L-space
L-space, short for library-space, is a fictional dimension described in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of novels. It is the ultimate portrayal of his concept that the written word has powerful magical propertise on the Discworld, and that in large quantities all books warp space and time around them. The principle of l-space revolved around a seemingly logical equation; it is an extention of the aphorism 'Knowledge is Power':
Access and appearance
Large quantities of magical and mundane books create portals into l-space that can be accessed using innate powers of librarianship that are taught by the Librarians of Time and Space to those deemed worthy across the multiverse. Because of the fact that libraries with enough books to open a portal are often large and sprawling, those venturing into l-space may not necessarily know that they have arrived. The floor and ceiling of l-space follow the floor and ceiling of the library used to access it; the best example of this is that the central dome of Unseen University's library is "always overhead" [1].
Alternatively, it can be said that l-space manifests in our world in those obscure, hidden bookstores that, logic and the laws of physics insist, cannot possibly be as large on the outside as they appear on the inside. Somehow, after scraping one's shoulders against the improbably small door, one finds one's self turning one unseen corner after another, seemingly going on forever into further and more obscure sections as yet unobserved by human eyes. Essentially, all bookstores are potentially infinite in extent; gateways into literary hyperspace: "a bookshop is just a genteel blackhole that knows how to read" [2].
Properties and usages
L-space in the novels
Unedited
L-space, short for library-space, is a fictional dimension or set of dimensions documented in Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. It is an expansion on his portrayal of the written word having mystical properties on the Discworld, in that the basic concept is large collections of books (magical or mundane) can warp space and time around them. L-space largely resembles a very large area full of shelves underneath a dome whose centre always seem to be directly above you, no matter how far you travel.
The principle is actually quite simple. The relevant scientific equation, a simple extension of the aphorism "Knowledge is Power", is:
- (Books = ) Knowledge = Power = Energy = Matter = Mass
and since large amounts of mass distort time and space, large amounts of knowledge (i.e. any sufficiently-sized library or used-book store) can do likewise. As Pratchett states in Guards! Guards!, "A good bookshop is just a genteel black hole that knows how to read."
It is possible, through L-Space, to get to any library anywhere and anytime in the multiverse. Therefore, using L-Space, one can read any book ever written, any book ever going to be written, every book that people always planned to write but did not do so, or any book that could possibly be written. Since this is effectively a form of both time and interdimensional travel, there are strict limits on its use. Only very senior librarians may be taught the secrets of L-Space and how to avoid its dangers and deal with its denizens. These include the "harmless kickstool crabs, large and heavy wandering thesauri, the .303 bookworm and the dreaded cliches, which must be avoided at all costs".
A popular Terry Pratchett and Discworld fan site is named after this concept. The L-Space Web contains details of many aspects of the Discworld novels, including the Annotated Pratchett FAQ (APF) – annotations of all the Discworld books.
See also
External links
- "What is this L-Space thing?" at The L-Space web
- The L-Space Web