a battle of wills in West Marin
West Marin
West Marin is the largest rural region of Marin County, California.The West Marin Chamber of Commerce includes seven unincorporated communities in its definition of West Marin: Point Reyes Station, Olema, Stinson Beach, Bolinas, Tomales, Dillon Beach, and Inverness...
, clearly a reference to Dick's Dr. Bloodmoney, or How We Got Along After the Bomb
Dr. Bloodmoney, or How We Got Along After the Bomb
Dr. Bloodmoney, or How We Got Along After the Bomb is a 1965 science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965....
. One character even cites a West Marin inhabitant named "Hoppington", evocative of the mutant
Mutant
In biology and especially genetics, a mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character, arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not...
telepath
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
Hoppy Harrington in the latter book.
Plot
The protagonist is a survivalist named Chaos, who lives in an abandoned megaplexMultiplex (movie theater)
A multiplex is a movie theater complex with multiple screens, typically three or more. They are usually housed in a specially designed building. Sometimes, an existing venue undergoes a renovation where the existing auditoriums are split into smaller ones, or more auditoriums are added in an...
in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
after an apparent nuclear strike
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
. The residents of his town of Hatfork are reliant on a sinister messianic
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
figure named Kellogg for food. Kellogg also has powerful dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
s, which he transfers into the minds of others. Chaos's mind is especially receptive, making him reluctant to sleep.
Both Lethem and Chaos abandon this premise early on, and Chaos also goes by the name of "Everett Moon", depending on where he is. The novel plays with several other dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n and post-apocalyptic setups. One area is covered in a thick green fog, save for an exclusive private school. Vacaville, California
Vacaville, California
Vacaville, California is a city located in the northeastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area in Solano County. The city is nearly half way between Sacramento and San Francisco on I-80. It sits approximately from Sacramento, and from San Francisco...
, has converted to a luck
Luck
Luck or fortuity is good fortune which occurs beyond one's control, without regard to one's will, intention, or desired result. There are at least two senses people usually mean when they use the term, the prescriptive sense and the descriptive sense...
-based social system, taken to totalitarian
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
extremes. Again, this is reminiscent of Dick's Solar Lottery
Solar Lottery
Solar Lottery is a 1955 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was his first published novel and contains many of the themes present in his later work. It was also published in altered form in the UK as World of Chance....
, where society is also based on chance.
There are echoes of other works by Dick. For example, when Moon and his travelling companion, Melinda, reach San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
,
hallucinogenic
Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants
This general group of pharmacological agents can be divided into three broad categories: psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants. These classes of psychoactive drugs have in common that they can cause subjective changes in perception, thought, emotion and consciousness...
drugs play a role in altered perceptions that provide access to other characters in this world, as in The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch is a 1965 novel by US science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965....
. Elsewhere, it is argued that the depicted realities splintered away from each other to provide resistance to a hive-like alien invasion
Alien invasion
The alien invasion is a common theme in science fiction stories and film, in which extraterrestrial life invades Earth either to exterminate and supplant human life, enslave it under a colonial system, harvest humans for food, steal the planet's resources, or destroy the planet altogether.The...
of Earth. Such solipsistic
Solipsism
Solipsism is the philosophical idea that only one's own mind is sure to exist. The term comes from Latin solus and ipse . Solipsism as an epistemological position holds that knowledge of anything outside one's own mind is unsure. The external world and other minds cannot be known, and might not...
worlds are reminiscent of Dick's early novel Eye in the Sky.
The one constant throughout is the idea that reality is shaped by powerful and charisma
Charisma
The term charisma has two senses: 1) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, 2) a divinely conferred power or talent. For some theological usages the term is rendered charism, with a meaning the same as sense 2...
tic "dreamers". The reason for the break in realities, and Chaos/Moon's place in this world, is a unifying mystery.
Secondary Bibliography
- Rossi, Umberto. "From Dick to Lethem: The Dickian Legacy, Postmodernism, and Avant-Pop in Jonathan Lethem's Amnesia Moon", Science-Fiction Studies # 86, 29:1, March 2002, 15-33.