The Endless Myth vs. Greg Egan’s Diaspora: A Comparison of Meaning-Bound Worlds and Evolving Intelligence Beyond Meaning
The novel The Endless Myth and Greg Egan’s hard science fiction classic Diaspora both depict realities that extend beyond traditional human limits. However, their philosophical orientations point in nearly opposite directions. One fixes the world through myth and faith, while the other expands it through physics and reason.
This article compares The Endless Myth and Diaspora, focusing on worldbuilding, the nature of subjectivity, and why each narrative refuses to truly end.
Worldbuilding Compared: A World Closed by Myth vs. A Universe Opened by Physical Law
The world of The Endless Myth is structured so that myth and belief function as the foundation of order. Myth is not merely a story but an institutional system that explains, assigns meaning to, and stabilizes reality. People understand the world through myth, but that understanding simultaneously becomes a limitation.
By contrast, the universe of Diaspora is constructed entirely through physics and mathematics. The setting extends far beyond human society, populated by informational beings known as polises and intelligences without physical bodies exploring the cosmos. There is no mythic explanation here; the universe is assumed to be fully intelligible.
Why the Stories Never End
The Endless Myth cannot end because if myth disappears, the meaning of the world collapses. Myth survives through continual reinterpretation and retelling, refusing closure. An ending would signify not salvation, but the erasure of meaning.
The narrative of Diaspora also lacks a definitive endpoint, but for the opposite reason. As long as intelligence continues to evolve and deepen its understanding of the universe, exploration never ceases. Endlessness here signifies progress, not stagnation.
Subjectivity: Symbolic Humans vs. Continuously Updated Minds
The protagonist of The Endless Myth, Messiah, exists primarily as a symbol. Chosen and positioned at the center of myth, he loses individual freedom. What matters is not what he thinks, but what he represents.
In Diaspora, subjectivity is fluid. Minds are copied, branched, merged, and rewritten. Identity is not anchored in symbolic meaning but in information and structure. Being a symbol carries no inherent value.
Free Will and Constraint
In The Endless Myth, free will operates only within the boundaries of myth. Choice exists, but it can never fully escape mythic structure. Understanding binds.
In Diaspora, the only true constraints are the laws of physics. Ethics, culture, and even identity are mutable design parameters. Understanding is not a cage, but a path to liberation.
Philosophical Divergence
The Endless Myth asks inward, human-centered questions:
Why do humans need myth?
Is a life governed by meaning truly just?
Is salvation actually necessary?
Diaspora poses questions that decenter humanity:
How far can intelligence evolve?
Can consciousness transcend physical form?
Is “humanity” itself essential?
Conclusion: A Story That Clings to Meaning vs. A Story That Moves Beyond It
The Endless Myth and Diaspora represent opposing narrative logics:
A myth that cannot end because meaning must be preserved
A cosmic exploration that never ends because understanding never stops
One continues to ask what meaning is. The other moves toward a future where meaning may no longer be required. Together, they clarify the distinct roles myth and hard science fiction play in exploring the limits of storytelling.
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