Hysteresis: An Asymmetric Account of an Individual Apocalypse

In an imaginary land, the eternal battle rages between the forces of darkness and the forces of light. Upsetting a long established balance, the forces of darkness have revealed a mysterious secret weapon, capable, so they claim, of finally providing the means for them to escape from their prison and return to ravage the lands of the forces of light. The forces of light, for their part, have hidden their own secret weapon in the center of the sun, where it remains beyond their reach, because they are possessed of a profound ambivalence regarding the outcome of this engagement. When they discover that the leadership of the forces of darkness share their perspective, one would think that an amiable resolution is at hand, but that turns out to be as far from the eventual truth of the matter as can be imagined.

As a literary conceit, "Hysteresis" examines the symmetry between darkness and light and creates a combined diplomatic and military campaign intended to capture the nuances of the internal debate regarding the lure (or lack thereof) of each force. In short, "Hysteresis" is exactly as described: an asymmetric account of an individual apocalypse.

In the interests of full disclosure, the author has provided a second subtitle as well, which is relayed here, cryptic and self-deprecating though it may be: Tragicomedic Juvenilia of a Melodramatic Amanuensis.

"Hysteresis" was written from March to September, 1995 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.