Chekhov's sea-kings
With the caveat that it's a long time since I read The Lost Road, I think that would be a plausible way to spin the story, as well as an effective one. On the other hand, Elendil has, of course, always already acted like he did, or the stories Alboin dreamed wouldn't be these stories. Did Alboin time-travelling back into Elendil's mind cause history to unfold the way it did, or was the point him realising that it was himself, as Elendil, who brought about the events remembered in the stories? Or both, in a 'Hold the door!' moment? It's all very timey-wimey, but that would make a story I'd like to see told.
ETA: Considering the origin of TLR in that compact between Tolkien and Lewis about writing a space-travel story and a time-travel story, and seeing how the names of their respective protagonists, Elwin and Alboin, mirror each other, I'd like to think that Alboin would have no more remained a passive observer than Ransom did, but then I'm not Tolkien.
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Und aus dem Erebos kamen viele seelen herauf der abgeschiedenen toten.- Homer, Odyssey, Canto XI
Last edited by Pitchwife; 12-31-2022 at 10:35 AM.
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