My Thoughts On This Are, Yes Absolutely A Traveller Gave John A Copy Of Great Astronomical Discoveries

My thoughts on this are, yes absolutely a Traveller gave John a copy of Great Astronomical Discoveries specifically to send him to New York to get Margaret and the Stratfords. We know Sia has precognative abilities and meddles in moving our brick family around to protect them. It's not too unlikely to imagine the hoax story sparked the interest of travelers aside from Margaret, and that they all needed to leave New York before Kal showed up there. And Margaret wasn't too great at this whole staying hidden thing either. Even without her memories. She still appeared in the paper enough for Samuel to recognize her, probably due to her donating a lot of money to different scientific organizations in search of answers.

(In the historical event the Great Moon Hoax, real John thought the hoax was amusing, but didn't care until people started showing up in South Africa to bother him and ask to see the moon people. So like, technically this could be a reference to that, but the timelines don't really match up.)

you're on your way to Lincoln island, meanwhile I'm still here.

It HAD to be divine intervention right???? Traveller Species intervention?? Those pieces had to fall into place??? The Paper had to reach the cape of good hope in time?? Because John had to be in New York in September??? so that he could take them to British Guiana??? So that they could be launched via the satellite so Sia could meet them in space??? So that they could end up on the Ellen Austin??? Right??? These characters have so much momentum behind them and they don't even know???

A portrait of Sir John Herschel because I‘m normal about Pulp Musicals

her <3

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!! Freaking out rn. And are those gear sounds? Like from an orrey perhaps?

So I'm reading the Blazing World, and wow the Empress and the Duchess are so gay for each other. (Ignore the weird spelling, but):

"Husbands have reason to be jealous of Platonick Lovers, for they are very dangerous, as being not only intimate and close, but subtil and insinuating."

"at her first arrival, the Empress imbraced and saluted her with a spiritual kiss"

"The Empress, who loved the Duchess as her own soul"

"Your soul shall live with my soul in my body." -Empress, to the Duchess

I will admit, when I initially heard that Margaret Cavendish put an unnamed self insert into her Blazing World book, I assumed it was the Empress, but her self insert being the Empress's ("platonic") lover is even more fascinating to me.

Both of these women are married btw, although the Empress more for political reasons than anything else. The Emperor does not care what she does, and even told her to summon her "dear platonick friend" because he didn't know how to help her. As far as the Duke goes, there's a scene where both the Duchess's and Empress's souls are inside the Duke's body, and initially the Duchess is jealous, but then realizes "there can be no adultery between Platonick lovers" and is cool with it.

And I just. What was that about, Margaret? Please. You, your fictional girlfriend, your husband. What is going on in this book????

And why does the Duke's soul use she/her pronouns?

Please, I have so many questions. Not even about the hybrid animal people this time.

List of pulp melodies I adore:

Planet Earth, 1835 (absolutely gorgeous, appears in various songs throughout TGMH, and makes a reappearance in May this monument stand forever)

It is 1835! Oh what a time to be alive! (an absolute bop! I scream this all the time)

Samuel walks the avenue (this is absolutely gorgeous. It’s in TGMH a couple times, but haven’t found it anywhere else)

Rose infodumping (A man named Samuel Morse has left a code for us to crack,…) (This might also be a Rose theme, but it shows up again when she meets John for the first time and asks about science, when she and Samuel are on the satellite talking about what to write in the journal, and it underscores Rose’s explanation of Mahogony as well)

They approached the window slowly, as if they were about to enter someplace holy (Um, absolutely beautiful. If this was anywhere else, someone please tell me. I adore it)

Basically, all of Brick Satellite. All three of them. Especially “suddenly catapulting out of this world”

Like a dream, in an endless sleep, then in a crash you were awakened (part of When are we, also appears in “like a prey in a desperate chase, Samuel ran to meet Margaret”)

Hanover, British Guiana, yesterday population six (This is part of When are We, and it appears all over TGOA, including “Captain AJ Griffen walked in the rain as the skeleton crew rowed away” and “Captain Griffen was possessed by Kal, as it turns out, not a ghost”) As the crew sang shanties in the mess hall, John Herschel walked the deck alone. (reappeared at the beginning of shifts reprise)