Talk to Me Like a Small Child - What's This Homestuck Thing?

I've seen like one screen of MSPaint Adventures.

I read a Wikipedia article.

I've seen a bunch of people I respect chatter about it and make a bunch of fan art.

I've followed the caa craziness to the extent he bothers my clients.

But, what the fuck? What is so fantastic about Homestuck?

 

Four kids want to play a game, meanwhile, a work attire dispute results in the death of millions. (from some half-remembered tumblr post I can't be assed to look up atm, I know I've got it tagged on my tumblr, but....)

Basically you have a bunch of early teens (later mid-teens, because 3 year time skip), for all of whom a decent "is actually autistic" case can be made, all quirky in different ways, and they snark at each other and try to figure out the whole game thing, and how to deal with the other group of assholes (who have the same traits) who suddenly turned up and caused everything to go to hell.
It's set in a game, but it's mostly about the kids trying to deal. And mostly failing in both hilarious and horrific ways.

The plot is pretty convoluted and loopy, but it's a pretty great narrative.

 

Homestuck has:
1) a lot of really well written three-dimensional interesting characters, including equal numbers of females, several people with mental or physical disabilities, and several canonically gay or lesbian characters and an alien race thats bisexual and poly as standard.

2) really cool worldbuilding. Alternia's a crapsack futuristic lord of the flues planet. Sburb is a game that hates you til you die and then you become a god, and also everyone gets personalized lands full of quests and consorts, sort of like wow if it were written by omnipotent sadists. The dream moons are full of spy intrigue and film noir/gangster fuckery.

3)an absolutely insane plot. Everyone's fave gets their own crowning moment of cool. Im convinced at least half of what makes homestuck fun is how totally absurd it sounds trying to make any kind of plot summary, and yet as youre reading it it makes perfect sense. Like yes of course our heroes have to team up against the deadly forces of betty crocker/fish hitler and the ICP. Of course they do.

4)trolls tho. They get an extra bullet point because they're my favorite fictional culture since jagermonsters.

 

I'm a ways in. No trolls, but sort of an extended deBord/Baudrillard inspired meditation on mediated reality is going on.

 

And yes, you do have to read the Intermissions.

 

@rigorist There's also a great deal of determinist philosophy, whether we control our own destinies or whether there really is only one way things can go in the universe, because there are multiple timelines and only one that is the "alpha"/primary timeline. You don't always know within the narrative whether you're on that timeline, mind.

The implications of determinism are honestly one of the things that fucks with me about Homestuck the most. Also, if you think Homestuck's timefuckery premise is interesting, you'd probably also like Problem Sleuth, because its premise is basically spacefuckery. In fact, you might actually want to read PS first because it's like Diet Homestuck (just one calorie, not quite batshit enough).

 

Are the references to "lack" deliberate call-backs to Lacan?

 

Im never sure whether hussie is one of the smartest authors i know or just a huge troll or what. It could be?

Trolls dont show up til act 5. Homestuck is a hell of a slow burn. Also, i was like wtf idc about these people get me back to the real story with the intermissions the first time and skipped? Dont do that, you'll just have to go read them later and you'll be lost. They become relevant, and also they're cute.

 

At the end of Act 1 and apparently the world has ended.

Well then.

 

Get used to it. Its hussy's go to plot point.

 

That's what you get for listening to reader contributions. (until the mailbox is exploded, the actions are reader-driven - there was a suggestion box in which you could enter a "do this", lots of randomness came from that, also hilarity. that became gradually less, until andrew took the reins completely)

 

I did not know that! It explains a lot though, wow.

 

problem sleuth was completely reader-driven ::D

 

Incorrect. They show up in act 3.

 

Do they? I thought 3 was jade and pm?

 

Yeah, a few of them first appear in Act 3, but you don't get a good look at any of them until Act 5.

 

Huh, thats cool, i forgot you saw them earlier. This thread is being really fun. :)

 

I remember part of a q&a with Hussie where he talked about the branding: the zodiac signs, the classpects, are all elements meant to make readers immerse themselves in the story. Like how everyone tries to figure out their Hogwarts house: who would I be in this universe, who would I identify with? It's the same principle used to sell clothes and things and he...well...uses it to sell clothes and things. It was entirely deliberate on his part, apparently.

(funnily enough, I'm Gemini and Sollux is my least favorite...only in the sense that I'm just not interested in him at all, Kanaya is my favorite troll. partner is Aquarius but fav troll is Karkat.)

Spoiler: gif

 

I'm well into Act 2 and I am fucking bored. Continuing based on trust.