Talk:The Pale King

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Comment[edit]

I hate seeing unfinished works left behind by authors like this. And I hate seeing them melt away like this too. Did the unfinished book, any part of it, like manuscripts, outlines, anything come out after his death or is it still away?

Also, do other people think that The Pale King refers to Quetzalcoatl? - Wallace even has his fake Social Security number end in 2012 - Quetzalcoatl - the Pale Prophet - or the Pale King --- has been linked by certain New Age figures with 2012 - a time they believe to mark the beginning of a period of spiritual transformation, such as, away from tedium and towards integrated consciousness, a deeper experience and appreciation of life, etc. Wallace changed the title often, and the final title here would come late enough to make this interpretation possible --- and 2012 would have been (maybe) when Wallace thought he would publish it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.184.4.171 (talk) 07:15, 3 April 2011 (UTC)[reply]

RIPDFW No Stahr (talk) 23:08, 4 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

First Sentence[edit]

Does anyone else think that the first sentence of this article (“The Pale King: An Unfinished Novel is an unfinished novel...”) is redundant? Should the subtitle be removed to avoid this? mtgaffney 18:05, 9 May 2011 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mtgaffney56 (talk • contribs)

My copy doesn't even contain "An Unfinished Novel" anywhere (cover, title page, copyright page), so I'll just remove that. --Sstrader (talk) 18:17, 10 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Influences[edit]

Not having read a Wallace novel before, my first thought about influence was that the overall impression was of a Philip K. Dick novel. I have always liked the science fiction writer's ability to summon up the feeling that the narrator or protagonist is paranoid and unsure of himself. Wallace is obviously capable of doing many other things besides imitate PKD, but I think that Wallace created enough material for a neo-PKD classic. PKD would have made the IRS into a hive run by secret psychos and psychics, who need tax returns, in order to maintain a higher level of consciousness. Of course, he would have made these folks out to be a menace. However, I think Wallace is more compassionate toward the "wrigglers" etc. inside the Agency. Jstewart58 (talk) 00:32, 10 July 2011 (UTC)jstewart58[reply]

Jstewart58 Well, this remark is unsubstantiated speculation. Arided (talk) 00:45, 21 May 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Why is the novel titled The Pale King?[edit]

Does anybody know? That would be a very interesting piece of info in an encyclopedia entry.--IsoMorpheus (talk) 03:57, 9 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Paste magazine thinks it's a reference to Ozymandias, which is quoted in the novel. I haven't read the book yet, so I'll refrain from commenting further.--Shirt58 (talk) 08:18, 20 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]