Riddley Walker is the
narrative protagonist of the book of the same name written by
Russell Hoban. Riddley Walker is a boy growing up in a future world that has been smashed by
atomic war. The prose is highly stylized, with
spelling and
grammar contorted to suggest the fall of
civilization and the
literary arts.
Much of the book concerns the quest for the '
1big1,' a power lost with
science and
technology. The
1big1 is soon revealed to be the secret of
atomic weapons. Much of the book's power comes from the
dichotomy between the complete fall of civilization and the belief of many of the characters that the
1big1 is simply an attainable
spell or
potion, coupled with the
despair and
tragedy of a world so visibly destroyed by the
1big1 full of men desperately seeking its
secret.
Useless trivia: I have always believed that the Iain Banks book Feersum Endjinn is at least in part a homage to this story and author.
Woohoo! My 100th node!