Radiance

[Dave Monroe]

>From Carter Scholz, Radiance: A Novel (New York:
Picador, 2002), Pt. I, "Radiance," Ch. 1 ...

   "None of this cauldron of approximation, this vast
rationalization, this ingenious mimickry, was Quine's
responsibility.  To him it was a black box.  His laser
simulation ran on top of it all, passing it data,
receiving its judgments.  Again he ignited his boms
and waited for the nuclear pinball of particles and
energies to reach his rods.  Color bars and line
graphs crept across the screen, the visible
satisfactions of programming.  The solipsistic machine
worlds.  It was near to pornography, without
nuance...." (p. 7)

"Black box," "pinball," "pornography."  Thanks for
mentioning this.  Quine, by the way, seems to be th
central character.  Certianly not W.V. Quine.  And
note that the voice of the Jonathan Lethem's
Motherless Brooklyn book-on-tape is none other than
Steve Buscemi (?!).  Though the suggestion of Sterling
Holloway (R.I.P.) for M&D still amuses and amazes
me--absolutely brilliant ...

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