Brian Evenson's Immobility

[Bleak&Icy]

Earlier this evening in the local branch of a public library I found a copy of Evenson's new novel, the post-apocalyptic Immobility, and I was pleasantly shocked when I read the book's dedication: "For Peter Wessel Zapffe and Thomas Ligotti." Apparently the novel features a "realist philosopher" named Rykte who, according to several web reviews, might be loosely based upon our figurehead himself. Take the following exchange on page 208:

"What are you, a libertarian?" asked Horkai.

"No," said Rykte.

"An anarchist?"

"Who isn't these days?" asked Rykye. "But no, no more so than anybody else."

Horkai looked at him a long time. "You really think humanity should die out?"

"Objectively, yes," said Rykte. "I've thought about it and thought about it, and rationally it seems the right thing. If we want anything at all to go on, humanity should die out." He turned to Horkai and smiled. "But when I think about it subjectively, it doesn't seem so clear cut."

"No?"

"No. So I do nothing. I neither help humanity along toward its own extinction nor do I prevent that extinction from happening. I don't slaughter everyone I meet, don't use well-placed grenades to open the few remaining shelters to the poisons outside. But neither do I help them. What does that make me? Ineffectual? Uninvolved?"

"Lukewarm," said Horkai.

Rykte smiled. "So then because thou art lukewarm," he said, "and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth."

*

Well, I'm intrigued. It's a fine wintry night here in my part of the world, and time to settle in with a new book and a bottle of wine.