I would have wiSSSShed... what is missing from SSSS?

[thorny]

I relate to this so much. Every time I try to recommend the comic to anyone, I fear that the prologue will scare them off. But I kinda like to re-read it with the whole comic, because it feels a bit nostalgic (i think?)

Coming back to this part of the discussion: I liked the prologue; and I thought it was very useful in setting up the background of the story.

[Kevin_Redcrow]

At least to some extent, comparatively thin trunks with almost no branches or foliage are a telltale sign of that tree having grown within a well-established forest - where newcomers have to grow tall fast to secure the sunlit patch of the treetops stratum that their fallen predecessor opened up. Note how many of the trees that us humans find "notable" - including, but not restricted to, those famed for their girth or top-to-bottom foliage - happen to be isolated ones ...

I thought the thin trunks had to do with harvesting of trees for lumber. The lumber industry tends cut down conifers when they reach an optimal point for wood quality and maximum yield within a particular time frame

Even so, the Douglas Fir in my region can grow to 1.5m - 2.0m within 100 years of planting. I live in a district which experienced a forest fire about 110 years ago. This area was replanted (in neat rows of course). The land was gradually sold off into parcels for detached homes, with the largest period of building during the 1940's through the 1960's. Many of the lots have Douglas Firs from the replanting that have trunk diameters of about the size range mentioned above.

The notable trees we have are much larger, and can be found both within my city and in the coastal mountain range to the west of here.

[JoB]

I thought the thin trunks had to do with harvesting of trees for lumber. The lumber industry tends cut down conifers when they reach an optimal point for wood quality and maximum yield within a particular time frame

Ah, sorry, I thought you were talking about the trunks being thin considering the tree's height/age. Yes, the industry fells trees at ages 30 to 160 (depending on species), even though the natural lifespans can reach four digits with some.

(Heheheh, "if you want grandkids with colorful speech, plant beech, beech, beech!", me gusto.)

[Vulpes]

Coming back to this part of the discussion: I liked the prologue; and I thought it was very useful in setting up the background of the story.

Oh good, I'm not the only one. I came upon SSSS sometime early-ish in Adventure 1, looked at a couple then-current pages, and decided I needed to start from the beginning. I very much enjoyed the prologue, it was a good setup, as you say, and also great food for thought. The different responses (panic, denial, fatalism, obliviousness, etc.) were all very believable, and of course that leads to wondering, "What camp would I be in?" Of course then we got ourselves into a somewhat similar situation, and found out! At which point I went back for a re-read, and was impressed with Minna's very accurate portrayal of different national responses, and their citizens reactions - gosh we're a predictable species, aren't we?

I had avoided any cat-related spoilers in the few pages I'd seen, so I spent most of the prologue wondering what was with the cats, which I think also made it rather enjoyable.

[Jitter]

I also liked the prologue, although no a much as the main story of A1. When I started, I knew there was an apocalypse coming up but not much else. So in the very first pages I was wondering whether it’s going to be climate (with the rain) or plague.

[lwise]

In terms of what is missing from SSSS, the biggest question in my mind is, what happened to the books?  It seems from some of the dialogue that the books in Denmark are valuable for the information in them, not just as rare souvenirs.  Yet Iceland was certainly never overrun, and Bornholm probably wasn't, or wasn't completely.  Even Dalsnes and Sollerön seem to have survived intact.  All of those places have plenty of dead-tree books (well, maybe not Dalsnes).  According to Google, Iceland has seven libraries just in Reykjavik, not to mention book stores.  The knowledge from all those books should be readily available, but apparently isn't.

A second question is, how could Christianity have been so completely forgotten that Reynir doesn't even know about it?  I brought this up in the comments once upon a time, and was accused of being unwilling to accept that my favorite superstition had been forgotten.  No, I'm not a believer, but I'm certainly aware of the existence of Christianity, its beliefs in a general sense, and the appearance of its churches.  It's been a huge influence on Western culture, including in Iceland for a thousand years according to Onni.  Reynir's great-grandparents would have known all about it.  Reynir should know something about it, but he doesn't.

My personal answer for both of these questions is that a deliberate effort was made to wipe out the old, technological civilization.  Maybe there was a belief that the Rash was intentionally created and spread, by technology or by Christians or both, or maybe there was just a sense that society had utterly failed and people struck out in desperation and anger against the things they could reach.  But those questions aren't addressed in the comic, and I suppose never will be now.

[JoB]

According to Google, Iceland has seven libraries just in Reykjavik, not to mention book stores.

Ah, i remember the times when we tried to guess where the team should go next to hit the mother lode ...

My personal answer for both of these questions is that a deliberate effort was made to wipe out the old, technological civilization.

That's essentially a given, considering that this info page puts the Icelanders' stance as

the Icelanders have kept the technology of the old world alive, while rejecting all of the history tied to it. They were spared from the great illness by their ancient Gods, whom they now put their faith into.

(Yes, it says that they "kept the technology alive", but lack of the global resources that we use for it will nonetheless have made a cull in that area, too.)

[lwise]

Okay, for the Icelanders, but what about the Danes and Swedes?  What happened to their books?

I have thought that books might have been used as fuel, when it's cold and no one wants to fetch wood because of roaming monsters, but it's hard to believe that this would account for all of their books.  I think even in Denmark and Sweden, there must have been a deliberate attempt to destroy books, even though we're told that they value ancient knowledge.

[dmeck7755]

Okay, for the Icelanders, but what about the Danes and Swedes?  What happened to their books?

When you are running away as the early panels show in adventure 1, books are probably the last thing you will take.  They are heavy and take up a lot of space.

A second question is, how could Christianity have been so completely forgotten that Reynir doesn't even know about it?  I brought this up in the comments once upon a time, and was accused of being unwilling to accept that my favorite superstition had been forgotten.  No, I'm not a believer, but I'm certainly aware of the existence of Christianity, its beliefs in a general sense, and the appearance of its churches.  It's been a influence on Western culture, including in Iceland for a thousand years according to Onni.  Reynir's great-grandparents would have known all about it.  Reynir should know something  about it, but he doesn't.

It could have been forcibly forgotten.  It could have been abandoned.  People can be quick to blame other things for their hardships.  It could have been one the extraneous things thrown out in order to survive.  Think Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.  I could not post the pic, but first is Physiological, then safety.  Love/relationships is next. I believe religion may be 3 or even at the top. (I would have posted the little pyramid, but I could not figure that out )

It could also be how devout people were to start with also.

My personal answer for both of these questions is that a deliberate effort was made to wipe out the old, technological civilization.  Maybe there was a belief that the Rash was intentionally created and spread, by technology or by Christians or both, or maybe there was just a sense that society had utterly failed and people struck out in desperation and anger against the things they could reach.  But those questions aren't addressed in the comic, and I suppose never will be now
 

This also.

[lwise]

When you are running away as the early panels show in adventure 1, books are probably the last thing you will take.  They are heavy and take up a lot of space.

True, but the people on Bornholm did not run away.  The books there should be intact, unless they were intentionally destroyed.

[Róisín]

I remember that in your fic at least one of the towns on Bornholm has a library, was it Ronne?) and I presume that individuals or households might have books in year 0 much as they do now? Bornholm was one of the places that didn’t go back to the old gods and stuck with science, I think? Because Danes?

I know my own home library would be an absolute treasure trove to post-apoc survivors, with books on everything from building houses from scratch to edible wild plants and first aid.

[lwise]

I remember that in your fic at least one of the towns on Bornholm has a library, was it Ronne?) and I presume that individuals or households might have books in year 0 much as they do now? Bornholm was one of the places that didn’t go back to the old gods and stuck with science, I think? Because Danes?

I know my own home library would be an absolute treasure trove to post-apoc survivors, with books on everything from building houses from scratch to edible wild plants and first aid.

I did have a library in Ronne, but in keeping with canon, it was new and the books came from Iceland.  I figure Iceland has printing presses; maybe Denmark and Sweden do too, but certainly Iceland does, as the principles of a moveable type printing press are not complicated.  Even I could build a working printing press, given time, raw materials, and determination, so I'm sure they would be able to build some.

As to your home library, that's exactly what I mean about why there shouldn't be a shortage of knowledge.  Mine isn't a patch on yours, but I have an encyclopedia, books on the plants around here, books on first aid, two editions of the Merck Manual ...  And surely someone on Bornholm or in Sollerön would have a library like that, and they did not flee to safety.  Even the people in Dalsnes might have had something like that, though judging from the drawing of the town, it was very small so the odds are worse.

Anyway, I have to figure a deliberate effort to destroy books, even in Sweden and Denmark.

[dmeck7755]

True, but the people on Bornholm did not run away.  The books there should be intact, unless they were intentionally destroyed.

True, It may be how I inferred it, but it seemed to me that people cherished books at the time of the adventures.  That they wanted more books. 

I would assume that the libraries were intact.  Unless people burned the books for various reasons (*horror*)

I was making a sweeping statement.  This goes to show you should not make sweeping statements about anything 

[JoB]

I figure Iceland has printing presses; maybe Denmark and Sweden do too

Dunno about presses, but Torbjörn the Hireling was in the book reproduction business - and had his epiphany of how much more valuable "originals" are there.

[lwise]

Dunno about presses, but Torbjörn the Hireling was in the book reproduction business - and had his epiphany of how much more valuable "originals" are there.

Well, that is one of the points that bothered me.  Building a press would be far more efficient (and more accurate) than paying a bunch of people to retype books, like a bunch of medieval monks hand-writing illuminated manuscripts.  I have to figure what was happening with Torbjörn is that he was transcribing a delicate book so that those ruffians at the printers would have papers that they could handle with their clumsy, inky hands instead of the precious original manuscript.

In the tank, Tuuri transcribed the journal that Lalli found, at Mikkel's request.  I think that was so Mikkel could read it without worrying about damaging the original.