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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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Wolfe is playing tricks on us here. If inhumi can survive being buried underground for months or years, perhaps they can survive the void. But if they are killed merely by the col…
23 Nov 2011, 18:33
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I find it interesting that Hierax is dead, but I find it more interesting to wonder how Pig knows this. Wow. My interpretation is so different. I think perhaps the "pirate ship"…
23 Nov 2011, 18:20
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Perhaps not enough shallow swampy water for those eggs and their external fertilization method either. But..that is for the reptilian form of inhumi. At the end of RttW, there is …
23 Nov 2011, 18:04
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Heh, I don't remember that. Did I ever repeat that phrase over and over, "2+2=5 ommm... 2+2=5 omm...". Don't you maintain a website of math puzzles Gerry? If so I can understand…
23 Nov 2011, 17:34
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Perhaps it would help (help you stop arguing with Marc) if you just consider it a spiritual connection and stop dwelling on the biology. Perhaps they do. I see no evidence that t…
23 Nov 2011, 17:14
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Heh. I did notice a socially conservative, anti-abortion stance in that article. I could do with out that, but otherwise a clear and insightful analysis. Wright even acknowleges …
23 Nov 2011, 17:03
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Yes. (sorry for my previous disagreement Sergei. I misread your post). Severian is more like Jesus with his healing and his resurrection. Silk is more like a saint and he does di…
23 Nov 2011, 15:53
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Oh absolutely. Some quotes from Gene Wolfe interviews suggest that many of his "puzzles" are not meant to have specific solutions but merely hint at a certain theme. Surely other …
23 Nov 2011, 15:33
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Well, it is a point worth mentioning, Jerry. But as you note, I would not be tempted to say "Severian is Jesus" (nor would anyone else here, I think). The problem crops up in tr…
23 Nov 2011, 13:49
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There is something odd about the gender of Incus. I think that's clear. I don't know if Wolfe was aware of and using the Latin version of femur as a play on the word "feminine". I…
23 Nov 2011, 13:29
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Nicely put, Dan'l. I'll mention again the Wolfe video interview on Wizard Knight in which Gene feels no need to hem and haw and qualify and explain the relationship between "v…
22 Nov 2011, 18:19
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