S. The Ship of Theseus
S. Theseus' ship -or S. Ship of Theseus, by its original English title, is an ergodic mystery novel conceived by film producer JJ Abrams and written by Doug Dorst. The work was first published on October 29, 2013 by Mulholland Books. In 2023, it was marketed in Spanish by Duomo Ediciones. The title is, to say the least, curious. It is a metafiction designed for lovers of reading and physical volumes.
In a world where digital books have become so relevant, the director of Lost and the writer of I live in the Necropolis create a story with a unique narrative style, where the most important thing is the interaction with the text and all the curiosities found within it. S. Theseus' ship, more than a reading, it is a great experience.
Synopsis of S. Theseus' ship
About the structure of the work
The novel has an unusual format, since It is a story within another story. In principle, it is composed of Theseus' ship, a book that was written by a mysterious yet very popular author known as VM Straka. The title was supposedly published in 1949. Information about its release can be found printed beneath a mockup of the book's loan history in a high school library, spanning the years 1957 to 2000.
Theseus' ship It is covered by a black cover with a Gothic letter in the center, and sealed with a stamp. When you take it out of the packaging, you can see a gray and worn cover, simulating a real old book. Inside, there are old pages in the best style of prints from the 40s., in addition to a series of strange annotations in the margins of Straka's novel, combined with external material.
What is Ship of Theseus?
The novel It is the nineteenth and last work written by Straka before his strange death. By itself, it tells the adventure of a man with no memory who embarks on a long journey of self-discovery.
Theseus' ship narrates two mysteries simultaneously: on the one hand, that of the book, and on the other, that of Straka himself. Why the writer? Well, because his physical disappearance left behind many conspiracy theories including murder, espionage and unusual accusations.
The identity of the author was left to extensive study and academic debate. This is known thanks to the footnotes and the prologue left by FX Caldeira, the official translator that Straka chose to work on most of his books.
Although the man never saw the author face to face, it is undeniable that an intimate connection existed between them. The identity of the writer is almost a hidden treasure for professors, and a portion of mystery for readers who have come across his works.
A parallel story
When opening a copy of Theseus' ship It is possible to notice that it is full of annotations everywhere: subtitles, text guides, library signs, among others. However, The most notable thing is a set of comments that cover all margins of the book. These have been made by different people over several years, but only two become truly important for the purposes of the story: Jen and Erick, students at the university.
Both are studying degrees in Lago Verde. He fell out of favor during his graduate studies, and has taken a great interest in Straka's life and his literary works. She is a senior who is positively contemplating her next steps. They both found the book separately, and when they realized that someone else was making notes, they decided to respond with their own findings.
Research
From then on, Jen and Erick communicate through Theseus' ship. Everything they managed to find is written in the book itself, in the margins. In addition, the boys left maps, letters, postcards, old newspaper articles, copies of the school magazine, documentation, photographs, and other elements external to the book that, at the same time, are part of it. This is a real search work, the discovery of a treasure.
On the other hand, not only Jen, Erick and Straka are part of the plot of the novel, but to understand it, the reader must immerse themselves in it calmly to discover all the secrets. Within the final pages of Theseus' ship There is a disc with numbers, which could indicate a hidden code which will only be possible to guess by reading all the texts contained in this enigmatic and original work.
About the authors
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob Abrams, known to the media simply as JJ Abrams, was born in 1966, in New York, United States. His name is synonymous with entertainment, since He was the director of successful series, such as Lost and in cinema, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy. During his career he has been nominated for multiple awards, of which he has won an Emmy for Best Director of a Drama Series. Lost (2005), in addition to the same recognition for Best Drama Series.
JJ Abrams has also stood out as a screenwriter, writing for films such as joy ride and an unproduced film Superman. Although he is most famous for his activity as a producer and director, likes to collaborate on works with high imaginative content, working on science fiction and fantasy series such as Fringe, for the POX channel.
Doug Dorst
Dorst is an American writer, short story writer, and creative writing instructor. He is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and the Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University. He currently works in the Master's Program in Creative Writing at Texas State University. in San Marcos. The author was a finalist for the Hemingway/PEN Foundation Award (2008) thanks to his novel Alive in Necropolis.
Likewise, His work won laurels such as the Emperor Norton Award and San Francisco's One City One Book selection (2009). Likewise, his collection The Surf Guru was well received and long-listed for the Frank O'Connor Short Story Award.