I also like that the book encourages you to think about its relation to other stories. I kept seeing other parallels or reflections or twists on other things I've read or watched--as with Time--and I liked that effect. The Seamus stuff made me think of Firefly, 'War Stories':
"Have you ever read the works of Shan Yu?" "Shan Yu, the psychotic dictator?" "Yep. Fancied himself quite the warrior poet. Wrote volumes on war, torture ... the limits of human endurance." "...that's nice." "He said, 'live with a man 40 years, share his house, his meals, speak on every subject. Then tie him up and hold him over the volcano's edge. And on that day you will finally meet the man." "What if you don't live near a volcano?" "I expect he was being poetical." "Sadistic crap legitimised by florid prose. Tell me you're not a fan."
no subject