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Changed line(s) 42 (click to see context) from:
* GeckoEnding: ''In-Universe'': As stated in the foreward, the ending of the final chapter is rewritten by Caldeira after Straka experiences AuthorExistenceFailure. Several alternative endings, each purporting to be the ''real ending'' to the book, later emerge online. See MultipleEndings for more details.
to:
* GeckoEnding: ''In-Universe'': As stated in the foreward, the ending of the final chapter is rewritten by Caldeira after Straka experiences AuthorExistenceFailure.DiesDuringProduction. Several alternative endings, each purporting to be the ''real ending'' to the book, later emerge online. See MultipleEndings for more details.
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'''Now has a [[Characters/SDorst Characters page]] that is under construction and NeedsWikiMagicLove.'''
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Moving these to Characters page
'''Now has a [[Characters/SDorst Characters page]] that is under construction and NeedsWikiMagicLove.'''
Deleted line(s) 27 (click to see context) :
* AuthorAvatar: According to Doug Dorst, Eric was based on himself, while Jen was created as a {{Foil}} to Eric.
Deleted line(s) 33 (click to see context) :
* CharacterBlog: [[https://twitter.com/EricHusch Eric]] and [[https://twitter.com/jentheundergrad?lang=en Jen]] both have Twitter accounts, which offer additional observations they made from the book, as well as some personal communication. Jen also has an account [[http://jenheyward.tumblr.com/ on Tumblr]], which houses one of the book's [[MultipleEndings multiple alternate endings]], and the only one [[https://twitter.com/dougdorst/statuses/486745159036448768 officially acknowledged by Doug Dorst]].
Deleted line(s) 40,46 (click to see context) :
* ConspiracyTheorist:
** Jen suspects that [[spoiler:somebody is constantly following her as she and Eric are getting closer to revealing Straka's identity. The not-so-accidental fire of her parent's barn fuels her fears.]]
** Also, Eric himself thinks that [[spoiler:his expulsion from the university was orchestrated by his dissertation adviser Professor Moody]].
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Eric drops hints from the beginning on that he's estranged from his parents. When the full extent of this back story becomes clear, it's even sadder than it seemed at first: he suffered from severe panic attacks, anxiety and depression as a teenager, his parents only scolded him for it instead of seeking treatment and [[spoiler:sent him on a prolonged boat trip with his uncle Zeke, during which his symptoms worsened which led Zeke to dump him out of the boat and leave him behind in a town. Zeke afterwards drowned and Eric's parents blamed Eric for this]].
* DoNotCallMePaul:
** Eric reveals at a certain point that [[spoiler:he has a different birth name and name he grew up with, but he chose to call himself Eric once in college.]] Jen agrees that [[spoiler:his original name was an embarrassing one, but that's not Eric's main reason: he mostly chose his new name because he was/is estranged from his parents and wanted to cut ties]].
** Downplayed example because she still uses a derivative of her official birth name, but one of the first things Jen tells Eric (and the reader) when she starts writing in the book is to ''never'' call her "Jenny", and only call her "Jen".
** Jen suspects that [[spoiler:somebody is constantly following her as she and Eric are getting closer to revealing Straka's identity. The not-so-accidental fire of her parent's barn fuels her fears.]]
** Also, Eric himself thinks that [[spoiler:his expulsion from the university was orchestrated by his dissertation adviser Professor Moody]].
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Eric drops hints from the beginning on that he's estranged from his parents. When the full extent of this back story becomes clear, it's even sadder than it seemed at first: he suffered from severe panic attacks, anxiety and depression as a teenager, his parents only scolded him for it instead of seeking treatment and [[spoiler:sent him on a prolonged boat trip with his uncle Zeke, during which his symptoms worsened which led Zeke to dump him out of the boat and leave him behind in a town. Zeke afterwards drowned and Eric's parents blamed Eric for this]].
* DoNotCallMePaul:
** Eric reveals at a certain point that [[spoiler:he has a different birth name and name he grew up with, but he chose to call himself Eric once in college.]] Jen agrees that [[spoiler:his original name was an embarrassing one, but that's not Eric's main reason: he mostly chose his new name because he was/is estranged from his parents and wanted to cut ties]].
** Downplayed example because she still uses a derivative of her official birth name, but one of the first things Jen tells Eric (and the reader) when she starts writing in the book is to ''never'' call her "Jenny", and only call her "Jen".
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* {{Omniglot}}:
** F. X. Caldeira is fluent in ''many'' languages, to the point that Caldeira is Straka's translator for ''all'' translations of his books (which are in over a dozen different languages).
** Straka himself also is fluent in many foreign languages; not so good as Caldeira is, but enough to sometimes have a different opinion about a translation by Caldeira, and start to bicker with Caldeira about it.
** F. X. Caldeira is fluent in ''many'' languages, to the point that Caldeira is Straka's translator for ''all'' translations of his books (which are in over a dozen different languages).
** Straka himself also is fluent in many foreign languages; not so good as Caldeira is, but enough to sometimes have a different opinion about a translation by Caldeira, and start to bicker with Caldeira about it.
Changed line(s) 64,66 (click to see context) from:
* SamusIsAGirl:
** Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler:F. X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact a woman, Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors UnrequitedLove towards Straka.]]
** In the ''Ship of Theseus'' inner story, S. finds out one of the sailors is a woman. He first assumed they all were men and it takes a really close look at the sailor for S. to realise it is a woman, mostly because the sailors all wear the same baggy clothing and the woman does not seem to have a "feminine-looking" face in the first place.
** Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler:F. X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact a woman, Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors UnrequitedLove towards Straka.]]
** In the ''Ship of Theseus'' inner story, S. finds out one of the sailors is a woman. He first assumed they all were men and it takes a really close look at the sailor for S. to realise it is a woman, mostly because the sailors all wear the same baggy clothing and the woman does not seem to have a "feminine-looking" face in the first place.
to:
* SamusIsAGirl:
** Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler:F. X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact a woman, Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors UnrequitedLove towards Straka.]]
**SamusIsAGirl: In the ''Ship of Theseus'' inner story, S. finds out one of the sailors is a woman. He first assumed they all were men and it takes a really close look at the sailor for S. to realise it is a woman, mostly because the sailors all wear the same baggy clothing and the woman does not seem to have a "feminine-looking" face in the first place.
** Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler:F. X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact a woman, Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors UnrequitedLove towards Straka.]]
**
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* TheWatson: According to J. J. Abrams, Jen is designed to be this for readers, as she comes onto the scene knowing little to nothing about Straka and learning about him at the same pace as the readers.
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Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* CapsLock: Eric always writes in all upper case letters. It doesn't come accross as shouting though because his handwriting is smaller than Jen's (making it more of a case of "small caps", if such a thing would exist in handwritten text). This is probably done on purpose for the reader to more easily differentiate his handwriting from Jen's.
to:
* CapsLock: Eric always writes in all upper case letters. It doesn't come accross across as shouting though because his handwriting is smaller than Jen's (making it more of a case of "small caps", if such a thing would exist in handwritten text). This is probably done on purpose for the reader to more easily differentiate his handwriting from Jen's.
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** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F. X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as Caldeira's interactions with Straka, [[spoiler:including her attempts to communicate her UnrequitedLove to him]].
to:
** The forward and footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F. X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as Caldeira's interactions with Straka, [[spoiler:including her attempts to communicate her UnrequitedLove to him]].
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Changed line(s) 63 (click to see context) from:
* RewatchBonus: Given its format, the book practically demands that readers read it multiple times, as it would be incredibly difficult to catch everything in one read-through. This is especially the case for the footnotes, which seem innocuous at first, but are actually hidden ciphers, and the marginalia, which are scattered throughout the book with different colors representing different time periods and comments in a given time period not necessarily being written in chronological order as they are encountered in the book. The {{Feelies}} also further complicate a smooth reading experience. [[https://whoisstraka.wordpress.com/the-ship-of-theseus-by-v-m-straka-a-beginners-guide-to-reading-s/ A few]] [[https://www.reddit.com/r/whoisstraka/comments/1prvdb/so_s_the_ship_of_theseus_any_consensus_on_the/ strategies]] have emerged on how to approach the book, almost all of which mandate this trope.
to:
* RewatchBonus: Given its format, the book practically demands that readers read it multiple times, as it would be incredibly difficult to catch everything in one read-through. This is especially the case for the footnotes, which seem innocuous at first, but are actually hidden ciphers, and the marginalia, which are scattered throughout the book with different colors representing different time periods and comments in a given time period not necessarily being written in chronological order as they are encountered in the book. The {{Feelies}} also further complicate a smooth reading experience. [[https://whoisstraka.wordpress.com/the-ship-of-theseus-by-v-m-straka-a-beginners-guide-to-reading-s/ A few]] [[https://www.reddit.com/r/whoisstraka/comments/1prvdb/so_s_the_ship_of_theseus_any_consensus_on_the/ strategies]] have emerged on how to approach the book, almost all of which mandate this trope. Doug Dorst has [[https://www.fastcompany.com/3021011/inside-jj-abrams-brain-bending-book-within-a-book even stated]] that it is up to readers to decide how they themselves want to approach the book.
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Added DiffLines:
* RewatchBonus: Given its format, the book practically demands that readers read it multiple times, as it would be incredibly difficult to catch everything in one read-through. This is especially the case for the footnotes, which seem innocuous at first, but are actually hidden ciphers, and the marginalia, which are scattered throughout the book with different colors representing different time periods and comments in a given time period not necessarily being written in chronological order as they are encountered in the book. The {{Feelies}} also further complicate a smooth reading experience. [[https://whoisstraka.wordpress.com/the-ship-of-theseus-by-v-m-straka-a-beginners-guide-to-reading-s/ A few]] [[https://www.reddit.com/r/whoisstraka/comments/1prvdb/so_s_the_ship_of_theseus_any_consensus_on_the/ strategies]] have emerged on how to approach the book, almost all of which mandate this trope.
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Changed line(s) 33 (click to see context) from:
* CharacterBlog: [[https://twitter.com/EricHusch Eric]] and [[https://twitter.com/jentheundergrad?lang=en Jen]] both have Twitter accounts, which offer additional observations they made from the book, as well as some personal communication. Jen also has an account [[http://jenheyward.tumblr.com/ on Tumblr]].
to:
* CharacterBlog: [[https://twitter.com/EricHusch Eric]] and [[https://twitter.com/jentheundergrad?lang=en Jen]] both have Twitter accounts, which offer additional observations they made from the book, as well as some personal communication. Jen also has an account [[http://jenheyward.tumblr.com/ on Tumblr]].Tumblr]], which houses one of the book's [[MultipleEndings multiple alternate endings]], and the only one [[https://twitter.com/dougdorst/statuses/486745159036448768 officially acknowledged by Doug Dorst]].
Changed line(s) 45 (click to see context) from:
** Eric reveals at a certain point that [[spoiler:he has a different birth name and name he grew up with, but he chose to call himself Eric once in college.]] Jen agrees that [[spoiler:his original name was an embarrassing one, but that's not Erics main reason: he mostly chose his new name because he was/is estranged from his parents and wanted to cut ties]].
to:
** Eric reveals at a certain point that [[spoiler:he has a different birth name and name he grew up with, but he chose to call himself Eric once in college.]] Jen agrees that [[spoiler:his original name was an embarrassing one, but that's not Erics Eric's main reason: he mostly chose his new name because he was/is estranged from his parents and wanted to cut ties]].
Changed line(s) 51 (click to see context) from:
* GeckoEnding: ''In-Universe'': The ending of the final chapter is rewritten by Caldeira after Straka experiences AuthorExistenceFailure. Straka's ''[[https://whoisstraka.wordpress.com/2014/07/19/strakas-original-ending-for-ship-of-theseus/ original ending]]'' is later posted on Jen's Tumblr account.
to:
* GeckoEnding: ''In-Universe'': The As stated in the foreward, the ending of the final chapter is rewritten by Caldeira after Straka experiences AuthorExistenceFailure. Straka's ''[[https://whoisstraka.wordpress.com/2014/07/19/strakas-original-ending-for-ship-of-theseus/ original ending]]'' is Several alternative endings, each purporting to be the ''real ending'' to the book, later posted on Jen's Tumblr account.emerge online. See MultipleEndings for more details.
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* MultipleEndings: ''[[https://whoisstraka.wordpress.com/chapter-10-alternative-endings/ Five alternate endings]]'' can be found online, each purporting to be the book's actual ending, lending credence to a comment by Eric in the foreward that a few versions of the ending exists, some of which are "obvious hoaxes". It remains unknown as to which ending, if any, is indeed the real one.
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* TheWatson: According to J. J. Abrams, Jen is designed to be this for readers, as she comes onto the scene knowing little to nothing about Straka and learning about him at the same pace as the readers.
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* AuthorAvatar: According to Doug Dorst, Eric was based on himself, while Jen was created as a {{Foil}} to Eric.
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** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F. X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as Caldeira's interactions with Straka.
to:
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F. X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as Caldeira's interactions with Straka.Straka, [[spoiler:including her attempts to communicate her UnrequitedLove to him]].
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%%
%%
%% Since the fact that F. X. Caldeira is a woman is a spoiler, please refer to her as simply "Caldeira" rather than "her"/"she", or in other gender-neutral ways, or spoiler out "her"/"she" if you can't avoid using it.
%%
%%
%%
%% Since the fact that F. X. Caldeira is a woman is a spoiler, please refer to her as simply "Caldeira" rather than "her"/"she", or in other gender-neutral ways, or spoiler out "her"/"she" if you can't avoid using it.
%%
%%
Changed line(s) 19 (click to see context) from:
** When [[spoiler:Eric goes to Brazil to find Caldeira]], he uses birds as a secret code language on his postcards to let Jen know how he's doing with [[spoiler:finding Caldeira]]; he refers to her as "the Nightingale" or "the rare bird" and writes things like "they heard [the bird] sing".
to:
** When [[spoiler:Eric goes to Brazil to find Caldeira]], he uses birds as a secret code language on his postcards to let Jen know how he's doing with [[spoiler:finding Caldeira]]; he refers to her Caldeira as "the Nightingale" or "the rare bird" and writes things like "they heard [the bird] sing".
* {{Omniglot}}:
** F. X. Caldeira is fluent in ''many'' languages, to the point that Caldeira is Straka's translator for ''all'' translations of his books (which are in over a dozen different languages).
** Straka himself also is fluent in many foreign languages; not so good as Caldeira is, but enough to sometimes have a different opinion about a translation by Caldeira, and start to bicker with Caldeira about it.
** F. X. Caldeira is fluent in ''many'' languages, to the point that Caldeira is Straka's translator for ''all'' translations of his books (which are in over a dozen different languages).
** Straka himself also is fluent in many foreign languages; not so good as Caldeira is, but enough to sometimes have a different opinion about a translation by Caldeira, and start to bicker with Caldeira about it.
Changed line(s) 62 (click to see context) from:
* YearOutsideHourInside: Whenever S. is on the ship for what him feels like ''weeks'', on land / outside of the ship ''years'' pass. One time when he gets on land he notices he has visibly balded, and aged for years, while on the ship for what for what for him felt like much shorter. This could be due to either the ship being a supernatural place (which is the Trope in the more strict sense), or to the psychological effects on S. of being on the ship. Remember he suffered memory loss from the beginning of the book on, he wasn't on the ship by will [[spoiler:(initially)]], and none of the ship's crew mention the time distortion, so possibly S. experiences this because of brain damage or a psychological protection mechanism.
to:
* YearOutsideHourInside: Whenever S. is on the ship for what him feels like ''weeks'', on land / outside of the ship ''years'' pass. One time when he gets on land he notices he has visibly balded, and aged for years, while on the ship for what for what for him felt like much shorter. This could be due to either the ship being a supernatural place (which is the Trope in the more strict sense), or to the psychological effects on S. of being on the ship. Remember he suffered memory loss from the beginning of the book on, he wasn't on the ship by will [[spoiler:(initially)]], and none of the ship's other crew mention the time distortion, so possibly S. experiences this because of brain damage or a psychological protection mechanism.
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Changed line(s) 37 (click to see context) from:
* DoNotCallMePaul: Eric reveals at a certain point that [[spoiler:he has a different birth name and name he grew up with, but he chose to call himself Eric once in college.]] Jen agrees that [[spoiler:his original name was an embarrassing one, but that's not Erics main reason: he mostly chose his new name because he was/is estranged from his parents and wanted to cut ties]].
to:
* DoNotCallMePaul: DoNotCallMePaul:
** Eric reveals at a certain point that [[spoiler:he has a different birth name and name he grew up with, but he chose to call himself Eric once in college.]] Jen agrees that [[spoiler:his original name was an embarrassing one, but that's not Erics main reason: he mostly chose his new name because he was/is estranged from his parents and wanted to cutties]].ties]].
** Downplayed example because she still uses a derivative of her official birth name, but one of the first things Jen tells Eric (and the reader) when she starts writing in the book is to ''never'' call her "Jenny", and only call her "Jen".
** Eric reveals at a certain point that [[spoiler:he has a different birth name and name he grew up with, but he chose to call himself Eric once in college.]] Jen agrees that [[spoiler:his original name was an embarrassing one, but that's not Erics main reason: he mostly chose his new name because he was/is estranged from his parents and wanted to cut
** Downplayed example because she still uses a derivative of her official birth name, but one of the first things Jen tells Eric (and the reader) when she starts writing in the book is to ''never'' call her "Jenny", and only call her "Jen".
Changed line(s) 39 (click to see context) from:
* FootnoteFever: F. X. Caldeira gratuitously uses footnotes not only to offer additional comments about Straka's life and his other works, but also to [[spoiler:communicate through coded messages with Straka himself.]]
to:
* FootnoteFever: FootnoteFever:
** F. X. Caldeira gratuitously uses footnotes not only to offer additional comments about Straka's life and his other works, but also to [[spoiler:communicate through coded messages with Straka himself.]]]]
** On an almost meta level: when Eric & Jen annotate the book for the first time (the grey, black and blue handwriting) they put footnotes in it; then they go through the book a 2nd time (the green and orange writing) annotating on the original story again but also annotating on their own prior notes; then they annotate for a 3rd round (the red and purple writing), this time annotating on the story for the 3rd time ''plus'' on their original annotations ''plus'' on their annotations-on-their-annotations...
** F. X. Caldeira gratuitously uses footnotes not only to offer additional comments about Straka's life and his other works, but also to [[spoiler:communicate through coded messages with Straka himself.
** On an almost meta level: when Eric & Jen annotate the book for the first time (the grey, black and blue handwriting) they put footnotes in it; then they go through the book a 2nd time (the green and orange writing) annotating on the original story again but also annotating on their own prior notes; then they annotate for a 3rd round (the red and purple writing), this time annotating on the story for the 3rd time ''plus'' on their original annotations ''plus'' on their annotations-on-their-annotations...
Changed line(s) 49 (click to see context) from:
** Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler:F. X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors unrequited love towards Straka.]]
to:
** Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler:F. X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact a woman, Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors unrequited love UnrequitedLove towards Straka.]]
Changed line(s) 58 (click to see context) from:
* YearOutsideHourInside: Whenever S. is on the ship for what him feels like ''weeks'', on land / outside of the ship ''years'' pass. One time when he gets on land he notices he has visibly balded, and aged for years, while on the ship what for what for him felt like much shorter. This could be due to either the ship being a supernatural place (which is the Trope in the more strict sense), or to the psychological effects on S. of being on the ship. Remember he suffered memory loss from the beginning of the book on, he wasn't on the ship by will [[spoiler:(initially)]], and none of the ship's crew mention the time distortion, so possibly S. experiences this because of brain damage or a psychological protection mechanism.
to:
* YearOutsideHourInside: Whenever S. is on the ship for what him feels like ''weeks'', on land / outside of the ship ''years'' pass. One time when he gets on land he notices he has visibly balded, and aged for years, while on the ship for what for what for him felt like much shorter. This could be due to either the ship being a supernatural place (which is the Trope in the more strict sense), or to the psychological effects on S. of being on the ship. Remember he suffered memory loss from the beginning of the book on, he wasn't on the ship by will [[spoiler:(initially)]], and none of the ship's crew mention the time distortion, so possibly S. experiences this because of brain damage or a psychological protection mechanism.
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Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
'''S''' is a novel told via marginal notes in another novel, by Creator/JJAbrams and Creator/DougDorst.
to:
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Changed line(s) 16 (click to see context) from:
* AnimalMotifs: Ilsa frequently uses bird themes in her academic essays to the point of obsession. The monkey is also frequently seen and mentioned in the book's text.
to:
* AnimalMotifs: AnimalMotifs:
** Ilsa frequently uses bird themes in her academic essays to the point ofobsession. obsession.
** Many of the characters Eric and Jen discuss have bird names, usually in foreign languages. Some names translate as or refer to "magpie", "eagle", etc.
** When [[spoiler:Eric goes to Brazil to find Caldeira]], he uses birds as a secret code language on his postcards to let Jen know how he's doing with [[spoiler:finding Caldeira]]; he refers to her as "the Nightingale" or "the rare bird" and writes things like "they heard [the bird] sing".
** The monkey is also frequently seen and mentioned in the book'stext.text, usually coinciding with important plot points.
** Ilsa frequently uses bird themes in her academic essays to the point of
** Many of the characters Eric and Jen discuss have bird names, usually in foreign languages. Some names translate as or refer to "magpie", "eagle", etc.
** When [[spoiler:Eric goes to Brazil to find Caldeira]], he uses birds as a secret code language on his postcards to let Jen know how he's doing with [[spoiler:finding Caldeira]]; he refers to her as "the Nightingale" or "the rare bird" and writes things like "they heard [the bird] sing".
** The monkey is also frequently seen and mentioned in the book's
-->'''Jen:''' You're funnier since [[spoiler:the sex]].
-->'''Eric:''' Eh... weren't you concerned that people might read this?
-->'''Eric:''' Eh... weren't you concerned that people might read this?
* DoNotCallMePaul: Eric reveals at a certain point that [[spoiler:he has a different birth name and name he grew up with, but he chose to call himself Eric once in college.]] Jen agrees that [[spoiler:his original name was an embarrassing one, but that's not Erics main reason: he mostly chose his new name because he was/is estranged from his parents and wanted to cut ties]].
Changed line(s) 34 (click to see context) from:
* HiddenInPlainSight: F. X. Caldeira inserts a few [[https://sfiles22.blogspot.ca/2013/11/cipher-explanations.html?showComment=1464925341472#c1181355603647970087 coded messages]] to Straka this way in an attempt to communicate with him. Hidden in the book's chapter titles and footnores (additions by Caldeira) are the messages and the ciphers to be used to decode them. Some have been solved by Eric and Jen, while others have been cracked by readers.
to:
* HiddenInPlainSight: F. X. Caldeira inserts a few [[https://sfiles22.blogspot.ca/2013/11/cipher-explanations.html?showComment=1464925341472#c1181355603647970087 coded messages]] to Straka this way in an attempt to communicate with him. Hidden in the book's chapter titles and footnores footnotes (additions by Caldeira) are the messages and the ciphers to be used to decode them. Some have been solved by Eric and Jen, while others have been cracked by readers.
Changed line(s) 36 (click to see context) from:
* OfficeRomance: There are hints that [[spoiler:Professor Moody and Ilsa are more than just colleagues.]]
to:
* OfficeRomance: There are hints that [[spoiler:Professor Moody and his teaching assistant Ilsa are more than just colleagues.]]
Changed line(s) 38 (click to see context) from:
** The book's main narrative, ''Ship of Theseus'', tells of S's journey to discover his identity and becoming embroiled in a conspiracy.
to:
** The book's main narrative, ''Ship of Theseus'', tells of S's S.'s journey to discover his identity and becoming embroiled in a conspiracy.
Changed line(s) 41 (click to see context) from:
* SamusIsAGirl: Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler:F. X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors unrequited love towards Straka.]]
to:
* SamusIsAGirl: SamusIsAGirl:
** Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler:F. X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors unrequited love towards Straka.]]]]
** In the ''Ship of Theseus'' inner story, S. finds out one of the sailors is a woman. He first assumed they all were men and it takes a really close look at the sailor for S. to realise it is a woman, mostly because the sailors all wear the same baggy clothing and the woman does not seem to have a "feminine-looking" face in the first place.
** Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler:F. X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors unrequited love towards Straka.
** In the ''Ship of Theseus'' inner story, S. finds out one of the sailors is a woman. He first assumed they all were men and it takes a really close look at the sailor for S. to realise it is a woman, mostly because the sailors all wear the same baggy clothing and the woman does not seem to have a "feminine-looking" face in the first place.
Changed line(s) 44 (click to see context) from:
'''Eric:''' Dear Undergrad Lit Major: If you thought it was an "escape" then you weren't reading closely enough. Want to Give it another shot?\\
to:
'''Eric:''' Dear Undergrad Lit Major: If you thought it was an "escape" then you weren't reading closely enough. Want to Give give it another shot?\\
Changed line(s) 48 (click to see context) from:
%%ZCE * TimeDilation: S experiences this while he's sailing on the ''Coriolis''.
to:
%%ZCE * TimeDilation: S experiences this while he's sailing on the ''Coriolis''.''Coriolis''.
* YearOutsideHourInside: Whenever S. is on the ship for what him feels like ''weeks'', on land / outside of the ship ''years'' pass. One time when he gets on land he notices he has visibly balded, and aged for years, while on the ship what for what for him felt like much shorter. This could be due to either the ship being a supernatural place (which is the Trope in the more strict sense), or to the psychological effects on S. of being on the ship. Remember he suffered memory loss from the beginning of the book on, he wasn't on the ship by will [[spoiler:(initially)]], and none of the ship's crew mention the time distortion, so possibly S. experiences this because of brain damage or a psychological protection mechanism.
----
* YearOutsideHourInside: Whenever S. is on the ship for what him feels like ''weeks'', on land / outside of the ship ''years'' pass. One time when he gets on land he notices he has visibly balded, and aged for years, while on the ship what for what for him felt like much shorter. This could be due to either the ship being a supernatural place (which is the Trope in the more strict sense), or to the psychological effects on S. of being on the ship. Remember he suffered memory loss from the beginning of the book on, he wasn't on the ship by will [[spoiler:(initially)]], and none of the ship's crew mention the time distortion, so possibly S. experiences this because of brain damage or a psychological protection mechanism.
----
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Added DiffLines:
* CapsLock: Eric always writes in all upper case letters. It doesn't come accross as shouting though because his handwriting is smaller than Jen's (making it more of a case of "small caps", if such a thing would exist in handwritten text). This is probably done on purpose for the reader to more easily differentiate his handwriting from Jen's.
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* DarkAndTroubledPast: Eric drops hints from the beginning on that he's estranged from his parents. When the full extent of this back story becomes clear, it's even sadder than it seemed at first: he suffered from severe panic attacks, anxiety and depression as a teenager, his parents only scolded him for it instead of seeking treatment and [[spoiler:sent him on a prolonged boat trip with his uncle Zeke, during which his symptoms worsened which led Zeke to dump him out of the boat and leave him behind in a town. Zeke afterwards drowned and Eric's parents blamed Eric for this]].
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a1tzcxy6ibl.jpg]]
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Changed line(s) 1,6 (click to see context) from:
'''S''' is a novel told via marginal notes in another novel, by [[Creator/JJAbrams J. J. Abrams]] and [[DougDorst Doug Dorst]].
The core book consists of a fictional novel ''Ship of Theseus'' written by a fictitious author V.M. Straka whose exact identity is unknown. It tells the story of an amnesiac traveler named S who tries to figure out who he is. In his travels he finds himself aboard a mysterious ship and then being involved in a conspiracy.
The novel is accompanied by footnotes from an equally mysterious editor and translator F.X. Caldeira, who, curiously, has never met Straka face-to-face.
The core book consists of a fictional novel ''Ship of Theseus'' written by a fictitious author V.M. Straka whose exact identity is unknown. It tells the story of an amnesiac traveler named S who tries to figure out who he is. In his travels he finds himself aboard a mysterious ship and then being involved in a conspiracy.
The novel is accompanied by footnotes from an equally mysterious editor and translator F.X. Caldeira, who, curiously, has never met Straka face-to-face.
to:
'''S''' is a novel told via marginal notes in another novel, by [[Creator/JJAbrams J. J. Abrams]] Creator/JJAbrams and [[DougDorst Doug Dorst]].
Creator/DougDorst.
The core book consists of a fictionalnovel novel, ''Ship of Theseus'' Theseus'', written by a fictitious author V.author, V. M. Straka Straka, whose exact identity is unknown. It tells the story of an amnesiac traveler named S "S", who tries to figure out who he is. In his travels he finds himself aboard a mysterious ship and then being involved in a conspiracy.
The novel is accompanied by footnotes from an equally mysterious editor andtranslator F.translator, F. X. Caldeira, who, curiously, has never met Straka face-to-face.
The core book consists of a fictional
The novel is accompanied by footnotes from an equally mysterious editor and
Changed line(s) 9,10 (click to see context) from:
Lastly, there are physical inserts in form letters, postcards, maps, and newspaper clippings, left by Eric and Jen.
to:
Lastly, there are physical inserts in the form of letters, postcards, maps, and newspaper clippings, left by Eric and Jen.
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** Gray pencil is first used by Eric who wrote the comments during his first reading when he was a teenager.
to:
** Gray pencil is first used by Eric who when he wrote the comments during his first reading when he was a teenager.
Changed line(s) 24 (click to see context) from:
** Black pen (both Jen and Eric) after [[spoiler: they moved together to Prague.]]
to:
** Black pen (both Jen and Eric) after [[spoiler: they [[spoiler:they moved together to Prague.]]
Changed line(s) 26,27 (click to see context) from:
** Jen suspects that [[spoiler: somebody is constantly following her as she and Eric are getting closer to revealing Straka's identity. The not-so-accidental fire of her parent's barn fuels her fears.]]
** Also, Eric himself thinks that [[spoiler: his expulsion from the university was orchestrated by his dissertation adviser Professor Moody]].
** Also, Eric himself thinks that [[spoiler: his expulsion from the university was orchestrated by his dissertation adviser Professor Moody]].
to:
** Jen suspects that [[spoiler: somebody [[spoiler:somebody is constantly following her as she and Eric are getting closer to revealing Straka's identity. The not-so-accidental fire of her parent's barn fuels her fears.]]
** Also, Eric himself thinks that[[spoiler: his [[spoiler:his expulsion from the university was orchestrated by his dissertation adviser Professor Moody]].
** Also, Eric himself thinks that
Changed line(s) 29 (click to see context) from:
* FootnoteFever: F.X. Caldeira gratuitously uses footnotes not only to offer additional comments about Straka's life and his other works, but also to [[spoiler: communicate through coded messages with Straka himself.]]
to:
* FootnoteFever: F. X. Caldeira gratuitously uses footnotes not only to offer additional comments about Straka's life and his other works, but also to [[spoiler: communicate [[spoiler:communicate through coded messages with Straka himself.]]
Changed line(s) 31 (click to see context) from:
* HiddenInPlainSight: F.X. Caldeira inserts a few [[https://sfiles22.blogspot.ca/2013/11/cipher-explanations.html?showComment=1464925341472#c1181355603647970087 coded messages]] to Straka this way in an attempt to communicate with him. Hidden in the book's chapter titles and footnores (additions by Caldeira) are the messages and the ciphers to be used to decode them. Some have been solved by Eric and Jen, while others have been cracked by readers.
to:
* HiddenInPlainSight: F. X. Caldeira inserts a few [[https://sfiles22.blogspot.ca/2013/11/cipher-explanations.html?showComment=1464925341472#c1181355603647970087 coded messages]] to Straka this way in an attempt to communicate with him. Hidden in the book's chapter titles and footnores (additions by Caldeira) are the messages and the ciphers to be used to decode them. Some have been solved by Eric and Jen, while others have been cracked by readers.
Changed line(s) 33 (click to see context) from:
* OfficeRomance: There are hints that [[spoiler: Professor Moody and Ilsa are more than just colleagues.]]
to:
* OfficeRomance: There are hints that [[spoiler: Professor [[spoiler:Professor Moody and Ilsa are more than just colleagues.]]
Changed line(s) 36 (click to see context) from:
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F.X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as Caldeira's interactions with Straka.
to:
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F. X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as Caldeira's interactions with Straka.
Changed line(s) 38 (click to see context) from:
* SamusIsAGirl: Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler: F.X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors unrequited love towards Straka.]]
to:
* SamusIsAGirl: Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler: F.[[spoiler:F. X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors unrequited love towards Straka.]]
Changed line(s) 40 (click to see context) from:
--->'''Jen:''' [...] Loved all the mystery--the book, Straka, all of it. I really needed an escape, I think.\\
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Indentation, spoilers, Zero Context Example
Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
* ConspiracyTheorist: Jen suspects that [[spoiler: somebody is constantly following her as she and Eric are getting closer to revealing Straka's identity. The not-so-accidental fire of her parent's barn fuels her fears.]]
to:
* ConspiracyTheorist: ConspiracyTheorist:
** Jen suspects that [[spoiler: somebody is constantly following her as she and Eric are getting closer to revealing Straka's identity. The not-so-accidental fire of her parent's barn fuels her fears.]]
** Jen suspects that [[spoiler: somebody is constantly following her as she and Eric are getting closer to revealing Straka's identity. The not-so-accidental fire of her parent's barn fuels her fears.]]
Changed line(s) 28 (click to see context) from:
* FootnoteFever: F.X. Caldeira gratuitously uses footnotes not only to offer additional comments about Straka's life and his other works, but also to [[spoiler: communicate through coded messages with the Straka himself.]]
to:
* FootnoteFever: F.X. Caldeira gratuitously uses footnotes not only to offer additional comments about Straka's life and his other works, but also to [[spoiler: communicate through coded messages with the Straka himself.]]
Changed line(s) 35,36 (click to see context) from:
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F.X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as her interactions with Straka.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationship becoming more interpersonal and eventually, romantic.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationship becoming more interpersonal and eventually, romantic.
to:
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F.X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as her Caldeira's interactions with Straka.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationshipbecoming [[spoiler:becoming more interpersonal and eventually, romantic.romantic]].
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationship
Changed line(s) 39 (click to see context) from:
--->'''Jen:''' [...] Loved all the mystery - the book, Straka, all of it. I really needed an escape, I think.\\
to:
--->'''Jen:''' [...] Loved all the mystery - the mystery--the book, Straka, all of it. I really needed an escape, I think.\\
Changed line(s) 44 (click to see context) from:
* TimeDilation: S experiences this while he's sailing on the ''Coriolis''.
to:
%%ZCE * TimeDilation: S experiences this while he's sailing on the ''Coriolis''.
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Changed line(s) 44,45 (click to see context) from:
* TimeDilation: S experiences this while he's sailing on the ''Coriolis''.
* ViralMarketing: A staple of Abrams' productions, a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuZfpt8nxtk teaser, entitled "Stranger"]] and a link to a [[http://soonyouwillknow.com/ website]] popped up in promotion of the book.
* ViralMarketing: A staple of Abrams' productions, a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuZfpt8nxtk teaser, entitled "Stranger"]] and a link to a [[http://soonyouwillknow.com/ website]] popped up in promotion of the book.
to:
* TimeDilation: S experiences this while he's sailing on the ''Coriolis''.
* ViralMarketing: A staple of Abrams' productions, a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuZfpt8nxtk teaser, entitled "Stranger"]] and a link to a [[http://soonyouwillknow.com/ website]] popped up in promotion of the book.''Coriolis''.
* ViralMarketing: A staple of Abrams' productions, a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuZfpt8nxtk teaser, entitled "Stranger"]] and a link to a [[http://soonyouwillknow.com/ website]] popped up in promotion of the book.
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Changed line(s) 44 (click to see context) from:
* TimeDilation: S experiences this while he's sailing on the ''Coriolis''.
to:
* TimeDilation: S experiences this while he's sailing on the ''Coriolis''.''Coriolis''.
* ViralMarketing: A staple of Abrams' productions, a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuZfpt8nxtk teaser, entitled "Stranger"]] and a link to a [[http://soonyouwillknow.com/ website]] popped up in promotion of the book.
* ViralMarketing: A staple of Abrams' productions, a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuZfpt8nxtk teaser, entitled "Stranger"]] and a link to a [[http://soonyouwillknow.com/ website]] popped up in promotion of the book.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
* PlotThreads: The book has three of them.
** The book's main narrative, ''Ship of Theseus'', tells of S's journey to discover his identity and becoming embroiled in a conspiracy.
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F.X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as her interactions with Straka.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationship becoming more interpersonal and eventually, romantic.
** The book's main narrative, ''Ship of Theseus'', tells of S's journey to discover his identity and becoming embroiled in a conspiracy.
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F.X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as her interactions with Straka.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationship becoming more interpersonal and eventually, romantic.
Deleted line(s) 40,43 (click to see context) :
* PlotThreads: The book has three of them.
** The book's main narrative, ''Ship of Theseus'', tells of S's journey to discover his identity and becoming embroiled in a conspiracy.
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F.X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as her interactions with Straka.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationship becoming more interpersonal and eventually, romantic.
** The book's main narrative, ''Ship of Theseus'', tells of S's journey to discover his identity and becoming embroiled in a conspiracy.
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F.X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as her interactions with Straka.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationship becoming more interpersonal and eventually, romantic.
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None
Added DiffLines:
* HiddenInPlainSight: F.X. Caldeira inserts a few [[https://sfiles22.blogspot.ca/2013/11/cipher-explanations.html?showComment=1464925341472#c1181355603647970087 coded messages]] to Straka this way in an attempt to communicate with him. Hidden in the book's chapter titles and footnores (additions by Caldeira) are the messages and the ciphers to be used to decode them. Some have been solved by Eric and Jen, while others have been cracked by readers.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
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'''S''' is a novel told via marginal notes in another novel, by [[JJAbrams J. J. Abrams]] and [[DougDorst Doug Dorst]].
to:
'''S''' is a novel told via marginal notes in another novel, by [[JJAbrams [[Creator/JJAbrams J. J. Abrams]] and [[DougDorst Doug Dorst]].
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Changed line(s) 15 (click to see context) from:
* AnimalMotifs: Ilsa frequently uses bird themes in her academic essays to the point of obsession.
to:
* AnimalMotifs: Ilsa frequently uses bird themes in her academic essays to the point of obsession. The monkey is also frequently seen and mentioned in the book's text.
Changed line(s) 31 (click to see context) from:
* OfficeRomance: There are hints that [[spoiler: professor Moody and Ilsa are more than just colleagues.]]
to:
* OfficeRomance: There are hints that [[spoiler: professor Professor Moody and Ilsa are more than just colleagues.]]
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Changed line(s) 41,42 (click to see context) from:
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F.X. Caldeira on Straka's life and other works, as well as her interactions with Straka, and details on Straka's personal life.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationship eventually becoming romantic.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationship eventually becoming romantic.
to:
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F.X. Caldeira on Straka's personal life and other works, as well as her interactions with Straka, and details on Straka's personal life.
Straka.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationshipeventually becoming more interpersonal and eventually, romantic.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationship
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Changed line(s) 29 (click to see context) from:
* GeckoEnding ''In-Universe'': The ending of the final chapter is rewritten by Caldeira after Straka experiences AuthorExistenceFailure.
to:
* GeckoEnding GeckoEnding: ''In-Universe'': The ending of the final chapter is rewritten by Caldeira after Straka experiences AuthorExistenceFailure.AuthorExistenceFailure. Straka's ''[[https://whoisstraka.wordpress.com/2014/07/19/strakas-original-ending-for-ship-of-theseus/ original ending]]'' is later posted on Jen's Tumblr account.
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Added DiffLines:
* {{Feelies}}: Several inserts are wedged between various pages of the book by Eric and Jen, ranging from items concerning their bid to uncover the mysteries of Straka, to elements such as letters detailing their relationship with each other.
Added DiffLines:
* PlotThreads: The book has three of them.
** The book's main narrative, ''Ship of Theseus'', tells of S's journey to discover his identity and becoming embroiled in a conspiracy.
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F.X. Caldeira on Straka's life and other works, as well as her interactions with Straka, and details on Straka's personal life.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationship eventually becoming romantic.
** The book's main narrative, ''Ship of Theseus'', tells of S's journey to discover his identity and becoming embroiled in a conspiracy.
** The footnotes form another story unto themselves, offering commentary from F.X. Caldeira on Straka's life and other works, as well as her interactions with Straka, and details on Straka's personal life.
** The marginalia and feelies detail the interactions between Eric and Jen concerning the book and chart the course of their relationship eventually becoming romantic.
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None
Added DiffLines:
* CharacterBlog: [[https://twitter.com/EricHusch Eric]] and [[https://twitter.com/jentheundergrad?lang=en Jen]] both have Twitter accounts, which offer additional observations they made from the book, as well as some personal communication. Jen also has an account [[http://jenheyward.tumblr.com/ on Tumblr]].
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* LeftHanging: The [[https://whoisstraka.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/why-do-we-have-eric-and-jens-book-ship-of-theseus/ last chronologically known piece of marginalia]] in the book is written with a tone of ambiguity, leading to some speculation from readers as to the fate of Eric and Jen.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
more tropes
* AnimalMotifs: Ilsa frequently uses bird themes in her academic essays to the point of obsession.
* BrainFever: ''Eötvös Syndrome'', a fictional disease that causes disorientation the closer one gets to the equator.
* BrainFever: ''Eötvös Syndrome'', a fictional disease that causes disorientation the closer one gets to the equator.
Changed line(s) 17 (click to see context) from:
** Gray pencil is first used by Eric who wrote the comments during his first reading when he was 16.
to:
** Gray pencil is first used by Eric who wrote the comments during his first reading when he was 16.a teenager.
Changed line(s) 23 (click to see context) from:
** Also, Eric himself thinks that [[spoiler: his expulsion from the university was orchestrated by his dissertation advisor Professor Moody]].
to:
** Also, Eric himself thinks that [[spoiler: his expulsion from the university was orchestrated by his dissertation advisor adviser Professor Moody]].
Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
* GeckoEnding ''In Universe'': The ending of the final chapter is rewritten by Caldeira after Straka experiences AuthorExistenceFailure.
to:
* GeckoEnding ''In Universe'': ''In-Universe'': The ending of the final chapter is rewritten by Caldeira after Straka experiences AuthorExistenceFailure.AuthorExistenceFailure.
* OfficeRomance: There are hints that [[spoiler: professor Moody and Ilsa are more than just colleagues.]]
* SamusIsAGirl: Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler: F.X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors unrequited love towards Straka.]]
* OfficeRomance: There are hints that [[spoiler: professor Moody and Ilsa are more than just colleagues.]]
* SamusIsAGirl: Eric and Jen discover that [[spoiler: F.X. Caldeira, presumed to be a man, is in fact Filomela Xebregas Caldeira, who also harbors unrequited love towards Straka.]]
Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* TimeDilation: S experiences while he's sailing on the mysterious ship.
to:
* TimeDilation: S experiences this while he's sailing on the mysterious ship.''Coriolis''.
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fixed spoilers, added more tropes
Changed line(s) 21 (click to see context) from:
** Black pen (both Jen and Eric) after [[they moved together to Prague.]]
to:
** Black pen (both Jen and Eric) after [[they [[spoiler: they moved together to Prague.]]
Added DiffLines:
* GeckoEnding ''In Universe'': The ending of the final chapter is rewritten by Caldeira after Straka experiences AuthorExistenceFailure.
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create page
Added DiffLines:
'''S''' is a novel told via marginal notes in another novel, by [[JJAbrams J. J. Abrams]] and [[DougDorst Doug Dorst]].
The core book consists of a fictional novel ''Ship of Theseus'' written by a fictitious author V.M. Straka whose exact identity is unknown. It tells the story of an amnesiac traveler named S who tries to figure out who he is. In his travels he finds himself aboard a mysterious ship and then being involved in a conspiracy.
The novel is accompanied by footnotes from an equally mysterious editor and translator F.X. Caldeira, who, curiously, has never met Straka face-to-face.
Additionally, the book's margins are filled with handwritten notes by two readers: Eric (a graduate student and a long-time Straka scholar who got kicked out of the university) and Jen (a senior student working in the university's library). The two start passing the book between each other. At first, they discuss the novel and try to discover the real identity of Straka and Caldeira. Eventually their relationship deepens and soon they become involved in their own conspiracy related to Straka's identity.
Lastly, there are physical inserts in form letters, postcards, maps, and newspaper clippings, left by Eric and Jen.
-----
!!This book provides examples of:
* AnachronicOrder: The marginalia are scrambled through the novel, even the ones with the same color.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: Eric and Jen are wondering what the potential reader might think of them in case the book and their notes are discovered by someone else.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The marginalia have different colors indicating both the author and the time during which they were written:
** Gray pencil is first used by Eric who wrote the comments during his first reading when he was 16.
** Blue (Jen) and black pen (Eric) when they begin passing the book between each other.
** Orange (Jen) and green pen (Eric) after their relationship becomes more personal.
** Purple (Jen) and red pen (Eric) after the two [[spoiler:have met in person.]]
** Black pen (both Jen and Eric) after [[they moved together to Prague.]]
* ConspiracyTheorist: Jen suspects that [[spoiler: somebody is constantly following her as she and Eric are getting closer to revealing Straka's identity. The not-so-accidental fire of her parent's barn fuels her fears.]]
** Also, Eric himself thinks that [[spoiler: his expulsion from the university was orchestrated by his dissertation advisor Professor Moody]].
* FootnoteFever: F.X. Caldeira gratuitously uses footnotes not only to offer additional comments about Straka's life and his other works, but also to [[spoiler: communicate through coded messages with the Straka himself.]]
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Conversations between Eric and Jen are brimming with snark:
--->'''Jen:''' [...] Loved all the mystery - the book, Straka, all of it. I really needed an escape, I think.\\
'''Eric:''' Dear Undergrad Lit Major: If you thought it was an "escape" then you weren't reading closely enough. Want to Give it another shot?\\
'''Jen:''' Dear Arrogant. I made some notes in the margins so you can see how closely I read. But what do I know? I'm just an undergrad.\\
'''Eric:''' I can't believe you wrote all over my book.\\
'''Jen:''' I know. It was so presumptuous of me.
* TimeDilation: S experiences while he's sailing on the mysterious ship.
The core book consists of a fictional novel ''Ship of Theseus'' written by a fictitious author V.M. Straka whose exact identity is unknown. It tells the story of an amnesiac traveler named S who tries to figure out who he is. In his travels he finds himself aboard a mysterious ship and then being involved in a conspiracy.
The novel is accompanied by footnotes from an equally mysterious editor and translator F.X. Caldeira, who, curiously, has never met Straka face-to-face.
Additionally, the book's margins are filled with handwritten notes by two readers: Eric (a graduate student and a long-time Straka scholar who got kicked out of the university) and Jen (a senior student working in the university's library). The two start passing the book between each other. At first, they discuss the novel and try to discover the real identity of Straka and Caldeira. Eventually their relationship deepens and soon they become involved in their own conspiracy related to Straka's identity.
Lastly, there are physical inserts in form letters, postcards, maps, and newspaper clippings, left by Eric and Jen.
-----
!!This book provides examples of:
* AnachronicOrder: The marginalia are scrambled through the novel, even the ones with the same color.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: Eric and Jen are wondering what the potential reader might think of them in case the book and their notes are discovered by someone else.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The marginalia have different colors indicating both the author and the time during which they were written:
** Gray pencil is first used by Eric who wrote the comments during his first reading when he was 16.
** Blue (Jen) and black pen (Eric) when they begin passing the book between each other.
** Orange (Jen) and green pen (Eric) after their relationship becomes more personal.
** Purple (Jen) and red pen (Eric) after the two [[spoiler:have met in person.]]
** Black pen (both Jen and Eric) after [[they moved together to Prague.]]
* ConspiracyTheorist: Jen suspects that [[spoiler: somebody is constantly following her as she and Eric are getting closer to revealing Straka's identity. The not-so-accidental fire of her parent's barn fuels her fears.]]
** Also, Eric himself thinks that [[spoiler: his expulsion from the university was orchestrated by his dissertation advisor Professor Moody]].
* FootnoteFever: F.X. Caldeira gratuitously uses footnotes not only to offer additional comments about Straka's life and his other works, but also to [[spoiler: communicate through coded messages with the Straka himself.]]
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Conversations between Eric and Jen are brimming with snark:
--->'''Jen:''' [...] Loved all the mystery - the book, Straka, all of it. I really needed an escape, I think.\\
'''Eric:''' Dear Undergrad Lit Major: If you thought it was an "escape" then you weren't reading closely enough. Want to Give it another shot?\\
'''Jen:''' Dear Arrogant. I made some notes in the margins so you can see how closely I read. But what do I know? I'm just an undergrad.\\
'''Eric:''' I can't believe you wrote all over my book.\\
'''Jen:''' I know. It was so presumptuous of me.
* TimeDilation: S experiences while he's sailing on the mysterious ship.
