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There is nothing circular about it. It is a straight comparison. Both Rudesind and Father Inire are old, bent and monkey-like. I think it likely they are also both short. You s…
04 Dec 2011, 18:11
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You are not thinking correctly. The "torturers" did not take the slightest bit of trouble to select a name for Severian. Gene Wolfe did. The torturers did not put Severian in a c…
04 Dec 2011, 17:57
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It does! Our discussions provide opportunities for us to better understand the possible ways of interpreting Gene Wolfe and provide Gerry Quinn with something to whine about. A wi…
04 Dec 2011, 04:32
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I don't think he does. He says he "first thought" someone was sitting, implying this was later proved incorrect. So Rudesind was standing but from a distance his shortness made…
04 Dec 2011, 04:20
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You are right. The Cumaean even calls her "big red-gold". She says Jolenta's hair was dyed and thickened with colored silk threads. Gold may be a connection to Dorcas and Severia…
04 Dec 2011, 00:57
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It wouldn't be evidence for you, Gerry. You have spent 2 or 3 years here demonstrating that your definition of that word is "supports my own beliefs". Your demonstration of this …
03 Dec 2011, 22:18
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My own thought is that if Wolfe is playing ironic Oedipal games, Severian might have sex with every female relative he encounters except his mother. Could the Holy Katharine ritu…
03 Dec 2011, 14:00
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Agreed. If there was a witch character of the right age named Severa, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Even if we ignore the theme of incest (which we should not do, imho)…
02 Dec 2011, 20:04
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I agree. The whole conversation is fishy. Is Father Inire senile or is it Rudesind who just forgot his lines? Let's remember that Rudesind is small, old and bent and looks like …
02 Dec 2011, 13:15
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The statement about Father Inire's term comes from Rudesind in the meeting at the House Absolute. Rudesind forgets the lines he was supposed to say, and Severian asks him who ha…
02 Dec 2011, 06:02
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Well, a decent conversation :- ) I'm not so sure. But either way, my judgement of the tone of their conversation suggests that they really like Severian. Baldanders...not so m…
02 Dec 2011, 03:59
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Agreed, it is one of their roles. Well, they might choose Severian over Baldanders. Isn't fully clear. But they do clearly value conflict. The hammer, anvil and tongs of warfa…
02 Dec 2011, 01:13
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larry miller: I think the most important clue that Wolfe gives us regarding Inire is his letter. In the letter he mentions his "cousins" and says that it will not be long before…
01 Dec 2011, 20:22
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Gerry Quinn: Gerry, Gerry, my Gerry. Over and over you make reference to other people on this list. As though I care one whit about them! I have only one audience member I rea…
01 Dec 2011, 19:25
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I don't fault you for your lack of curiosity regarding this omission, Gerry. But perhaps you have enough empathy for the differences in thinking of others that you can see why ot…
01 Dec 2011, 16:07
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Good question on the secret words. I was always under the impression that there was a complex collection of words which were unique to each Autarchial gateway to secret places. …
01 Dec 2011, 14:03
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Quite a bit, actually. And it can get complicated. As Severian is the central character of the main narrative, I think Inire is the central character of the subtext (perhaps we can…
01 Dec 2011, 13:36
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Okay, so if I understand your view correctly, Inire's purpose on Urth is to groom and support autarchs, with the eventually ascension of the right one to New Sun status? I think …
01 Dec 2011, 03:51
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Yes. If we read carefully, the text more precisely supports larry: that Severian has the memories of all the old autarchs evidenced by his knowledge of ancient autarch words. …
01 Dec 2011, 01:12
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I agree. At least no one who has been a participant in this forum for any length of time. Still, accusations of such are a common tactic used by a certain contingent to express the…
30 Nov 2011, 19:54
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Is Antonio implying that some theories are problem-free and therefore go unchallenged? I'd be interested in see a list of such theories (though I suspect it would end up being a ve…
30 Nov 2011, 18:32
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I was aware of these meanings and always found them applicable. The little guy in the jar probably was used as a consultant. But by whom? Which "sorcerer"? Severian's autarchial …
30 Nov 2011, 18:20
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You miscontrue my point, Jerry. In fact I don't think "mandragora" can only refer to Typhon. I completely think the references to mandrake and occultism and even satanism are there…
30 Nov 2011, 13:36
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It is not the case. The adjective "fashionable" implies there is some sissy-boy elite who impose arbitrary levels of nobility to different sorts of explanations. If anyone has the …
30 Nov 2011, 13:12
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Heh. Good aim with your punning, Mr. Marcsman.…
30 Nov 2011, 06:31
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The only point made by this observation is that this is meant as a work of art not a photographic portrait. The two penises are clearly a reference to Typhon's two heads (I thin…
30 Nov 2011, 06:25
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Heh. Our knight in shining armour! But is it possible "others" don't really need saving? Are not "others" fully capable of deciding for themselves which interpretations have mer…
29 Nov 2011, 21:32
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Heh. That's for sure. A couple months ago I tried to think of an example of one- that the events of BotNS take place in South America (or its analog) and got a denial and argument…
29 Nov 2011, 21:21
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"Calculii" maybe? If "calculus" is singular, male form. Plural of female "calcula" would be calculae, iirc.…
29 Nov 2011, 21:12
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I agree with what I think is James' philosophy that one should apply their critical analysis most stringently upon one's self and one's own theories and ideas. Devoting one's crit…
29 Nov 2011, 21:09
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It is a matter of taste. It also is a constrast between viewing Wolfe's work as a series of isolated incident or carrying a thread of connection as David illustrates. You may take …
29 Nov 2011, 21:02
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Gerry, you are entitled to your opinion though I concur that it doesn't sustain even cursory scrutiny. You are reading the text in isolationist fashion, as though it is describing …
29 Nov 2011, 20:50
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It might. But mandrake and mandragora are essentially the same word, "drake" being another word for dragon. I guess it might be a difference in reading preference. Is a Wolfe …
29 Nov 2011, 03:01
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Yes. I think immortality is a key concept. Notice that I didn't discuss Typhon's original "body" but rather his original "self". Immortality might be an inherent quality of such be…
28 Nov 2011, 21:25
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Yes, I think Dan'l's idea is more in line with larry's theory (and what is actually going on, imho). Leaving the question of Typhon's alien nature aside for now, the Mandragora…
28 Nov 2011, 19:23
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I would keep in mind that Mamelta was awakened improperly and there was no chance for what might have been the mind wiping process. Rigoglio seems to be a special case, for some r…
28 Nov 2011, 15:55
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Yes. There is an additional bit of evidence. In the back of a manteion, during a search for a working window, iirc, Silk discovers a painting of "Pas" depicting him presiding ov…
28 Nov 2011, 03:25
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Agreed. (and it would solve some debates on the issue of "Silk=Pas?") yep, and we learn that Jonas isn't from the Commonwealth nor even human so the saintly rule is not broken…
27 Nov 2011, 23:42
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I think your reasoning is spot on, larry. If Wolfe wanted us to think of Typhon as a normal, Commonwealthy sort of human he would have been given a saint name. Other non-human a…
27 Nov 2011, 17:45
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I wonder if it could reflect a black hole/white fountain sort of dichotomy. Dark defines an entrance for energy or spirit and light reflects an exit.…
27 Nov 2011, 17:19
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Fair enough, Gerry. I appreciate this response. I'll only add that from my perspective, which emphasizes both social sciences and biology, the science of lying and deception, be…
26 Nov 2011, 18:12
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Oops, forgot to mention- the escape velocity inhumi would have to generate would be roughly 40,000 km/hr (25,000 mph). Now peregrine falcons have been clocked at 300 km/hr, in a …
26 Nov 2011, 04:44
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This is an interesting post. You see, yet you do not SEE. It is correct that inhumi were not intelligent before Neigbors arrived on Green. That's because inhumi never had an inte…
26 Nov 2011, 04:26
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Right. Another thing those adamant about inhumi really flying through space ignore is that Wolfe casts doubt on the reality of this not only through the physical impossibility b…
25 Nov 2011, 14:18
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LMAO. Yep. perhaps. Well, there are very few point in WOlfe stories I consider as sure and obvious as this one. So, I'll throw my little snit fit for a while. Actually, that i…
24 Nov 2011, 17:02
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Actually, he doesn't. He is as meticulous as he can be. In this case it is completely unnecessary for inhumi to fly through space. And they don't. Wolfe would not give us such a…
24 Nov 2011, 16:58
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Nobody said that Antonio. What I said is that ideas represent people in here. Disagreement is one thing. Derision and ridicule is another. We all know how to exit an argument and…
24 Nov 2011, 16:22
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I know you do! Argh! LMAO, I swear I am going to throw a hissy fit tantrum on this. No, NO, NO!! It isn't plausible. Only the "dry, waterless husk body" scenario would allow …
24 Nov 2011, 04:21
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Nah. Those tricks are for fighting cold temperatures on earth. None would work in outer space. The best ethylene glycol (car antifreeze) could do would be to stay liquid at -51C (a…
23 Nov 2011, 20:56
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I suppose. But isn't Fava really dead in the snow? Plus, if inhumi are feeding on blood it seems like they are water-based and cellular in nature. How could inhumi survive in the v…
23 Nov 2011, 19:16
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