Spermatikos Logos: Thomas Pynchon
Founded in 1996, Spermatikos Logos is dedicated to exploring the works of the American writer Thomas Pynchon. Known as much for his reclusively as his eclectic genius, Pynchon is the author of eight astonishing novels, including the twentieth-century masterpiece, Gravity’s Rainbow. Charting a dizzying course from the Enlightenment to the birth of Modernity, from the ruins of postwar Europe to the collapse of the twentieth century, Pynchon’s novels occupy a mythical space that defies convention and genre. From the enigmatic gem of The Crying of Lot 49 to the shifting labyrinth of Against the Day, Pynchon’s work ranges the spectrum of human experience between Burroughs’ horrific shlupp! and Joyce’s wondrous yes. A postmodern Daedalus, Pynchon has developed a reputation as being a “difficult” writer; but his gnostic, literary mazes are built to reveal, as well as confound. To quote the Doosra: “The journey itself is a kind of conscious Being, a living deity who does not wish to engage with the foolish or the weak.” For those willing to make the journey, a fictional universe awaits; as luminous and complex as life itself, with generous measures of beauty and obscenity, awareness and obfuscation, comedy and tragedy.
(Introduction)
Or: “Why is this site called Spermatikos Logos?” A short explanation of the birth of this site and an introduction to its parents.
(Biography)
A small biography of the reclusive Thomas Pynchon, American Writer.
(Works)
An overview of the fictional stars in Pynchon’s constellation of works, from Slow Learner to Bleeding Edge.
(Uncollected Pynchon)
An online collection of various essays, reviews, endorsements and liner notes written by Pynchon himself.
(Criticism)
A list of books and articles written about Pynchon and his works.
(Online Papers)
Academic papers and essays about Pynchon’s work.
(Articles)
Articles and pieces about Pynchon and his work.
(Quotations)
A collection of interesting quotations, remarks, paranoid soliloquies and other musings culled from the Pynchon oeuvre.
(Audio)
Pynchon on audio and other spoken-word media.
(Online Video)
Pynchon-related content on YouTube and Vimeo: readings, critique, video and animation.
(Film & TV)
Films and documentaries that have featured Pynchon or have been inspired by his work.
(Music)
Musical artists that have been inspired by the works of Pynchon, collected by the good folks at KCUF.
Hey, We’ve Got Awesome And Hip Web Graphics, Here
(Images)
A collection of Pynchonesque images. [TBD]
(Unique Pynchonalia)
A few rare and interesting items of Pynchonalia discovered in the archives of the riverrun Discordian Society.
(Communities)
A directory of online mailing lists, clubs, and reading groups related to Pynchon and his work.
(Offsite Links)
Links to other sites relating to Pynchon and his works.
(FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions)
Do you have a question about Pynchon, this Web site, or the folks that run it? Try the Spermatikos Logos FAQ file first.
“Welcome to Dr. Larry’s World of Discomfort,” he would whisper, going through the paperwork.
(Contact I)
Contact Dr Larry Daw if you have any questions or comments about Pynchon.
(Contact II)
Contact the Great Quail if you have any suggestions, submissions, or criticisms about this site.
Who would have thought so many would be here? They keep appearing all through this disquieting structure, gathered in groups, pacing alone in meditation, or studying the paintings, the books, the exhibits. It seems to be some very extensive museum, a place of many levels, and new wings that generate like living tissue – though if it all does grow toward some end shape, those who are here inside it can’t see it. Some of the halls are to be entered at one’s peril, and monitors are standing at all the approaches to make this clear. Movement among these pasages is without friction, skimming and rapid, often headlong, as on perfect roller skates. Parts of the long galleries are open to the sea. There are cafes to sit in and watch the sunsets – or sunrises, depending on the hours of shifts and symposia. Fantastic pastry carts come by, big as pantechnicons: one has to go inside, search the numberless shelves, each revealing treats gooier and sweeter than the last. …
