Backup: Sociology 500, A Romance -- Table of Contents

[JMR201704121729: edits -- Trying to clean up the introduction of E-P.]

{replace}
In the world of this novel, the name of the prophet and the book of companion scripture will be translated as "E-P"†, for "Eternal Progression". And the restorationist church will be commonly called after the book, with the resulting confusion about whether E-P-ists are Christian or not.
{with}
In the world of this novel, that book of companion scripture, being named after the ancient new world prophet who abridged it, has a name that can be translated as "Eternal Progression". Since that is a mouthful, I'll abbreviate it "E-P"†. And the restorationist church will be commonly called after the book, with the resulting confusion about whether E-P-ists are Christian or not.

You ask why you should care about this?

The protagonists of this novel are of the E-P-ist faith, and will do some things that you might not expect.
{replace.}
 
[JMR201704121729: end edits.]

[JMR201704121404: metadata edits -- Changed the name of the novel. Good thing this doesn't affect the URLs.]

Sociology 500, A {replace}Novel{with}Romance{replace.} -- Table of Contents

-----------

Sociology 500, a {replace}Novel{with}Romance{replace.}‡

[JMR201704121404: end metadata edit.]

[JMR201704071911: edit -- incidental stuff from the calendar]
(The Programming Language Forth will get some mention {replace}in the third book of the trilogy, by{with}along{replace.} the way.)  
[JMR201704071911: end edit]

[JMR201703111521: metadata edit]

{replace}Straitgate{with}E-P, Eternal Progression{replace.}

[JMR201703111521: end metadata edit]

[JMR201703081923: edits -- Simple stuff that needed fixed.]

In the world of this novel, the{add} name of the{add.} prophet and the book of companion scripture will be translated as "E-P"†{add}, for "Eternal Progression"{add.}. And the restorationist church will be commonly called after the book, with the resulting confusion about whether E-P-ists are Christian or not.
--------

The university where most of the story takes place would not be called Brigham Young University. It kind of looks a lot like BYU, and it is even located in a town a bit south of the Point of the Mountain. But{add} from{add.} the way it was named{add} and its history{add.} and so forth, it would make more sense to call it Orson Hyde University. And there are some{delete} minor{delete.} policy differences at the school that you may notice.
--------

Part 4 -- in which we meet Piers{add} (again){add.}, and he invites Bobbie to a movie that Karel doesn't like, and our friends talk a little about social and sexual issues.
--------

Which left me scratching my head. Thinking of repentance as a "proceeding forth to return to that God from whence we came" brought back a name that has some special meaning to me -- "Forth". And I decided the confusion might be something I could deal with, and maybe the Forth Programming Language community would not be too upset at me for presuming to use it.{replace} {with}

{replace.}"Turn" or "Return" might be more appropriate, but "Forth" also sort-of evokes the idea of "doing more good".
--------

So I will use the ab{add}b{add.}reviation "E-P"{add},{add.} {delete}({delete.}for "Eternal Progression"{delete}){delete.}. Maybe I'll be able to provide a satisfactory explanation somewhere in the story.
 
[JMR201703081923: end-edits]

[JMR20170204: edits. On-going addition of chapters, changed the TOC structure to a two-level index.]


[JMR201702031105: edits]
{global replace}Forth{with}E-P{replace.}
{add}
But, no, after more thought, I decided that I need as much separation as possible for certain elements of the plot. (People get upset when you talk about certain things.)

So I will use the abreviation "E-P" (for "Eternal Progression"). Maybe I'll be able to provide a satisfactory explanation somewhere in the story.

Ultimately, {add.}I know someone will be dissatisfied, but no proxy name I could use will satisfy everyone, and I do want to make it clear that this is an alternate world.
{add}

(The Programming Language Forth will get some mention in the third book of the trilogy, by the way.){add.}
[JMR201702031105: end-edits]

[JMR201702031036: Changed "Straitgate" to "Forth" and added an explanatory note.]

[JMR201702030939: backup of http://joel-rees-economics.blogspot.com/2017/01/soc500-00-00-toc.html before rework incidental to the Straitgate stuff.]

Every work of fiction creates an alternate world. Even historical fiction does. That's implicit in the definition of fiction.

Since you, the reader, are being kind enough to give up some of your time to read this story, you need to know something in advance about the world in which Karel and Dan meet Bobbie and Kristie.

That is, I'd like you to know some things about it.

It does look a lot like our world. There is a union of independent states similar to the United States of America here. It has a Constitution and a Declaration of Independence and a Bill of Rights and a history very much like our USA. There is a Christian religion in this world, with a Bible. And there is a restorationist Christian church with a companion scripture similar to the Book of Mormon. There are even states parallel to Hawaii and New Mexico.

As much as I can without causing confusion, I will borrow names from our world.

You will find some differences, of course.

In the world of this novel, the prophet and the book of companion scripture will be translated as "Straitgate". And the restorationist church will be commonly called after the book, with the resulting confusion about whether Straitgatists are Christian or not.

The university where most of the story takes place would not be called Brigham Young University. It kind of looks a lot like BYU, and it is even located in a town a bit south of the Point of the Mountain. But the way it was named and so forth, it would make more sense to call it Orson Hyde University. And there are some minor policy differences at the school that you may notice.

Speaking of points of policy -- considering that it's a different world, perhaps you will not be overly disconcerted if the Straitgate church has certain points of policy different from the Mormons, as well.

I think that will be enough that you won't be too surprised. Thus --

Sociology 500, a Novel*

by Joel Matthew Rees

Copyright 2017, all rights reserved.

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1 part 1 -- in which we meet Bobbie, and she is accepted to graduate school.
• Chapter 1 part 2 -- in which we meet Karel and Dan, and they are admitted to grad school, as well.
• Chapter 1 part 3 -- in which we get to actually meet Kristie, and Bobbie and Kristie meet Karel and Dan.
• (placeholder)

* For the curious, this novel is essentially an edited extract of The First Draft of Economics 101, a Novel, and is named in a similar pattern. Perhaps you will understand that I plan it to be the first of a trilogy.
[JMR201702030939: end-backup.]