📚APR 2026 Cosmicomics #3 A SIGN IN SPACE
Original topic subject: 📚APR 2026 Cosmiccomics #3 A SIGN IN SPACE
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1DebiCates
Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino translated by William Weaver, collection first published 1965.
Discussion links:
Introduction
The Distance of the Moon
At Daybreak
A Sign in Space (This page)
All at One Point
Without Colors
Games Without End
The Aquatic Uncle
How Much Shall We Bet?
The Dinosaurs
The Form of Space
The Light-Years
The Spiral
Final Thoughts
Discussion links:
Introduction
The Distance of the Moon
At Daybreak
A Sign in Space (This page)
All at One Point
Without Colors
Games Without End
The Aquatic Uncle
How Much Shall We Bet?
The Dinosaurs
The Form of Space
The Light-Years
The Spiral
Final Thoughts
2DebiCates
The Milky Way. All the stars we see in our night sky are part of our Milky Way galaxy. But because the Milky Way is shaped like a disk, we see a brighter concentration of stars in a flat band
This chapter was more abstract than the other two. I've had to think about it for a couple of days.
Qwfwq's tale is a tad further along. He is alone now, somewhere in this solar system and yet understands he is in the Milky Way, He's been been going round and round with it in its 200 million year rotation to make a full orbit.
He decides to do something to pass the time. He decides to make a sign, place it along his route, and becomes gripped by the idea. He looks forward to seeing it again as the galaxy rotates back to that spot. He places his sign (it's never described, something beyond our ability to conceptualize) outside the galaxy. Smart thinking, Qwfwq.
After his first full rotation after placing his sign, he learns there is another sign-maker, who vandalized his and is poorly imitating him by making another sign elsewhere. This distresses Qwfwq. He feels it takes away his originality, his self-identification, his unique concept of putting order onto an order-less universe.
But time doesn't stand still as we all know. 700 million years go by and the galaxy itself is changing. Plus more and more and more signs show up. Even signs that he believes were meant not to look like signs. Or signs that look like signs that are not signs at all. Ultimately, his view of the universe is changed. He wonders if there was ever any "space" at all in the universe.
I'm mulling over the meaning of this. It's one of those concepts that not only nags, but is hard to hold on to once you think you have a handle on it, often finding yourself thinking two opposing thoughts. Like: the universe was always full of meaning (signs) and the universe never had discernable meaning (signs) except what entities like Qwfwq and others are giving it.
Yeah. Not much "comic" in this cosmic chapter. But mind-blowingly thought-provoking. i even think it might hint, as one reviewer, a poet, said, that in Qwfwq's world, it was filled with "semiotic detritus."
There's that word again, a new word I just learned, semiotics, in the group discussion of the latest Saturday shared poem over on The Poetry Collective.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/383381#9169814
It's always weird when a word pops up in multiple places after first learning about it. It feels extra weird, extra delightful with the Artemis II floating above us.
Here's that review, part of a site with a verrrrry interesting challenge. Beyond my abilities.
https://asignin.space/a-nice-passing/
And here's a link to a fascinating poem by the author of that review, Christian Bok, Canadian experimental poet, titled "The Great Order of the Universe" (It contains Legos!)
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/52727/the-great-order-of-t...
My mind is fully blown. It feels good.
This chapter was more abstract than the other two. I've had to think about it for a couple of days.
Qwfwq's tale is a tad further along. He is alone now, somewhere in this solar system and yet understands he is in the Milky Way, He's been been going round and round with it in its 200 million year rotation to make a full orbit.
He decides to do something to pass the time. He decides to make a sign, place it along his route, and becomes gripped by the idea. He looks forward to seeing it again as the galaxy rotates back to that spot. He places his sign (it's never described, something beyond our ability to conceptualize) outside the galaxy. Smart thinking, Qwfwq.
After his first full rotation after placing his sign, he learns there is another sign-maker, who vandalized his and is poorly imitating him by making another sign elsewhere. This distresses Qwfwq. He feels it takes away his originality, his self-identification, his unique concept of putting order onto an order-less universe.
But time doesn't stand still as we all know. 700 million years go by and the galaxy itself is changing. Plus more and more and more signs show up. Even signs that he believes were meant not to look like signs. Or signs that look like signs that are not signs at all. Ultimately, his view of the universe is changed. He wonders if there was ever any "space" at all in the universe.
I'm mulling over the meaning of this. It's one of those concepts that not only nags, but is hard to hold on to once you think you have a handle on it, often finding yourself thinking two opposing thoughts. Like: the universe was always full of meaning (signs) and the universe never had discernable meaning (signs) except what entities like Qwfwq and others are giving it.
Yeah. Not much "comic" in this cosmic chapter. But mind-blowingly thought-provoking. i even think it might hint, as one reviewer, a poet, said, that in Qwfwq's world, it was filled with "semiotic detritus."
There's that word again, a new word I just learned, semiotics, in the group discussion of the latest Saturday shared poem over on The Poetry Collective.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/383381#9169814
It's always weird when a word pops up in multiple places after first learning about it. It feels extra weird, extra delightful with the Artemis II floating above us.
Here's that review, part of a site with a verrrrry interesting challenge. Beyond my abilities.
https://asignin.space/a-nice-passing/
And here's a link to a fascinating poem by the author of that review, Christian Bok, Canadian experimental poet, titled "The Great Order of the Universe" (It contains Legos!)
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/52727/the-great-order-of-t...
My mind is fully blown. It feels good.
