„FROM FALLEN LONDON TO SUNLESS SKIES“: REINVENTING ALBION IN THE STARS

ЗВЕЗДЕ :  књижевна, језичка, уметничка и културна астропоетика 2024, (153-166)

AUTHOR(S) / АУТОР(И): Boško B. FRANCUSKI, Biljana Đ. ĐORIĆ FRANCUSKI

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DOI: 10.46793/Zvezde24.153F

ABSTRACT / САЖЕТАК:

The aim of this paper is to analyse the elements of the alternate history genre and intertextuality in the trilogy of video games consisting of: Fallen London, Sunless Sea, and Sunless Skies, developed by Failbetter Games Studio. The plot of these three games follows the destiny of London and its inhabitants in the time of Queen Victoria: starting with the nexus point when the city fell under the ground where it is deprived of the Sun’s light in the first game, then travelling through the dark underground sea in the second game, and all the way until it soars high into the skies in the third one and becomes New London, as the capital of reinvented Albion. One question that has intrigued people throughout history is: What would happen if the brightest and the most important star for Earth disappeared? Would life on our planet become a hellish nightmare? Science has shown that this is a real possibility and it has already happened to mankind several times – there has even been a lengthy period of a year and a half without sunlight, but the purpose of this paper is to explore this possible reality in the alternate history depicted by the Fallen London video games.

KEYWORDS / КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ:

The Sun, London, video games, narrative, alternate history, intertextuality

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