Sleep No More, The Innocent Sleep, and the Death of Personality

Books That Burn

*This essay contains moderate spoilers for the first sixteen October Daye books, major spoilers for SLEEP NO MORE and THE INNOCENT SLEEP, and minor spoilers for Babylon 5 (S3 E4 "Passing Through Gethsemane").

Link to the original essay.

INTRO (00:36)

When reading SLEEP NO MORE and THE INNOCENT SLEEP by Seanan McGuire (the newest October Daye books), I was struck by similarities in the ethical framework of these two books and certain aspects of the 1990's sci-fi show Babylon 5, particularly the way that changes in personality or memories are treated with relation to assumptions of personhood. I am certain that Seanan McGuire is also very familiar with Babylon 5 because one of her telepathic characters in the Incryptid series uses specific aspects of Babylon 5 as a framework for ethical telepathy.

THE DEATH OF PERSONALITY IN BABYLON 5 (01:12)

UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS (04:46)

MAJOR CHARACTERS (06:45)

• Toby - Nickname for Sir October Daye, titular character of the series, changeling (fae mother, human father)

• October - Toby’s current personality in SLEEP NO MORE and THE INNOCENT SLEEP, remembers a different history from Toby of the first sixteen books

• Tybalt - Cait Sidhe (cat fae), Toby’s husband (October doesn’t remember him)

• Amandine - October’s mother

• Simon Torquill - Daoine Sidhe, Amandine’s husband, October’s father (not by blood)

• Titania - One of the queens of Faerie, cast the illusion which created October from Toby and distorted many people’s memories

• Quentin - Daoine Sidhe, Toby’s squire in the previous books, currently squire to someone else

• August - October’s sister, daughter of Amandine and Simon

• Stacy - Toby’s friend from childhood, recently removed by Titania

PLOT HIGHLIGHTS (07:47)

TOBY VS. OCTOBER (09:57)

WHY TITANIA DOESN'T THINK THIS IS HARM (11:17)

WHY OCTOBER WANTS TO REMAIN (13:06)

THE RIDE AND TITANIA’S ALTERATIONS (14:04)

TITANIA'S TRAP ON THE RIDE (16:19)

ETHICAL PARADOXES - PERHAPS UNSOLVABLE (17:42)

THE RESOLUTION (22:00)

A MASSACRE OF MINDS (25:00)