David Mitchell fans discussion

As a huge Mitchell fan, I enjoy the intimacy of the immediate character pieces, but also am fascinated by the global events and far reaching sociopolitical implications. So far I've read Bone Clocks, Thousand Autumns, Slade House, Cloud Atlas, and Ghostwritten. While tracing the trajectory of mankind's unraveling, is it safe to assume that Brink Day from Ghostwritten kicked off the Endarkenment from Bone Clocks, which in 100 or so years later led to the Skirmishes and eventual Fall we see at Cloud Atlas?

I'm a bit scared to read Bone Clocks as I've heard it deals with a lot of things about us after death. And I don't know why at this point on my life. This is something I get freaked a lot about. What I do can say is that it's been amazing to see these little connections here and there with all of his novels. Even number9dream and Black Swan Green. And I do share the idea of this social structure changing trough generations, and multiple souls navigating I'm this huge atlas of clouds.
I hope I'll be able to read his last two books soon and I'm sure we'll get more of this uber world in his books to come.

Sorry for the horrible grammar mess ups

Hector, no need to be afraid. I actually think Cloud Atlas and Jacob De Zoet deal with death in a more expansive way. It's only really hinted at and touched upon in side-narratives, but the major themes and even the plot explore our world and the various ways us human animals seek grace and destruction as inhabitants of our pale blue zoo. It's a great book!

Well put Mark! I couldn't have said it better. This is why I love David Mitchell's novels. Cloud Atlas is, and always will be my favorite on so many different levels. It made me really think about what it is to be human and how we define ourselves. It actually was an uplifting experience taking it all in.