When authors refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
This book has a surprisingly small number of shout-outs, especially given how long, philosophical, and intellectual it is. But the book is set in an alternate universe, so the number of "real world" references is limited. The arts and history mentioned in the book are largely fictional. Which is kind of cool, really.
Literary and Philosophical References
- Aristotle (all of the volume titles are references to Aristotle's writings; throughout 3.7)
- Atlantis (1.6.1.421, 2.9.1.5, throughout all of Volume 3)
- Prometheus (2.5.1.266)
- Phaethon (1.4.1.41)
- Original Sin (3.7.1.201)
- Fountain of Youth (1.7.2.98)
Historical References
- Project X (a reference to the Manhattan Project – throughout the entire novel)
- US Constitution (3.10.3.5)
- George Washington (2.6.1.27)
- Patrick Henry (as in Patrick Henry University, throughout the whole novel)