Exploring the SCP Foundation: SCP-7005 - The Neon God

Written by: Tufto

Artists Include:

[Nubtubtubnub]

Personally I see this story as the pinnacle of letting your work lead you. This man wrote this story over and over again and couldn’t find meaning in the words and characters that he was creating. He realized in his mental loop of trying to find a meaning in his work, that sometimes there is no meaning and he accidentally wrote the PERFECT story to encapsulate that concept. Along the way he expressed some pretty poignant ideas. Proving that just because there is no satisfying meaningful or powerful end to the story, it doesn’t mean that the story in itself is meaningless.
Bravo sir

[calamaty]

I feel the feeling of modern big SCP articles is "Can we not attract the attention of an all consuming god FOR FIVE MINUTES" . It is interesting though that the Neon God's manifestation manifests as planet sized cities. I wonder why that is and if it is because in a way it reflects humanity. If it is like other gods it might be influenced by the Noosphere.

[bezel]

This story reminds me a lot of one of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels ‘Reaper Man.’ In it the characters discover a parasitic species that tries to eat off of and replicate cities and civilizations, with snowglobes as eggs and shopping carts as adolescents. The center is a massive shopping mall continually growing, emulating and replicating what it consumes but is ultimately antithetical to being lived in. Just like the Neon God, the entity grows and tries to be an actual city that makes no sense and can’t really be lived in by humans.

[neonpink]

Just wanted to say, I deeply appreciate these readings. I dont have the time nor the attention span to sit down and read a lengthy SCP these days, but I love SCP content. Its a great pleasure to put these on at the beginning of my work day each week and get to enjoy a fascinating SCP tale. Thank you for this series!

[ileutur]

When my family moved to a newly built neighborhood, I remember walking down the streets and observing the chaotically stacked new buildings. No trees between them, no parking spaces, just and endless sprawl of storefronts with a few floors of housing above. I remember fantasizing about an endless city just like it and a brave group of survivors trying to escape it. So this SCP feels very familiar

[doctorgothicc]

"who cares about luck when there is life to be lived" that line genuinely made me start crying. What a beautifully written SCP. And how wonderfully read. As always, amazing job.

[Slanse]

Man the speech about the city around minute 25 has mad "children of the city" vibe and just "the city" in general from Library of Ruina (which is not much of a surprise concidering how much SCP influenced the Project moon universe). Really loved, and very well read.

[TheCrazyCapMaster]

Just starting to watch this now, but the title of “Neon God” brings The Sound of Silence to mind for me.

[TheLegend-wzfl]

I lived in the woods my whole childhood. This encapsulates how it feels to be in the city as an adult. To view it and the systems behind it knowing you understand only pieces.

You buy products without knowing what company really makes it, and that company is really owned by another, owned by yet another. You don’t know where it was produced, or what other company is a supplier for the parts or ingredients.

You see so many buildings and outside of banks or churches, all the others are devoid of immediate purpose at a glance. Rented office spaces, a business with apartments above it maybe, and sure there are signs on the street level but what’s that building in the distance? What’s ABOVE the Starbucks you’re looking at?

You hear about random obscure jobs that you’ll never understand but pay well. I’m still doing basic ‘unskilled’ labor but Joe over there works out of an office above 3 other businesses, parks in a random lot you’d never notice, and makes 3 times what I do but in truth does nothing all day. On call electrician for a hospital, or something, plays games all day until something breaks and delays a surgery.

Or a paper towel sniffer to make sure they’re scentless. Or he watches a production line all day and pushes a button 118, 456 times a day, or only pushes the button if something goes wrong.

I wouldn’t even know who to ask about one of these random obscure positions, or what classes I’d need to take to qualify. I don’t know the address or the website of where I’d apply.

I don’t know the purpose or meaning of everything around me, who owns it, what it’s zoned for, it’s all together. Just people and places and work being done that I don’t comprehend. Like an anthill for people.

Thinking about it makes me feel things that I don’t have words for. It’s too complex and so are my emotions around it. Self justifying yet also lacking any real justification.

I hate cities.

Edit: this got traction so I’ll add more.

Every open window and light left on at night, I wonder who’s in there and what they’re doing. I will never know. And again, there’s something else above it in the same building.

Even my small bank on the corner where I live, has 3 stories and an elevator for some reason. I know it’s purpose, it’s a bank, but why so many extra rooms? Who takes those positions and offices and fills them up with paperwork? I only see the ladies that work the front.

My gf took college art classes and the studio space they rented, (they re-lease different spaces every few semesters too) has extra classrooms and supply closets and three floors. Never seen any non-teacher staff, who do they hire to sweep and clean the bathroom?

Other buildings are mere feet away with small alleys. One is apparently residential, with screened-in outcroppings that have a gorgeous view… of the alley. We got up on the roof one day and saw people using one, didn’t even talk to them. I wanted to ask if it was an apartment or hotel or something.

Tons of buildings are almost entirely unmarked. Sure I can pick out those with signs, medical buildings, physical therapy centers, dentists, shopping malls, all those buildings with suites for business leases and random small businesses… car dealerships and other such places are obvious.

But there are HUGE buildings with next to no external markings, at least ones you don’t see in passing. They’re all around the buildings you can put a purpose to, in the backdrop, above them.

Entire production facilities are on the back roads. Places zoned for industrial work. An entire KIA plant I used to pass on the way to work? Didn’t know it was a KIA plant for 4 months until I finally got to ask somebody about it, and they only knew because a family member used to work there.

The overwhelming sense of curiosity blends with confusion, along with my adult brain knowing that each of the people filling positions in these buildings are every bit as conscious and thoughtful as me, but this is normal to them.

Not knowing doesn’t bother them and they don’t feel the same tug I feel towards wanting to know why that light in the window is still on. Who’s there, and what are they staying late to work on? And why is everything so unmarked and cold?

I think this is why people like me kind of idolize Asian cityscapes. Everything has a sign and that helps, but it’s a trade off because man is it crowded and overstimulating.

Anyways, it bothers me intensely and gives me that strange mix of emotions. With even more melancholy, or straight up fear, when those spaces are empty.

And empty it is. I’ve spent time downtown and aside from the night life the street is very empty during the day. I see remarkably few people for the stated population density of the downtown area. That bothers me even more.

It gets under my skin, all of it. The colors, the perception of activity but surprising absence of people, the lack of information, clear purpose and intent.

How can something humans built feel so alien?

Also thank you all for your kind words

[rynnziolkowski]

This is honestly a very tragically beautiful SCP, I must admit I teared up at the authors explanation. It's a very beautiful yet tragic poetry.

[Hugh_Amungus]

Mangg's workrate is the real anomaly here, he drops long, excellent SCP videos every week almost without fail

Despite not having some kind of epic climax, I find this SCP to be one of the more satisfying ones, just due to the fact you actually get to see the Neon God. It's not just a series of black bars, it's not a word salad of nonsensical gibberish and sci-fi terms, you actually see the god, in all its fitting underwhelmingness as a manifestation of meaninglessness and nihilism.

I also appreciate getting to hear the thought process behind the creation of this SCP, how abstract themes are represented narratively through a progression of characters and the choice of imagery. It gave me some newfound appreciation for the ending twist, that the railway didn't result in the Neon God, but the other way around. It's not that 'something' resulted in 'nothing' (the construction of the railway resulting in the spread of the Neon God, effort and ambition ending only in ruin), but instead 'something' came from 'nothing', that hope and meaning can be found even in the depths of meaninglessness. It's really impressive how much thought actually went into this, and how subtle it all manages to be.

[Sillyguy]

Hey explorer(I really don't know what to call you) I want to say that your readings have helped with my insomnia for years now, I've listened to all your SCP logs and you've inspired me to continue writing, I don't know if you'll ever see this but I really appreciate you.

[oyuka]

I did not expect 'Mongol' to pop up multiple times during the reading! Had to rewind the first time and check if I heard it right.

It's so rare when people actually do a little research into my country's past and use it in such an interesting way, even if it's just a small part of the story. Oftentimes, it's very shallow. I also checked out the SCP site, and the image is one I recognize easily, as often as I rode those trains in my childhood.

I already love listening to your SCP narrations, but this made it even better. Kudos to you and the author!

[theHUMANAUT]

I like that the neon God is basically the archetype of modernity in contrast to the scarlet king.

[cd]

The idea of how events in your life could've happened differently in your life by one or more decisions or coin tosses is an idea explored in one of my all time favorite movies: Another Earth. I highly recommend it for anyone that is philosophicaly inclined, the bones of the film is kind of a mind bender.

[Diphyidae]

Truly a perfect partner to "the sound of silence" by S&G to the point where I feel Paul Simon would approve of it. That feeling of melancholy and searching for something to anchor yourself to is just so well articulated that I personally cannot find the words to adequately describe.

[korydavid]

No matter how many times I listen to this, I always come back every now and then. It perfectly articulates that vague feeling of being a finite being in a world that never stops changing. Surrounded by systems that have been around long before you were around and will exist long after you are gone. Sets that are themselves a compilation of the hundreds of people who came before you, each leaving a piece of themselves when they left. Systems so ancient that everyone left to run them today don't even remember who set them up and why.

[issatice]

haven’t watched the video yet but just wanted to thank you for getting me into scp, it allowed me to discover my love for reading and writing in general. love your videos, keep up the good work. unfortunately I will now be up until 3 am watching this video

[misaki_live]

This SCP made my brain feel extra smooth, thank you Tufto for explaining everything clearly.