"Of Inventions and Regret" by Lyra

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Challenge: "Manhattan Project" on the Maglor in History 1 BINGO card, "Cold War" on the Maglor in History 2 BINGO card, "Pipeweed" on the Smells BINGO card

Format: Short story (~1500 words)

Genre: Crossover w/ Real World History

Rating: General

Warnings: Sloppy research

Characters: Maglor, J. Robert Oppenheimer

Pairings: none

Creators' Notes (optional): Started for B2MeM 2012, finished for B2MeM 2016...

Summary: Maglor and J. Robert Oppenheimer meet in a diner in the 1960s. They speak of television and the bomb, and in a way, of Silmarils.

"Of Inventions and Regret" on SWG

Comments

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

I don't normally read crossovers but your summary intrigued me. I'm glad I decided to read. I enjoyed your characterisations and I could see, smell and hear the setting. And the analogies between their lives was clever. But what I really liked was the premise that it isn't the science that's bad, just the uses we put it to.

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Thank you - especially if this is normally a genre that you avoid! I'm so happy you enjoyed this little piece. And yes, I think it's so important to remember that while technologies and new developments can be (and sadly, often have been) for bad purposes, they can also have an immensely positive impact. Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting here communicating across thousands of miles on our computers! :)

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

This was really interesting! I liked it a lot :)

Kaylee Arafinwiel

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading and letting me know! :)

[hhimring]

I don't know enough about the period to be a good judge, I guess, but it's so densely textured that you've quite convinced me of the setting, at any rate.
And that "harnessing light" idea works really well to connect your themes.

[blslarner.livejournal.com]

At least Oppenheimer realizes he's facing someone who is more than he appears. And Maglor has learned hope.

Why "Laurence" for the chosen last name?

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm a fan of the idea that Maglor is pretty resilient (a result of his happy Valinorean childhood, one assumes! ;)), and that, throughout his wanderings, he interacted with people - and learned to move on. I like some doom and gloom every now and then, but not as a plot point stretching over hundreds of years. ;)
I guess my version of Oppenheimer is relatively open-minded - and of course Maglor allows him to glimpse something Other about him, rather than carefully hiding it.

Heh! I mostly chose the name of Marc Laurence for reasons of visual similarity. As it happens, "Marc" is related to the Roman god of war, Mars, and thus quite a good translation for the maca-, i.e., "warrior" part of the name. Laurence, on the other hand, I mostly just chose to make up the laurë end. Being related to "laurel", I suppose a poet laureate connection could be construed; but really, I just wanted to have a name that easily said "Macalaurë", but at the same time, would pass as an unremarkable English/American name. Thank you for asking!

[nialoke]

This was quite an interesting read! I can see this happening.

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Thank you, glad you found it plausible.