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Baudrillard’s S&S appeared in 1981, but we get a glimpse from Pynchon in 1973. A character, disciple of Pavlov, muses on the notion of probabilities that another scientist finds so alluring. From Gravity’s Rainbow:

“How can Roger Mexico play, so at ease, with these symbols of randomness and fright? Innocent as a child, perhaps unaware—perhaps—that in his play he wrecks the elegant rooms of history, threatens the idea of cause and effect itself. What if Mexico’s whole GENERATION turned out like this? Will Postwar be nothing but “events” newly created one moment to the next? No links? Is it the end of history?”

Amazing that the word “links” is in there. Haven’t finished the novel yet but he clearly saw, even back then, how “the absence of future, the historical future’s implosion on the present, in the obsession of real time.”

“GET THE HELL OFF TIKTOK.”

—Thomas Pynchon, probably

Also: LD peaked with Season 8’s “Palestinian Chicken.” All downhill from there.

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