Sferics...

[David Patty]

The more I read of Mondaugen's story [ch. 9], the more the 'music of the
spheres' pun*** becomes apparent--  the dance in the planetarium being an
enlargement on the initial hint of the 'sferics which then leads (down, of
course) into how those Germans who were so invested in the slave trade
became the later proponents of fascism.  With this heavy legacy in mind I
can't help but think of the cool but concerned McClintic with his
"hand-carved ivory alto sax"--  ivory & hand-carved, of course, to oppose
Coleman's plain ol' plastic horn...

***  The pun only works if it's plural, and Pynchon makes sure there's a
ready plurality of spheres in 9--  from Vera Meroving's mechanical
eye-clock, to the slave-powered planetarium, to the gramaphone in the empty
dancehall (roaring its "gay and hollow music"), to the turrent where
Mondaugen sleeps in his ridiculous round bed, listening to the 'sferics.

I may well work on the wiki soon, as you suggest, Mark...  I've gotta read a
bit more to make sure this ain't all idle speculation, though.
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