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Cathedral with Star Destroyers

Cory Doctorow at 3:14 am Sun, Jul 10, 2011

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It's Sunday, let's go to church: Constable's "Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Garden" is massively improved by these Star Destroyers, no?

Just some star destroyers shopped into art (i.imgur.com) (via Super Punch)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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  • Anonymous

    Someone please ‘shop one into Edvard Munch’s Scream.

  • drongo

    Puts me in mind of the work of Angus McKie.

  • alrom

    “Look dear, Lord Cecil is fox hunting on his Star Destroyer again.”

  • Gulliver

    I could even be persuaded to waste one of my beloved Sunday morns going to church (the garden anyway) just to see that!

    Ironic too, if an citationless WP stub is to be believed:

    His patron took exception to the dark cloud over the cathedral, and when he commissioned a smaller replica, requested “a more serene sky

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_Cathedral_from_the_Bishop%27s_Grounds

    More pastoral art interjected with SF set pieces please :)

  • phisrow

    Our Cathedrals can’t repel firepower of that magnitude!

  • Diziet Sma

    “I wish Darth Vader would come to services in a landspeeder like everyone else. Last year he knocked off the spire. Twice.”

  • Dilong

    It’s ruined for me by the fact that Star Destroyers aren’t capable of atmospheric flight.

    • godisafiction

      That’s what I was thinking too. These ships hanging “in the air in much the same way that bricks don’t,” make the scene less one of invasion and more one of physical absurdity.

      • Anonymous

        Never underestimate the power of the Force!

    • Anonymous

      Victory-class Star Destroyers are capable of atmospheric flight.

      http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Victory_I-class_Star_Destroyer

      Unfortunately, these Star Destroyers appear to be Imperial-Ones.

    • Anonymous

      It’s ruined for me by the fact that Star Destroyers aren’t capable of atmospheric flight.

      Well, not twice, at least. *Anything* is capable of atmospheric flight once… :)

  • Anonymous

    Knox Presbyterian across from Bakka Phoenix Science fiction books (in Toronto) is now limited by zoning from completing its spire.

    It is also no longer able to ring its bell (except for Doors Open) due to complaints by neighbours.

    The Bell was donated by Sir Mortimer Clark, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario back at time when Knox was considered to be out in the suburbs and church attendance the norm.

    A rare set of handbells however has recently (2011) been acquired by Knox and it is a rare and touching performance when they have them deployed /played en masse (so far about 10 people).

    There are however 56 handbells….just think of it.

  • TEKNA2007

    We have assumed control.
    We have assumed control.
    We have assumed control.

  • Anonymous

    What is is with spaceships and cows?

  • David Voss

    This could hang next to some other fine art:

    http://pimlico.org.uk/fine-art/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/cctv2.jpg

  • Anonymous

    All your pews are belong to us.

  • sla29970

    It recalls the question higlighted by the US army’s osprey last year
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXeIjMJe_JY
    Is the cathedral’s structure capable of supporting that much weight?

  • DarthVain

    Now witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL Salisbury Cathedral!

  • nanuq

    I’m having a 911 flashback since it seems like that destroyer is about to crash into the cathedral.

    • Chairboy

      It would be rather funny if religion was the target for once instead of the aggressor…

  • semiotix

    I’m reassured to see that, 12 comments in, the two most predictable BB comments have been made. And I totally agree with the second most predictable BB comment: Star Destroyers in an atmosphere?! What’s next, an underwater TIE Fighter?

  • GeekMan

    Needs a squadron of TIE Fighters for good measure.

  • tomrigid

    Cloud Salisbury

    Obviously.

  • Anonymous

    Too much trouble to use the submitinator plus I wanted you to have it. knox

    http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/07/how-rube-goldberg-would-take-photos.html

  • CountZero

    The cathedral authorities will be really pissed if they knock the weather cock off the top of that spire, it’s a hell of a long way up there to replace it. Doesn’t even have a flashing red light to warn low flying spacecraft.
    Here’s some facts about the cathedral:
    Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture.[1] The main body was completed in only 38 years, from 1220 to 1258.

    The cathedral has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom (123m/404 ft). Visitors can take the “Tower Tour” where the interior of the hollow spire, with its ancient wood scaffolding, can be viewed. The cathedral also has the largest cloister and the largest cathedral close in Britain (80 acres).[1] The Cathedral contains the world’s oldest working clock (from AD 1386) and has the best surviving of the four original copies of Magna Carta (all four original copies are in England).[1] Although commonly known as Salisbury Cathedral, the official name is the Cathedral of Saint Mary. In 2008, the cathedral celebrated the 750th anniversary of its consecration in 1258.[2]
    (Wikipedia)
    Its foundations are only four feet deep, because of the high water table, and it’s built on gravel. Building inspectors would never let them get away with that now.

    • Ugly Canuck

      “The cathedral authorities will be really pissed if they knock the weather cock off the top of that spire, it’s a hell of a long way up there to replace it.”

      That repair would be something to call the steeplejack for:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steeplejack

  • querent

    it’s a trap!

  • Jake0748

    “…is massively improved by these Star Destroyers, no?”

    I’m pretty conflicted about this. What are they gonna do? Are they just going to destroy the church willy-nilly, without regard to who might be inside? (I mean little kids, fair maidens, stern-but-kind dads, cheeky schoolboys, etc.)? Can’t they just move on to London town and vaporize Scrooge and a bunch of his fellow plutocrats?

    I’m not on board if they are indiscriminate.

    On the other hand… I’m ready for the whole planet to get blown up. I’m sick of this shit.

  • j9c

    Sublime. Love it.

    Similarly, from Banksy:
    http://www.banksy.co.uk/shop/images/shop%20large/artprint02.jpg