The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall

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Description

The Raw Shark Texts , called “clever, playful . . . sharp and clear” by the Los Angeles Times and “a horror-dystopic-philosophical mash-up” by the New York Times Magazine , is a novel unlike any other. Eric Sanderson wakes up in a house one day with no idea who or where he is. Instructed... read more

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Summary

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Cast of Characters/Important People

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Eric Sanderson: The main character of the story. After waking up in a house he doesn't recognize, he receives pre-written letters in the mail from his old self, which he refers to as the First Eric Sanderson. Initially pushing these letters off to the side, it isn't until the events of his previous life catch up him that he embarks on the journey to uncover the truth.
Scout: A young woman involved with the Un-Space Exploration committee. She rescues Eric from his second encounter with the Ludovician and knows a lot about un-space and conceptual fish. Any many ways she resembles Clio Aames, Eric's former love.
The First Eric Sanderson: Throughout the book, Eric Sanderson refers to him past self as almost being a completely different character in the book due to the fact that his former memories are never acquired. We only meet the first Eric through stories from the Light Bulb Fragment (a series of codes revealing memories of his vacation in the Greek islands) and his advice, which helps teach the second Eric tips and tricks for staying safe and out of sight on his journey.
Clio Aames: Eric Sanderson's girlfriend; she is revealed only in the text through various letters and fragments. She appeared to have drowned during their vacation on the Greek islands which is what sent the first Eric Sanderson looking for the ludovician to preserve the memories of her.
Ian the Cat: As one of two cat's owned by the first Eric and Clio, he appears one day on the Second Eric Sanderson's window sill and later becomes his traveling companion. It is never told what happened to the second cat, Gavin.
Dr. Trey Fidorous: The man Eric sets out on his journey to find. He is an expert on conceptual fish. He makes his laboratory home deep in un-space. At first, he is reluctant to help Eric, but eventually warms up to him and creates the conceptual boat, the Orpheus.
Mycroft Ward: One of the antagonists of the story. During the time of the novel, Mycroft Ward is an immense internet database that controls hundreds of "Mycrofts" world wide.
Dr. Randle: A retired doctor, presumably of psychology. She is the first contact Eric Sanderson has after the death of The First Eric Sanderson. She is convinced that Eric has a dissociative condition because his symptoms are similar to that of a dissociative condition, though some of them do not fit at all. For the first few months of the book, Eric Sanderson and Dr. Randle meet regularly.
Mr. Nobody: A man who identifies himself as an employee of Mycroft Ward. He contacts Eric Sanderson in hopes of capturing him.
Aunty Ruth: The owner of the Willows hotel, where Eric stays during a rainstorm. Though she is not actually the aunt of any of the guests, the guests generally use this term of endearment.

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Memorable Quotes

“The view becomes the reflection, and the reflection, the view.”
Eric Sanderson

First Sentence

I was unconscious.

I. Part One
1. A Relic of Something Nine-tenths Collapsed
2. Kitchen Archaeology and Second Post
3. My Heart was Deep Space and My Head was Maths
4. The Lightbulb Fragment (Part One)
5. White Cloud and Blue Mountain
6. Time and the Hunter
7. The Crypto-Zoology of Purely Conceptual Sharks, Dictaphone Defence Systems and Light Bulb Code Cracking in Selected Letters from the First Eric Sanderson.
8. The Impressionist

II. Part Two
9. On the Trail of Trey Fidorous - Recovered Palaeontology and Finds (Hull to Sheffield)
10. Flotsam and Jetsam
11. Time's Shrinking Little Antarctica
12. The Lightbulb Fragment (Part Two)
13. All the Angels Come
14. Mr Nobody
15. Luxophage
16. Ludovician
17. An Invisible Eddy of Breeze

III. Part Three
18. Yippy Yippy Ya Ya Yey Yey Yey
19. History Sinks Downwards
20. The Arrangement
21. Erm...
22. A Tetris-Gap of Missing Bricks
23. Biro World
24. The Doctor of Language
25. Hakuun and Kuzan (All the Stars are Bleeding)
26. It's a Poot Sort of Memory that Only Works Backwards
27. Who Are You Really, and What Were You Before?
28. The Cube of Light
29. Orpheus and the QWERTY Code

IV. Part Four
30. Farewell and Adieu to You, Fair Spanish Ladies
31. Feelings of Whatever
32. Farewell and Adieu to You, Ladies of Spain
33. The Lightbulb Fragment (Part Three/Encoded Section)
34. Last Stand
35. Just Like Heaven
36. Goodbye Mr Tegmark