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I keep thinking about the Urth is Green theory. Was that the direct Wolfe quote, "No, no, Green is Urth"? I still kinda like Duko Rigoglio's wor…
11 Jan 2011, 03:00
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So, with a hint like that and 30+ years to figure it out....what/who is it? (I've already submitted my guess)…
10 Jan 2011, 15:54
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Well, depends on how many "Catherines" there are. Borrowing from the Dave Tallman theory, perhaps there are at least 4, the Contessa Carina and her three cloned (and beheaded) maid…
08 Jan 2011, 19:49
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Here's the thing..I'm not the only one who has adjusted to the older technology of the list and set up a dummy email account which I almost never access. I only use it when someone…
07 Jan 2011, 08:15
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Well, if it was just "Africa" that might hint at the evolutionary origin of primates, including humanity. But Gondwanaland predates the evolution of primates (I had to look that up…
07 Jan 2011, 01:46
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Amen on that, my brother! Generally I think Borski is a very smart, very literate guy with a great familiarity with Gene Wolfe. I think he takes a number of wrong steps here and…
06 Jan 2011, 20:50
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Jerry, I've noted there was a significant cadre in your camp before the Wolfe interview came to light. I assume it is WOlfe's words that made you decide you were "wrong". A couple …
05 Jan 2011, 20:38
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Maybe. Valeria shares some of the physical descriptions. If not, the violet eye color and Gene Wolfe's age make a pretty good case for Elizabeth Taylor. I sometimes wonder how …
05 Jan 2011, 17:16
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I think you are right. Without having seen that photo, I've always assumed Severian resembled Gene Wolfe as a younger guy. Supporting evidence is that Number Five (whose name is Ge…
05 Jan 2011, 14:04
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LMAO! Funny. So this is a roundabout way of saying....what? People who thought there was human replacement were not good Wolfe readers? Wolfe is not a good Wolfe reader? Wolfe lie…
04 Jan 2011, 16:31
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I would go that far. Wolfe had point blank stated he considers the ancient gods to be real. Real in what sense is a question. Using real places of origin like Gondwanaland and Afri…
03 Jan 2011, 17:20
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Perusing the text to respond to Gerry's post, I found an interesting section. During their lessons, David is peeking at "Polyphemus, The Cyclops and Odysseus". This story involves …
03 Jan 2011, 03:51
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I am not nearly as familiar with Long/Short Sun as with BotNS and don't feel ready with answers for this question. But I did mention to James on the subject, that Vadsig is possess…
30 Dec 2010, 16:17
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Heh. Yep and great example Jordon as Gilgamesh is almost certainly an example of what the Hebrews would call Nephilim. A giant demon-spawn serving as a hero to foreigners. (anthr…
30 Dec 2010, 01:00
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I think I'm currently having a disturbing crisis of faith and I think Marc Aramini is mostly to blame (heh). I am not much of a fan of horror stories. I can take a short story or …
29 Dec 2010, 19:10
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On this I must cite direct text as evidence: Thus inhumi on Urth, dream-travel be damned, cannot be perfect imitations of humans. They have the ability to shift back to their…
28 Dec 2010, 22:14
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Hm. Things are spiralling out of control here. I guess the connection could be a mirror though I was thinking more along the lines of a permanent dream-travel connection (in contra…
28 Dec 2010, 17:31
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That is interesting. I don't see how Fish and Frog are involved in Pia's story but I'd like to. I'm interested in James' take on that also. For me, there isn't too much hesitatio…
22 Dec 2010, 16:01
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Considering the fish that ate Mamelta and perhaps the fish in Father Inire's mirrors, I was thinking that it may be a mistake to make the leap to the conclusion that an evocative …
22 Dec 2010, 12:44
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Forgot to address this. Often, in legends and life, familial hate is the deepest kind. I used to find Typhon completely loathesome also. I think James' association of him to Alex…
21 Dec 2010, 13:35
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In my view, the world is gradually, with frequent backsliding, gradually improving and becoming more humane. The atrocities of WWII are now recognized for what they were, even by t…
17 Dec 2010, 13:47
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In a previous discussion of this topic I found it a pretty compelling conclusion that if Briah is Christian and Urth is Earth in the future then either: 1. God has broken his Cov…
17 Dec 2010, 09:03
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None taken from this former one, anyway. The Old Testament is a cesspool of genocide all in the name of the Chosen People. Joshua was as merciless and bloodthirsty as any conqueror…
16 Dec 2010, 19:42
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My view exactly. Although I must admit, Wolfe's interview quotes, his choice of archaic verbiage, archaic saint names and the word Urth (past) all conspire to push my interpretatio…
16 Dec 2010, 18:20
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An excellent expansion and elaboration of my simplistic analysis. Please consider mine thusly expanded and elaborated upon!…
16 Dec 2010, 18:15
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It could be. I can see the validity of this possible view. For me, the problem becomes that when Silk was, in that split-second, enlightened by The Outsider, we now have to accept …
16 Dec 2010, 17:46
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So if the Outsider is our God, the creator of all universes, then Wolfe is saying that worshippers of Allah and Dionysus are all worshipping the same God that Catholics worship. Ju…
16 Dec 2010, 17:23
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Ryan does say: "If you have more to add, by all means share." I'd be interested in more detail or text quotes for your contributions, Jeff. The jurupari hex sign is wreathed in l…
16 Dec 2010, 12:44
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I don't know enough to debate yea or nay on this. But RttW seems to explicitly define The Outsider as The God of Wine, son of Thyone. i.e. a version of Dionysus. I think there are…
15 Dec 2010, 20:09
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Jerry recently cited Wolfe interviews which explicity say it. Special? Not special? Jerry is wrong? The "similar history" is explained by the same principle as the similar (but n…
15 Dec 2010, 19:14
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I like this comparison. House Absolute is surely mostly a palace, rather than a castle or government building. Still we must remember that what we plebians consider useless, the a…
15 Dec 2010, 18:46
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Discussion of Sidero sparked my thoughts regarding Inire and Tzadkiel, Commonwealth and The Ship as reversed mirror images of each other. On the issue of freedom: The Commonwealth…
15 Dec 2010, 12:37
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What I mean is that after the massive plot contortions and planetary upheavals, at the end of the story on Ushas we are not left with much of anything that suggests a Christian out…
15 Dec 2010, 12:14
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I lean in this interpretive direction also. But The Green Man is a significant alternate name for the pagan horned god, Great God Pan, etc. Is Wolfe suggesting this is the ultimate…
15 Dec 2010, 02:07
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A personal question for Gerry, if I may: Do you believe in God?…
11 Dec 2010, 21:28
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Funny James! You have a grape sense of humour. Anyway, to continue on my sprawling theory. In the past I've gotten bogged down in identifying the various guises of Father Inir…
10 Dec 2010, 14:27
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Drawn out to its conclusions it is pretty expansive but I'll try for brevity. It may be better seen as a model than a theory. Its origin, as far as I know, is from Borski's Solar…
04 Dec 2010, 09:46
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I'm with you on that Ryan. My Father Inire ideas can be rendered silly by focusing on the ephemera like monkeys and hair color and ignoring the central theme which is that Severia…
03 Dec 2010, 14:53
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Hah, you are absolutely right! Good catch. I feel foolish for misreading it, though funnily enough I think it was the cover(hardcover American) which misled me. I can remember rea…
01 Dec 2010, 05:10
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In recent posts as diverse as Gerry Quinn's, Mark Millman's and Thomas Bitterman's, as well as many times in the past, I've noticed the implication that this message board might no…
01 Dec 2010, 04:58
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I think this was discussed in the past year so I'll try to keep it brief. Yes, The Old Wise one clearly tells Sandwalker that the Shadow Children are the remnants of human beings w…
30 Nov 2010, 04:29
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Thanks to James Wynn for the explanation of his connection of Hephaestus and the Silk story. I liked it and thought the "Thetis" aspect was the most compelling. I was intrigued be…
29 Nov 2010, 04:20
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I don't see the need for being parsimonious and embracing ambiguity here. I think the clues are pointing to a specific answer- there were Inhumi on the Whorl from the beginning, …
26 Nov 2010, 14:48
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Just reading the part in RttW in which Jahlee and Merryn and Silkhorn and Severian are together in the Matachin Tower. Some have taken Merryn's statement regarding Severian, "He's …
07 Nov 2010, 13:05
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Still pecking through RttW and finding interesting revelations. One thing I find striking are the numerous mentions of Typhon/Pas as a god of winds. Why are we hit over the head s…
03 Nov 2010, 13:42
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I've been reading Return to the Whorl and had a question. I think it is for James Wynn. Wasn't it you who suggested some sort of connection or shared identity between Hyacinth and …
21 Oct 2010, 11:30
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I tend to view things a different way. I see the "tribade" comment as a significance pointer; a way of saying to us that the last victim of a Vodalus dinner was an important pers…
27 Sep 2010, 12:12
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No, not bad but not brilliant. I agree with Dan'l that the connection to Urth seems an add-on, not the original inspiration. And I agree with James that it allows for somewhat va…
22 Sep 2010, 11:30
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I think it is Ste. Anne. But anyway, the text is deliberately confusing, everywhere, in relationship to identity. I almost despair of being able to provide the quotes which lead …
05 Sep 2010, 19:42
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David Stockhoff's question about why Typhon didn't just upload himself into Piaton's brain put a funny thought into my head. James Wynn's question: added enough fuel to the fir…
01 Sep 2010, 19:27
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