Kevin's Watch

I stumbled upon this.

Corruption springs from light: 'tis one same power
Creates, preserves, destroys; matter whereon
It works, on e'er self-transmutative form,
Common to now the living, now the dead.
―Philip James Bailey, Festus (1813)

I wonder if this is somehow related to the title "The Power that Preserves".

Corruption, Power. Create, Preserve, Destroy.

The Living. The Dead.

The line was spoken by Lucifer, BTW. Festus and Lucifer are discussing what is real, and what is a dream.

wayfriend wrote:I wonder if this is somehow related to the title "The Power that Preserves".

They're related by both referring to paradoxes, to power that could save or damn.

If you are asking if Festus inspired SRD's title, wayfriend, I regret that I have never seen any interview where he discusses it. SRD strikes me as a very well-read person, so the influence of Festus on his title choice is certainly a possibility.

SRD has a degree in Creative Writing doesn't he, so it's a safe bet he has read widely in the pursuit of his studies, and the quote has the right 'feel' about it. We can't know [untill somone gets the chance to ask the man] but if I were a gambling man I'd have a dollar on it.