(This is a repost of my May 8, 2018 blog. I like this one because I’m trying to elaborate on what I know about The Silent Invader, but struggling with being vague.  I know more than what’s in the book like you would expect from the author.  But, I can’t talk about what’s not in print.  At least, not yet…)

 

I’ve written the past few months about many of the main characters, the world they live in, what has changed on Earth, even (my) circumstances in developing the book. But I haven’t written much about the Silent Invader.  There’s a simple reason.

Telling you about the Silent Invader makes no sense outside the context of the book, even then I wouldn’t say whether this is definitive. What I do share needs a frame of reference and the book provides some of that.  But, more than anything, speaking at length about the Silent Invader would mean talking over the characters, and their interactions with the Silent Invader.

There are three things that you can be assured of regarding the Silent Invader:

-I know who the Silent Invader is (and yes, some characters also do)

-The Silent Invader is in the book (you’re probably wondering why I would say that…)

-The Characters will confront the Silent Invader.

Let’s consider each point I want to make.

The Silent Invader is known

When I talk about items in the book, I prefer to quote the characters or find the portion of the narrative that touches on the matter. One of the problems with talking about the Silent Invader is who I would use to explain who–or even, what–the Silent Invader is. While I know, I would still prefer the characters to make the explanation.  But there is a problem.

There are only 2 characters in this portion of the series who know who (or what) the Silent Invader is. And, by quoting either of them, you may miss what others are saying about it. Or even what they’re not saying about it.

While my goal isn’t to sow misinformation regarding the Silent Invader in the book, I did want to show that knowing for certain what the Silent Invader is could be difficult.  At one point in the story, various entities are referred to as the Silent Invader, and there is evidence presented to make their case.  Only one of these can be correct, though.  By the end of the book, You must decide for yourself if you agree with the characters (or even which characters) on who they define as the Silent Invader.

The Silent Invader is in the book

This seems obvious, but is it?  It was certainly possible to write this entire book, and the Silent Invader never appear, or never directly engage the main characters.

From a literary standpoint, I reference a series of Batman comics from the late 20th century known by the heading “Knighfall.”  In these, Batman was facing various foes, coming in successive waves and without let up.

And while the story might be the fact that he’s basically going out every night and facing down a major villain, what was interesting was the detective side of the story for me.  Batman was getting worn down facing all these people, and it was showing even to others around him.  But Batman also saw there was more there: someone else behind them all. The thing I found interesting about Knightfall is Knightfall doesn’t start with the first issue with “Knightfall” on it.  It started (at least) 12-18 months before, and crossed most of the Batman comics that I read (mostly Batman and Detective Comics, but sometimes Shadow of the Bat.  I also liked Robin, but it was still a limited series then). Then, after several months, Bane makes his introduction in, of all places, the home of Bruce Wayne.  It was an exceptional plot development since it showed that Bane was as much a detective as Batman, following the clues and drawing conclusions.

While there were several people Batman faced along the way that he could conclude was Bane, as this blogger states, it was only 6 months prior to this issue that we even knew who Bane was! (Unless you read “Vengence of Bane.” To this day I’ve never read it).

The point is that Bane was a character taking action in the comic, just not visible in each issue.  His lack of visibility didn’t make it impossible to see his influence; if anything, it made it more interesting.  Consider that for a long time prior to “Knightfall,” Batman was the only one saying there was someone else directing these rogues.  Everyone around him merely assumed he was succumbing to fatigue.

Like Bane, the Silent Invader is active in the story, though unlike Bane, the Silent Invader is in the story from the beginning.

Of course, this also means that I can identify the Silent Invader. This is through the characters’ encounter with the Silent Invader. I was planning to address the final point this week. However, I ran out time to finish my research on the matter (don’t remember what page everything is on). Till then, please leave your comments below.

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Original Blog: The Silent Invader. (Part One)