The Power of Fiction
When the fictional ballplayers existing only in the imagination of J. Henry Waugh create a holiday to honor the single most memorable event in that imagined history which is celebrated with an almost religious ritualistic re-enactment—without any appearance or mention of their creator—the novel establishes the primacy of its overarching them. Fiction, like historical events, have the power to transform over time into the arena of myth which can, in turn affect and even control society in ways usually reserved for historical fact.
Postmodern Metafiction
The novel is one of the progenitors of the postmodern metafiction which has become so mainstreamed into contemporary fiction as to be arguably the most dominant school of storytelling in the 21st century. At the time of publication, it was still considered experimental to write stories about fictional characters who express some sense of being recognized as fictional creations. The literature, film and TV of the 21st century is inundated with this device which is really only allusively hinted at in Coover’s novel (such as the sun of the players—which is actually a kitchen light bulb—being imprinted with “100 Watts.” Even a routine family sitcom today is likely to feature self-referential dialogue in which the characters are essentially revealing their awareness of being constructed fictions even as the show otherwise goes to great pains to maintain the still pervasive attempt to create realism.
The Pathology of Loneliness
J. Henry Waugh accords himself the title of proprietor of the Universal Baseball Association when in reality he is nothing more nor less than a creator deity. The gameplay itself is essentially statistical: a roll of the dice and a consultation with charts that correspond with each situation to reveal the result of each “at-bat.” The game transforms into an ever-expanding universe only when Henry starts naming the “players” and creating imaginary lives for them. As a god, however, Henry is a pretty pathetic deity. He has a tedious job as an accountant, only one close friend and a practically non-existent love life. The novel thus becomes an examination of the psychological effects of social deprivation in its sad portrayal of the pathology of a man so disconnected from other humans that he not only creates an imaginary world, but takes up emotional residence there.
