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May 26, 2020
ssc

“My Immortal” As Alchemical Allegory

53 min • 7,395 words • 164 comments • podcast (55 min)
Scott Alexander humorously analyzes 'My Immortal' as an alchemical allegory, combining medieval alchemy, Rosicrucian writings, and Goethe's Faust. Longer summary
Scott Alexander presents a satirical analysis of the infamous Harry Potter fanfiction 'My Immortal', arguing that it is actually a complex alchemical allegory combining medieval alchemy, Rosicrucian writings, and Goethe's Faust. He breaks down the story's structure, characters, and symbolism, drawing parallels to alchemical stages and concepts. The post is written in a tongue-in-cheek manner, mimicking academic literary analysis while applied to a notoriously bad piece of writing. Shorter summary
Nov 09, 2017
ssc

Ars Longa, Vita Brevis

23 min • 3,144 words • 214 comments • podcast (24 min)
A warrior seeks help from Alchemists to save a prince, but is refused as the Alchemist explains their multi-generational quest for immortality cannot be interrupted. Longer summary
The post is a fictional story about an encounter between a warrior and an Alchemist. The warrior comes to request help from the Alchemists' guild to save a dying prince, but the Alchemist refuses, explaining that their work cannot be interrupted. Through a series of analogies involving architecture and knowledge accumulation, the Alchemist explains the nature of their work: a multi-generational effort to create the Philosopher's Stone and achieve immortality. The Alchemist argues that their work is so advanced and time-sensitive that even a brief interruption would set them back generations. The story explores themes of knowledge transmission, the limits of human lifespan, and the pursuit of immortality. Shorter summary