Deus ex machina.
a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new character, ability, or object.
Very interesting. In olden days they literally hoisted in a deity character to solve the story! And in those days it was considered good writing.
Anyhoo: does anybody know of a god in some culture who is God Of Machines? I can't seem to find any.
Like, who would you pray to when the PC keeps freezing or the car won't un-freeze?
There is a god somewhere for virtually anything (in Terry Pratchett books there is a goddess of Things Stuck In Drawers), and yet I don't know one for machines, seems like an odd oversight. Unless it's just cuz the concept of "machines" as a general terms is newer than the times when people tended to think up gods.
Your local technician.
ReplyDeleteKentg has it right. The closest thing I can think of is the Sons of Martha, from the Kipling poem.
ReplyDelete"Like, who would you pray to when the PC keeps freezing or the car won't un-freeze?"
ReplyDeleteHaving problems? :-)
With an estimated 547 processing chips in my home, something has to give!
ReplyDeleteSorry to spoil the fun, but it just means "god from the machine" because in ancient Greek theatre the actor was lowered into the action by stage machinery.
ReplyDeleteSorry to spoil your fun, but everyone knew that already. Eolake was asking if there was in some culture an actual God of the Machine. Please read more carefully.
ReplyDelete