1st Edition

The Clouds An Experiment in Theory-Fiction

By Stefano Gualeni Copyright 2024
    176 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

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    On a slow autumn afternoon, an atmospheric physicist working at the Malta Weather Station receives a surprising email from a colleague working in the United Kingdom: something troubling has apparently been detected during one of their research flights. The ensuing meteorological mystery is the starting point for the science fiction novella The Clouds. Alongside the novella, this book features three essays written by the same author that discuss in a more explicit and conventional way three philosophical ideas showcased in The Clouds:

      • the expressive use of fictional games within fictional worlds;
      • the possibility for existential meaning within simulated universes; and
      • the unnatural narratological trope of "unhappening."

    With its unique format, this book is a fresh reflection on the mediatic form of philosophy and a compelling argument for the philosophical value of fiction.

    - Acknowledgments

    The Clouds

    - 1. RETURNING SAILS

    - 2. EVENING BELL

    - 3. DESCENDING GEESE

    - 4. EVENING SNOW

    - 5. NIGHT RAIN

    - 6. AUTUMN MOON

    - 7. TWILIGHT GLOW

    - 8. CLEARING WEATHER

    - 9. Afterword by the author: AN EXPERIMENT IN THEORY-FICTION

    Three Essays

    - The Expressive Use of Fictional Games in The Clouds

    - Theodicy and Existential Meaning in Simulated Universes

    - On the Unnatural Narrative Trope of Unhappening

    Index

    Biography

    Stefano Gualeni (Ph.D.) is a professor at the Institute of Digital Games (University of Malta) and a visiting professor at LCAD (Laguna Beach, California). He is the author of the following monographic books: Virtual Worlds as Philosophical Tools (2015), Virtual Existentialism (2020 – with Daniel Vella), Fictional Games (2023 – with Riccardo Fassone), and The Clouds: An Experiment in Theory-Fiction. Find out more about him and his games at www.gua-le-ni.com.