← Back to Concept Index

pattern-integrity

The essential continuity of a being's identity or consciousness, which if lost cannot be restored even by powerful beings.

1 chapter across 1 book

A Fire Upon the Deep (2002)Vernor Vinge

Chapter 1417

This chapter fragment reflects on the concept of 'superpacks'—large groupings of Tines that briefly formed during a dimming of the sun, touching the Transcend, a higher state of consciousness or existence. It also touches on the loss of a character's pattern integrity, indicating that even powerful entities cannot recover a pattern once it is destroyed. The notes suggest editorial decisions about including or excluding certain elements like superpacks and characters such as Greenstalk.