Both authors talk about the texture of reality, as if it were something that we could discern. Something we could pluck out of someones body and give a name. Murakami wonders what death really looks like. Is death squishy with a hard core. Brian Green may even ask the same question, what is the texture of death - the geometry of death. After all, the universe has its own texture, its own geometric shape that we cannot see (but many a fool thinks they can). We think we can see a lot of things, but names are deceiving (titles, last names, first names, nicknames...all deceiving). Once we name something we take away the truth of what that thing is. There is power in naming, yet there is also deceit is at the heart of its nature.
The sage Lao Tzu wrote "no name can name no lasting name." People I have personally known have found Lao Tzu confusing and complete garbage. But like the texture of reality, its what name we give to it which empowers it. People are given a family name, they attribute power to it because of the pride in it, yet strip away the name-no power remains. Strip away titles and we see only skin, sinew and bones. Naming was the first act in all creation myths across the world. It helped to define the texture of our reality and our gods.
If death did have a form and shape, maybe it would be small and squishy like Murakami wrote, yet maybe it would be like a flat sheet of paper with a sore in the middle of it. That is the beauty of words and naming. Anyone anywhere can experiment with this and find deep meaning and truth in it. See how its shapes the dynamic, the texture of our culture and society. It is as constant as the speed of light.
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C. Gunnyon
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