Bethany
asked
Scott Hawkins:
This question contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[Hi, Scott! I just finished reading Mt. Char, and it was definitely an experience like no other! I did have a question though - it was a hilariously macabre image that Carolyn had Steve’s heart in a Ziploc in the fridge. But then later on, there a couple specific mentions of Steve’s heart pounding in his chest, and the one in the Ziploc is never mentioned again. When did he get his heart back? Or was that just a spare? (hide spoiler)]
Scott Hawkins
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[Hey Bethany,
Spoilery spoilers about.
Steve got his heart back through the it-totally-isn't-magic of Library Medicine. On the night when Carolyn took him to the detective's house, she cut out the original heart and put it in the baggie for David, as requested.
However, following her own fiendish plan, she needed Steve back. Remember near the end when she got the spear hole in her leg? Steve fetched a bag of powder from one of the houses. Carolyn packed her leg with that, and five minutes later she was walking around like nothing happened.
She used the same stuff to fix Steve's heart. Probably she stole a bag from Jennifer at some point.
In terms of mechanism--let's say it was a granulated bag of raw materials mixed in with super-advanced nano bots. When you get a wound, pack it with the powder and wait ten minutes. The nano-bots sample the surrounding DNA, construct a mental image of what's missing, and stitch the raw proteins (or whatever) in the powder back into muscle, intestine, skin... It can fix up most physical wounds, but it requires a certain amount of intelligent tending. If you just dropped an amputated finger in a vat of the stuff, it wouldn't spit back a whole person.
Admittedly, that that's a little hand-wavey. I kind of went back and forth on how much detail to give for that kind of stuff.
HTH,
Scott (hide spoiler)]
Spoilery spoilers about.
Steve got his heart back through the it-totally-isn't-magic of Library Medicine. On the night when Carolyn took him to the detective's house, she cut out the original heart and put it in the baggie for David, as requested.
However, following her own fiendish plan, she needed Steve back. Remember near the end when she got the spear hole in her leg? Steve fetched a bag of powder from one of the houses. Carolyn packed her leg with that, and five minutes later she was walking around like nothing happened.
She used the same stuff to fix Steve's heart. Probably she stole a bag from Jennifer at some point.
In terms of mechanism--let's say it was a granulated bag of raw materials mixed in with super-advanced nano bots. When you get a wound, pack it with the powder and wait ten minutes. The nano-bots sample the surrounding DNA, construct a mental image of what's missing, and stitch the raw proteins (or whatever) in the powder back into muscle, intestine, skin... It can fix up most physical wounds, but it requires a certain amount of intelligent tending. If you just dropped an amputated finger in a vat of the stuff, it wouldn't spit back a whole person.
Admittedly, that that's a little hand-wavey. I kind of went back and forth on how much detail to give for that kind of stuff.
HTH,
Scott (hide spoiler)]
More Answered Questions
the Goodreads Team
asked
Scott Hawkins:
What Shakespeare play do you think everyone should read once? Why?
Brianna the Bibliophile
asked
Scott Hawkins:
Let me start off by saying, I have to give you praise for this book. As a librarian, I read a lot of books and this one moved to the top of my list of books to recommend to patrons. I loved it so much I bought numerous copies to give out as gifts, and one to donate to my library - since they don't have a copy of it. What was your biggest inspiration for writing this book? Also, Karl Urban as David would be amazing.
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