Saturday 10 November 2018

The Seventh Seal

Poul Anderson, Harvest Of Stars, 40.

"Returning to L-5 on her own, she found the hush deepened.
"And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour." (p. 384)

OK. It is a Biblical quotation and a film and Poul Anderson quotes it but what does it mean? Why are there seven seals? Why is there silence? The calm before the storm? People know that a major change has happened but do not yet know what it means - especially in practice? Why does Anderson quote it here? Can a post be composed entirely of questions? Why am I still posting at this time of night? Good night?

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

About all I can think of is how that image of Death or the Devil playing chess for a man's life or soul reminded me of how I have been playing or reading about chess a lot lately. Both with my chess computer and against two humans last night. Plus continuing to reread Murray's massive A HISTORY OF CHESS.

Sean