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Semionautical Adventures
By Corvus | April 17, 2009
I recently decided that my business card ought to read Corvus Elrod, Semionaut. Even more recently, like yesterday, I realized it probably ought to include the title Narrative Design Consultant. Because honestly, other than a conversation starter, what in the hell is a semionaut?
Well, anyone who enjoys playing with language, will likely recognize that the title is based on the same root as semiotics, which according to my favorite online dictionary breaks down like this:
semiotics
study of signs and symbols with special regard to function and origin, 1880, from Gk. semeiotikos “observant of signs,” adj. form of semeiosis “indication,” from semeioun “to signal,” from sema “sign.”
The ending of the of the title is likely familiar as well, given that it shares it with astronaut, Argonaut, and of course, nautical. But, in part because I like quoting dictionaries and in part because this entry contains a fun historic detail:
Argo
name of the ship in which Jason and his companions sought the Fleece in Colchis, in Gk., lit. “The Swift,” from argos “swift” (adj.), also “shining, bright” (see argent; cf. also Skt. cognate rjrah “shining, glowing, bright,” also “swift”). Hence, Argonaut “sailor of the Argo” (1596), from Gk. nautes “sailor.” Adventurers in the California Gold Rush of 1848 were called argonauts (because they sought the golden fleece) by those who stayed home.
So the title semionaut literally means sailer of signs or more romantically, as I prefer to frame it, Explorer of Meaning. But what does the title mean in practical terms? What does it say about my approach to story, play, and community?
Well first of all, it means that I’m not claiming to have a final answer. Final answers leave little room for growth, little room for the incorporation of new understanding. Final answers run the risk of becoming obsolete and irrelevant to the study they profess to serve–whether that study is of literature, media theory, or game analysis.
Secondly, it means I’ve not charted a firm course and I’m not interested in creating a rigid critical framework. I am on a journey of exploration, making careful observations and inviting my community to comment on what I see. I believe that all forms of human expression are equal parts Art and Science. As there are already plenty of scientists answering the Questions of Art, I prefer to play the role of artist questioning the Answers of Science.
Finally, semionaut reflects my rather whimsical approach to my career and the video game indusea upon which I sail. It means I’m willing to play games with the very language I use as a vessel of exploration. It means I’m willing to chart unmapped territories, to suggest outrageous correlations between the cultures I meet across the various media continents I wander, and to risk falling off the edge of the world. After all, I’m casting myself as a classic Wellsian explorer by way of William S. Burroughs, Haruki Murakami, Margaret Atwood, and Umberto Eco. So as I see it, if I’m roaming an area of the map labeled Here There Ought Not Be Dragons, then I would hardly be living up to my chosen career path.
Tagged:critical theory, semionaut. | 4 Comments »
April 17th, 2009 at 9:01 am
You had way too much fun writing that last paragraph.
The business card turned out really well, though. Makes me want to get my own finished!
April 17th, 2009 at 11:12 am
“I believe that all forms of human expression are equal parts Art and Science. As there are already plenty of scientists answering the Questions of Art, I prefer to play the role of artist questioning the Answers of Science.”
I’ve believed this myself for as long as I can remember. I swear, you must be reading my mind or something.
April 18th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
You have a tendency to articulate my thoughts. It’s very–particularly this and the ‘introvert’ post. As a fellow semionaut, I say we start we start a gentleman’s club.
Also, I demand a badge to pin to my ridiculously over-sized bowler hat!
December 18th, 2009 at 12:25 am
[...] if you insist on having a narrative element to your game, make sure you have a dedicated writer (or semionaut) on the [...]