Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders
Encyclopedia
Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders is a forthcoming novel
by Samuel R. Delany
, wholly rewritten and expanded from "In the Valley of the Nest of Spiders", a short story that appeared in issue 7 of Black Clock
magazine.
, on July 6, 2007, where we meet Eric Jeffers some six days before his seventeenth birthday. Eric is living with his adoptive father, Mike. The story follows Eric as he goes to live with his mother, Barbara, in the fictive "Runcible County" on the Georgia coast. There, living in the town of "Diamond Harbor", Eric learns that a black
, gay
philanthropist
has established a utopia
n community for black gay men in a neighborhood called the Dump. Eric takes a job with the local garbage man, Dynamite, and his nineteen year old helper, Morgan. The two boys become life partners, and the novel follows them—through job changes (from garbage men, to managing a pornographic theater, to handymen), changes of friends, and changes of address (from a cabin in the Dump, to an apartment over the movie theater, to another cabin out on Gilead, a nearby island)—into the twilight of their years.
's similarly titled novel The Path to the Nest of Spiders
. Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders can also be viewed as a companion piece to Dark Reflections
, Delany's immediately previous novel. But where Dark Reflections centers on themes of loneliness, sexual repression,fear, and the difficult life of the artist, Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, in sharp contrast, celebrates companionship, love, sexual openness, and freedom. Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders follows Eric from the present day (the summer of 2007, to be exact) to old age. Though it does move many decades into the future and off-handedly mentions fictional future events and technologies, the novel does not exactly fit within the realm of science fiction
.
Towards the end of Dark Reflections, we learn that in his youth, Arnold Hawley, the novel's protagonist, ran away in fear from a situation that would likely have changed the course of his life. Early in Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, Eric is told a story by Bill Bottom, a neighbor of his. Bill, like Arnold, ran away from a situation that had the potential for great happiness. He concludes by asking Eric to promise that when he is presented with his own choice—and, Bill insists, that moment will come—to choose happiness, no matter how afraid he might be to take that path. The major themes of Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders are love, relationships, and the consequences—both good and bad—of taking that chance and making the choice to go after what makes you happy.
Beginning relatively early in Eric's life (while he is still seventeen in the story), he repeatedly expresses a desire to do good things for other people. This is a thematic element that spans the novel.
There is also a very strong tie to Baruch Spinoza
. He is mentioned early in the novel, and in the latter half, Eric is given a copy of Ethica
by a character named Mama Grace. Eventually, Eric reads Ethica several times. It shapes and reflects his actions and attitudes.
Like The Mad Man
, Hogg
, and Equinox
, Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders has several highly pornographic scenes.
In recent interviews, Delany has stated that it is his design to have Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders straddle the lines between literature, science fiction, and pornography.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Samuel R. Delany
Samuel R. Delany
Samuel Ray Delany, Jr., also known as "Chip" is an American author, professor and literary critic. His work includes a number of novels, many in the science fiction genre, as well as memoir, criticism, and essays on sexuality and society.His science fiction novels include Babel-17, The Einstein...
, wholly rewritten and expanded from "In the Valley of the Nest of Spiders", a short story that appeared in issue 7 of Black Clock
Black Clock
Black Clock is an American literary magazine. Edited by Steve Erickson and published bi-annually by CalArts in association with the MFA Writing Program, the magazine is "dedicated to fiction, poetry and creative essays that explore the frontier territory of constructive anarchy." According to the...
magazine.
Plot summary
The novel begins in Atlanta, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, on July 6, 2007, where we meet Eric Jeffers some six days before his seventeenth birthday. Eric is living with his adoptive father, Mike. The story follows Eric as he goes to live with his mother, Barbara, in the fictive "Runcible County" on the Georgia coast. There, living in the town of "Diamond Harbor", Eric learns that a black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
has established a utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
n community for black gay men in a neighborhood called the Dump. Eric takes a job with the local garbage man, Dynamite, and his nineteen year old helper, Morgan. The two boys become life partners, and the novel follows them—through job changes (from garbage men, to managing a pornographic theater, to handymen), changes of friends, and changes of address (from a cabin in the Dump, to an apartment over the movie theater, to another cabin out on Gilead, a nearby island)—into the twilight of their years.
Themes
The title of the novel is an homage to Italo CalvinoItalo Calvino
Italo Calvino was an Italian journalist and writer of short stories and novels. His best known works include the Our Ancestors trilogy , the Cosmicomics collection of short stories , and the novels Invisible Cities and If on a winter's night a traveler .Lionised in Britain and the United States,...
's similarly titled novel The Path to the Nest of Spiders
The Path to the Nest of Spiders
The Path to the Spiders' Nests is a 1947 novel by the Italian writer Italo Calvino. The narrative is a coming-of-age story, set against the backdrop of World War II. It was Calvino's first novel.-Plot:...
. Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders can also be viewed as a companion piece to Dark Reflections
Dark Reflections
Dark Reflections is a novel by Samuel R. Delany, published in 2007 by Carroll & Graf, an imprint of Avalon Publishing Group. In 2008 it received a Stonewall Book Award and was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award for Gay Men's Fiction.-Plot:...
, Delany's immediately previous novel. But where Dark Reflections centers on themes of loneliness, sexual repression,fear, and the difficult life of the artist, Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, in sharp contrast, celebrates companionship, love, sexual openness, and freedom. Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders follows Eric from the present day (the summer of 2007, to be exact) to old age. Though it does move many decades into the future and off-handedly mentions fictional future events and technologies, the novel does not exactly fit within the realm of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
.
Towards the end of Dark Reflections, we learn that in his youth, Arnold Hawley, the novel's protagonist, ran away in fear from a situation that would likely have changed the course of his life. Early in Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, Eric is told a story by Bill Bottom, a neighbor of his. Bill, like Arnold, ran away from a situation that had the potential for great happiness. He concludes by asking Eric to promise that when he is presented with his own choice—and, Bill insists, that moment will come—to choose happiness, no matter how afraid he might be to take that path. The major themes of Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders are love, relationships, and the consequences—both good and bad—of taking that chance and making the choice to go after what makes you happy.
Beginning relatively early in Eric's life (while he is still seventeen in the story), he repeatedly expresses a desire to do good things for other people. This is a thematic element that spans the novel.
There is also a very strong tie to Baruch Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch de Spinoza and later Benedict de Spinoza was a Dutch Jewish philosopher. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death...
. He is mentioned early in the novel, and in the latter half, Eric is given a copy of Ethica
Ethics (book)
Ethics is a philosophical book written by Benedict de Spinoza. It was written in Latin. Although it was published posthumously in 1677, it is his most famous work, and is considered his magnum opus....
by a character named Mama Grace. Eventually, Eric reads Ethica several times. It shapes and reflects his actions and attitudes.
Like The Mad Man
The Mad Man
The Mad Man is a sexually drenched literary novel by Samuel R. Delany, first published in 1994 by Richard Kasak. In a disclaimer that appears at the beginning of the book, Delany describes it as a "pornotopic fantasy". It was originally published in 1994, republished and slightly revised in 1996,...
, Hogg
Hogg
Hogg may refer to:Persons with the surname Hogg:*Hogg In fiction:*Hogg , a novel by Samuel R. Delany*Wernham Hogg, the fictional paper company from the British TV series The Office*Hogg, a fictional family of Hobbits...
, and Equinox
Equinox (novel)
Equinox is a 1973 novel by Samuel R. Delany, and is Delany's first published foray into explicitly sexual material. It tells of a series of erotic and violent encounters in a small American seaport following the arrival of an African-American sea captain...
, Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders has several highly pornographic scenes.
In recent interviews, Delany has stated that it is his design to have Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders straddle the lines between literature, science fiction, and pornography.