Bethesda games pack their titles with tons of real-life references. Allusions to popular video games, music, movies, and TV shows pepper the landscape, particularly in Fallout 4. References to literary works are by no means uncommon. Some are rather subtle, while others are pretty on the nose in their delivery.
It makes for quite an eclectic mix of content. There are examples from poetry, horror, fantasy, historical fiction, and even Biblical references. The Fallout games have always encouraged exploration. Finding these neat little tidbits make that exploration even more enjoyable. The following entries should no doubt make bookworms and English majors happy.
10 Ahab & Jezebel – The Bible
Exploring the Fort Hagen hangar can be a dangerous proposition. Introduced in the Automatron DLC the place is crawling with Rust Devils and hostile robots. There, the Sole Survivor will find Jezebel, a robot in need of a new body. Alongside her is Ahab, a dangerous and intimidating Sentry Bot bedecked with the skull of a deathclaw.
Ahab and Jezebel are references to the characters of the same names from the Bible. Their story is chronicled in the Book of Kings. Ahab is depicted as the wicked seventh king of Israel whose wife, Jezebel, advocated for the worship of pagan gods. Both husband and wife would meet gruesome ends.
9 The Castle Tunnels – The Cask Of Amontillado
Traversing the tunnels beneath The Castle yields a cool easter egg from the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Near the body of General McGann is a brick facade that is not quite finished. Through a hole in the masonry is a skeleton chained to the wall. A crate of Amontillado wine lies off to the side.
“The Cask of Amontillado” is perhaps one of Poe’s most famous stories. In that particular tale, a character named Montresor murders his rival, Fortunato, by luring him to the catacombs with the promise of Amontillado wine. There, Montresor chains Fortunato to the wall and buries him alive behind the bricks.
8 River Of Quantum – Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
Nuka-Cola is a pretty common product across the Fallout series. In Fallout 4 the Sole Survivor is able to visit the World of Refreshment, a theme park centered around the popular drink. There, the player can observe the River of Quantum. In its heyday, it was a literal river of soda, although its current state is far from impressive.
This singular wonder is a reference to the 1964 children’s novel Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. Amongst the many other strange anomalies in the factory is a river of chocolate. The character Augustus Gloop drinks from the river, with disastrous consequences.
7 Yorick – Hamlet
The Sole Survivor’s robotic butler, Codsworth, has a unique functionality in the game. The developers programmed Codsworth to recognize a multitude of names when speaking to the player. Interspersed with the regular names are ones that reference loads of popular culture. Literature, of course, is well-represented in Codsworth’s list.
One name the robot will recognize is Yorick, a character mentioned in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The exhumation of his skull prompts Hamlet to remark, “Alas poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio.” Someone at Bethesda must have been a Shakespeare fan to include such an odd name, not to mention an obscure reference. Did anyone actually name their playable character Yorick?
6 Hawthorne – The Crucible
When visiting the Dugout Inn the Sole Survivor can meet a character named Hawthorne. He will chat with the player on a variety of topics, one of which concerns the ruins of Salem. Hawthorne will express some concern and reluctance over visiting the site of the famous witch trials of the 17th century.
The name of Hawthorne is a play on words of Judge Hathorne, a character in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible. Judge Hathorne plays a central role in the story as the man who zealously tries to root out suspected witchcraft in Salem.
5 Swan – Flowers For Algernon
Raiders and adventurers alike avoid Swan’s Pond for good reason. A Super Mutant Behemoth by the name of Swan occupies this area of the Boston Common. Audio logs scattered throughout his lair reveal Swan’s tragic backstory of being exposed to the FEV. Initially, his strength and mental intelligence were heightened by the FEV’s effects. Unfortunately, Swan soon regressed to the point of becoming feral.
Swan’s story shares many similarities to that of Charlie Gordon from Flowers For Algernon. He too takes part in an experiment that drastically increases his intelligence. Like Swan, the effects are only temporary and Charlie slowly regresses to his original state.
4 Pickman’s Gallery – Pickman’s Model
Raiders throughout the Commonwealth should rightly fear the name of Pickman. Anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path is brutally murdered by the sadistic serial killer. What’s more, Pickman often poses the corpses of his victims in a macabre artistic spectacle.
The name of the crazed killer is an allusion to one of H.P. Lovecraft’s short stories, “Pickman’s Model.” It’s the story of an unstable painter whose grotesque artistic creations look shockingly lifelike. The horrific creatures that serve as Pickman’s models are, in fact, quite real.
3 The Prydwen – King Arthur
The Prydwen, which serves as Arthur Maxson’s flagship, is a gargantuan airship. It serves as both a literal and figurative symbol of power for the Brotherhood of Steel. The name of the airship is an unusual one. However, history buffs of ancient British legends may find that the name rings a bell.
King Arthur is featured quite prominently in medieval literature, especially in English and Welsh sources. One such work, the “Preiddeu Annwfn,” is a Welsh poem that chronicles some of King Arthur’s exploits. The name of the poem is reminiscent of the Prydwen in Fallout 4.
2 Oswald The Outrageous – The Wizard Of Oz
Oswald the Outrageous is a ghoul who resides in the Kiddie Kingdom, a part of Nuka-World. He believes himself to be a magician and dresses the part. Oswald will deliver some unique dialogue if the player enters the Kiddie Kingdom wearing power armor.
He will say, “What’s wrong Tin Man? Having trouble finding the Wizard?” This is an obvious allusion to L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s story The Wizard of Oz. The Tin Man, of course, is made of metal similar to how the player is also encased in metal by wearing the power armor.
1 Mister Handy Statue – Ozymandias
The General Atomics Galleria features a giant Mister Handy statue at the entrance. Pre-war, the location was meant to show the public the wondrous advantages robotic technology offered. The Mister Handies and Mister Gutsies that still inhabit the place are blissfully unaware of their radically altered surroundings.
Nick Valentine, when observing the statue at the entrance, will quote an excerpt from the poem “Ozymandias,” albeit a bit modified. Nick will say: “My name is Mister Handy, Tidier of Things. Look upon this room I said I’d cleaned, and despair.” The moral of the poem illustrates that power, no matter how impressive, is fleeting.
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