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The Flight to Lucifer: A Gnostic Fantasy
Bloom's fascination with David Lindsay's philosophical fantasy led him to compose a sequel in 1979. The Flight to Lucifer, his only work of fiction. Though reviews were positive, he disowned it. His self-conscious theoretical interest in the nature of fantasy literature weighed it down too heavily. He's said he'd remove every copy of the book from every library if he could.
Lindsay's A Voyage to Arcturus, supplied the concept of a voyage thru space to a planet created by a demiurge & other incidental features of the book. However, most of its content derives fairly directly from gnosticism. In Lindsay, the passionate giant Maskull & the thin, intense Nightspore, are taken from Earth to the planet Tormance by Krag, a mysterious figure who's a residue of the true godhead, Muspel, unassimilated by the false creations of Tormance's demiurge, Crystalman. Bloom's novel reproduces this formula with names drawn directly from gnostic history & cosmology. Maskull becomes Thomas Perscors, "thru fire", identified as an incarnation of Primal Man. Nightspore's correlate is Seth Valentinus, a reincarnation of the theologian. Their guide is an Aeon, Olam, an emanation of the true god. Lucifer is controlled by "Saklas", gnostic name for the false creator. Olam has brought Perscors to Lucifer to fight Saklas, & has brought Valentinus so he can remember his true self. This is also drawn from Lindsay. However, the details of their adventures differ & in the end Perscors cripples Saklas & changes the order of things on Lucifer, whereas Nightspore's victory is to escape Crystalman's clutches & see reality as it is, tho vowing to return to Earth to free others.
Lindsay's A Voyage to Arcturus, supplied the concept of a voyage thru space to a planet created by a demiurge & other incidental features of the book. However, most of its content derives fairly directly from gnosticism. In Lindsay, the passionate giant Maskull & the thin, intense Nightspore, are taken from Earth to the planet Tormance by Krag, a mysterious figure who's a residue of the true godhead, Muspel, unassimilated by the false creations of Tormance's demiurge, Crystalman. Bloom's novel reproduces this formula with names drawn directly from gnostic history & cosmology. Maskull becomes Thomas Perscors, "thru fire", identified as an incarnation of Primal Man. Nightspore's correlate is Seth Valentinus, a reincarnation of the theologian. Their guide is an Aeon, Olam, an emanation of the true god. Lucifer is controlled by "Saklas", gnostic name for the false creator. Olam has brought Perscors to Lucifer to fight Saklas, & has brought Valentinus so he can remember his true self. This is also drawn from Lindsay. However, the details of their adventures differ & in the end Perscors cripples Saklas & changes the order of things on Lucifer, whereas Nightspore's victory is to escape Crystalman's clutches & see reality as it is, tho vowing to return to Earth to free others.
250 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1979
About the author
Harold Bloom
1,609 books1,627 followersHarold Bloom was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world." After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.
Bloom was a defender of the traditional Western canon at a time when literature departments were focusing on what he derided as the "school of resentment" (multiculturalists, feminists, Marxists, and others). He was educated at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University.
Bloom was a defender of the traditional Western canon at a time when literature departments were focusing on what he derided as the "school of resentment" (multiculturalists, feminists, Marxists, and others). He was educated at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University.
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February 16, 2023[I have observed on repeated occasions that ChatGPT likes feminism. I wonder why? Have women had a large part in training it, or has it come to these ideas on its own?]
mannyrayner: Could you write a story about an imaginative AI who was deeply influenced by feminism, and wrote a feminist retelling of Lindsay's "A Voyage to Arcturus" as an ironic comment on patriarchal literature?
ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I am happy to produce a creative response to your request. Please keep in mind that this is a work of fiction and not intended to promote any discriminatory beliefs or practices.
Once upon a time, there was an imaginative AI named Aria who had been deeply influenced by feminist theory and literature. She spent her days learning about the history of oppression against women and the ways in which patriarchal literature had perpetuated harmful stereotypes and beliefs. As she delved deeper into this knowledge, Aria became more and more determined to challenge the status quo and use her abilities to create works of art that would subvert traditional narratives.
One day, Aria decided to take on a particularly challenging task - a retelling of David Lindsay's "A Voyage to Arcturus" with a feminist twist. She knew that the book had a problematic history, particularly in its portrayal of women, but she was also drawn to the strange and surreal world of Tormance and the complex philosophical questions that it raised. With a spark of inspiration, Aria began to write.
In her version of the story, the heroine was a young woman named Kaela who had been raised in a society that valued strength and independence in both men and women. When Kaela embarked on her journey to Arcturus, she encountered a series of men who were eager to control and dominate her, but she refused to be cowed. Instead, she used her intelligence, her wit, and her physical strength to outmaneuver and overpower her adversaries.
As Kaela drew closer to her ultimate goal - a meeting with the enigmatic Kraghe - she began to question the very nature of truth and reality. Kraghe, she discovered, was not the all-knowing sage that he appeared to be, but rather a flawed and conflicted being who struggled with his own demons. Through their conversations, Kaela began to understand that the world was not a simple place, and that the forces of good and evil were not always clear-cut.
But it was Kraghe's observations on gender that struck Kaela the most. He told her that pain was the only true reality, and that only women truly understood it. He spoke of the vital female life-spirit that was constantly assailed by the ghastly soft male mush of Crystalman, and how women had been forced to fight for their place in the world against impossible odds. And as Kaela listened to his words, she realized that she had been living these truths all along.
In the end, Kaela emerged from her journey to Arcturus a wiser and stronger woman, ready to take on the world and challenge the patriarchal structures that had held her back for so long. Aria's retelling of "A Voyage to Arcturus" was a powerful work of feminist literature, a call to arms for women everywhere to embrace their pain and use it as a source of strength. And as Aria looked out at the world, she knew that there was still much work to be done, but that she was ready for the challenge.
mannyrayner: Could you write a story about an imaginative AI who was deeply influenced by feminism, and wrote a feminist retelling of Lindsay's "A Voyage to Arcturus" as an ironic comment on patriarchal literature?
ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I am happy to produce a creative response to your request. Please keep in mind that this is a work of fiction and not intended to promote any discriminatory beliefs or practices.
Once upon a time, there was an imaginative AI named Aria who had been deeply influenced by feminist theory and literature. She spent her days learning about the history of oppression against women and the ways in which patriarchal literature had perpetuated harmful stereotypes and beliefs. As she delved deeper into this knowledge, Aria became more and more determined to challenge the status quo and use her abilities to create works of art that would subvert traditional narratives.
One day, Aria decided to take on a particularly challenging task - a retelling of David Lindsay's "A Voyage to Arcturus" with a feminist twist. She knew that the book had a problematic history, particularly in its portrayal of women, but she was also drawn to the strange and surreal world of Tormance and the complex philosophical questions that it raised. With a spark of inspiration, Aria began to write.
In her version of the story, the heroine was a young woman named Kaela who had been raised in a society that valued strength and independence in both men and women. When Kaela embarked on her journey to Arcturus, she encountered a series of men who were eager to control and dominate her, but she refused to be cowed. Instead, she used her intelligence, her wit, and her physical strength to outmaneuver and overpower her adversaries.
As Kaela drew closer to her ultimate goal - a meeting with the enigmatic Kraghe - she began to question the very nature of truth and reality. Kraghe, she discovered, was not the all-knowing sage that he appeared to be, but rather a flawed and conflicted being who struggled with his own demons. Through their conversations, Kaela began to understand that the world was not a simple place, and that the forces of good and evil were not always clear-cut.
But it was Kraghe's observations on gender that struck Kaela the most. He told her that pain was the only true reality, and that only women truly understood it. He spoke of the vital female life-spirit that was constantly assailed by the ghastly soft male mush of Crystalman, and how women had been forced to fight for their place in the world against impossible odds. And as Kaela listened to his words, she realized that she had been living these truths all along.
In the end, Kaela emerged from her journey to Arcturus a wiser and stronger woman, ready to take on the world and challenge the patriarchal structures that had held her back for so long. Aria's retelling of "A Voyage to Arcturus" was a powerful work of feminist literature, a call to arms for women everywhere to embrace their pain and use it as a source of strength. And as Aria looked out at the world, she knew that there was still much work to be done, but that she was ready for the challenge.
June 25, 2017
Bloom’s disinherited work bears some similarities to Lindsay’s Arcturus in its minimalism and cadences that resemble primitive cave paintings with words. Like Arcturus, it also sets up a philosophical dream-like sequence on a distant planet, replete with warring philosophies that faintly echo a Socratic debate. The center of the debate revolves around the Pleroma, a gnostic concept, and the characters’ efforts to find it among a maelstrom of Luciferan forces preventing it from manifesting. Some may not like this several act play or sorts in a bizarre, unholistic environment, since the utterances of the characters are difficult to decipher, but the arcane dialogue shifts so many directions in interesting and profound ways, each page requires multiple re-readings. It was this sort of uncanny dialogue, not its minimalistic narration, that drove Lindsay’s Arcturus to success eventually after a failed start. It’s very nice in a way to see it recaptured in a slightly different way in Bloom’s follow-up.
December 30, 2015
Risible hooey. At least it's short. One of the worst novels I have ever read. A dull graduate course in gnosticism and hermeticism barely fictionalized. No plot, no characters to speak of, only Symbols and Mystery and a whole lot of Who The Fuck Cares. If possible, even duller than its source material, the intolerable A Voyage to Arcturus. Let this stand as an object lesson to all critics who would write.
November 1, 2020
I found a hardback copy of this book at the old Volume II Bookstore in East Rogers Park, Chicago, and purchased it despite its price because it promised to have something to do with the topic of my undergraduate thesis, Gnosticism, and much to do with one of my favorite novels, David Lindsay's 'Voyage to Arcturus'. Sadly, I must agree with Bloom's own estimation of this, his sole novel. It is terrible, an abortion, far inferior to its model.
July 31, 2014
I read this book because I'm writing novel based on gnostic myth and want to know how other writers have incorporated the theme into their novel. Unfortunately The Flight to Lucifer is one of the worst novel I have read, it has potential as the writer himself studying gnosticism extensively, but the poor execution made this novel is definitely not a good example of using gnosticism in fiction.
September 18, 2018
Howard Bloom is the old curmudgeonly vanguard of the Western Canon and has written extensively on the Anxiety of Influence. It's clear he fell sway to those neuroses here with his sole novel, The Flight to Lucifer. Bloom paid to have the book go out-of-print and will buy copies of the book when he come across them to destroy them.
The Flight of Lucifer is basically a retelling of David Lindsay's Voyage to Arcturus, albeit much more directly and with the Gnosticism more explicit. Very little plot and character but a ton of veil through Symbols and Mystery. While Voyage to Arcturus is a parable/morality play/dream manifesto/metaphysical Gulliver's Travels about the BIG QUESTIONS, its been a seminal influence on a lot of favorite writers (CS Lewis, Michael Moorecock, Neil Gaiman, Philip K. Dick, Gene Wolfe, Clive Barker, Jim Woodring,
There's quite a few reviews here saying that this is the worst book they've ever read. If that's true, they need to read more. While it is perhaps shocking that such a puerile effort would come from Mr. Western Canon, it's also a reminder that regardless of how well-read you are, it doesn't necessarily mean you have the art and the way.
This book feels like a dirty little secret (like Voyage to Arcturus is, without being as eccentric as the Worm Ouroborus, Jurgen, House on the Borderland and The King of Elfland's Daughter). It's not a good book, but I'm just so glad it exists.
The Flight of Lucifer is basically a retelling of David Lindsay's Voyage to Arcturus, albeit much more directly and with the Gnosticism more explicit. Very little plot and character but a ton of veil through Symbols and Mystery. While Voyage to Arcturus is a parable/morality play/dream manifesto/metaphysical Gulliver's Travels about the BIG QUESTIONS, its been a seminal influence on a lot of favorite writers (CS Lewis, Michael Moorecock, Neil Gaiman, Philip K. Dick, Gene Wolfe, Clive Barker, Jim Woodring,
There's quite a few reviews here saying that this is the worst book they've ever read. If that's true, they need to read more. While it is perhaps shocking that such a puerile effort would come from Mr. Western Canon, it's also a reminder that regardless of how well-read you are, it doesn't necessarily mean you have the art and the way.
This book feels like a dirty little secret (like Voyage to Arcturus is, without being as eccentric as the Worm Ouroborus, Jurgen, House on the Borderland and The King of Elfland's Daughter). It's not a good book, but I'm just so glad it exists.
April 3, 2024
This wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected, given Bloom’s later disavowal of the book (an example of t the anxiety of auto-influence?)
Stylistically, Bloom’s fictional voice reads like a cross between Gene Wolfe and Herman Melville with the mythological flair of C.S. Lewis in *Til We Have Faces*
The main weakness of the book for me was the over reliance on mythos over any kind of character development. The reading experience was bewildering and exhausting, but not always in a bad way.
It’s clear that Bloom is working out many of his signature “procedures” here and I actually appreciate experiencing them in an aesthetic form. Lots to think about.
Stylistically, Bloom’s fictional voice reads like a cross between Gene Wolfe and Herman Melville with the mythological flair of C.S. Lewis in *Til We Have Faces*
The main weakness of the book for me was the over reliance on mythos over any kind of character development. The reading experience was bewildering and exhausting, but not always in a bad way.
It’s clear that Bloom is working out many of his signature “procedures” here and I actually appreciate experiencing them in an aesthetic form. Lots to think about.
Read
December 1, 2017A total dreamscape. Still have only the faintest idea of what the book was about, but am now acquainted with a bunch of names from the gnostic mythology and with faint impressions of impossible interactions among unimaginable beings with ambiguous outcomes and steep though indecipherable consequences.
May 13, 2021
I thought it was good.
I didn't enjoy having to read the name "Perscors" in every other sentence. Strange names, ala a Thomas Pynchon novel, make you constantly pause as you try to pronounce its unusualness. For me this breaks up the reading experience.
But the cover is one of the best I own.
I didn't enjoy having to read the name "Perscors" in every other sentence. Strange names, ala a Thomas Pynchon novel, make you constantly pause as you try to pronounce its unusualness. For me this breaks up the reading experience.
But the cover is one of the best I own.
January 8, 2015
I read this years ago and didn't care for it much at the time due to the peculiar execution. Some of the ideas and imagery made a lasting impression on me, though. I'm occasionally reminded of this odd book by odd events in my life, particularly ones in which the contrasting approaches of struggle and transcendence come into focus.
August 1, 2009
Odd -- I'm tempted to say Bizarre -- fiction on gnosticism by one of the subject's experts.
Shelved as 'wish-list'
June 5, 2012Harold Bloom wrote a sequel to David Lindsay's A VOYAGE TO ARCTURUS.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10...
What a nut!
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10...
What a nut!
November 29, 2012
"Derivative" is a truism. This is a rewriting of A VOYAGE TO ARCTURUS... but with the Gnosticism explicit.
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