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This sounds a bit like the "Dionysus cannot have anything to do with lianas unless they have grapes on them, even if Gene Wolfe calls them vines" cavil. I am not an expert demonolo…
10 Dec 2010, 21:04
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Okay, have to answer that question. I see Erebus and Abaia as not so distinct as their naming might indicate. The end of RttW suggests Scylla and Abaia are not so separate either. …
10 Dec 2010, 19:55
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David this feels unfair. I am trying to be concise and brief in this limited format. When I say "The Devil" it is with the expectation that you will do some of the work for me and …
10 Dec 2010, 19:43
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Perhaps I chose my young woman-old crone illusion better than I knew. She is a shapeshifter isn't she? In fact I think the illusion-based portion of the Inhumi disguise works just…
10 Dec 2010, 19:23
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What is the deepest secret of the Inhumi? David, I think you once mentioned being non-religious (same for me). So it makes sense for you to see Devil references as metaphors. You…
10 Dec 2010, 18:31
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The optical illusion in my previous post is simple. Two perspectives. As we have discussed, Wolfe can be understood on far more than two levels. So yes, Father Inire can be seen as…
10 Dec 2010, 17:32
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David, at the risk of sounding condescending or arrogant I would like to try to explain something before specifically responding to your polite and insightful post. Are you fami…
10 Dec 2010, 17:00
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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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Well, that was a fruitful discussion. Heh.…
10 Dec 2010, 03:46
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No, you have interpreted incorrectly but I don't think it is your fault. I will try my best to explain. 1. Liana is not a word most Americans are familiar with. When we want to …
09 Dec 2010, 22:11
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FWIW- Having come from American academia I'll tesify that in my experience thesis and dissertation can be used somewhat interchangeably, especially informally. It is a pain to say …
09 Dec 2010, 20:49
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Gerry, again I think in your rush to convert interpretation of Gene Wolfe to mathematical principles you are missing the point. We are talking about the thought processes of an aut…
09 Dec 2010, 20:36
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I didn't know how to do that so I once set my account to block the emails and it ended up knocking me off the list. So now I just keep a dummy email account and let them pile up th…
09 Dec 2010, 19:01
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Almost identical to what I would respond. As a purely anecdotal bit of data, I'll report that the geography of my childhood and adulthood life is quite similar to Gene Wolfe's so i…
09 Dec 2010, 18:56
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Heh, I think you sell me short! Why not Erebus/Abaia himself? I may be a diabolical,manipulative monstrosity who breaks off little pieces of himself in the form of internet posts…
09 Dec 2010, 09:41
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Andrew I can't remember a problem I've had with your responses to my posts. You've always seemed respectful and constructive. Still, your thoughtful post deserves an honest answer …
09 Dec 2010, 00:59
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David Stockhoff: Argh, my worst nightmare realized! Bad enough to see Gerry hack, shrivel and distort my Inire theory down to one sentence in a reductio ad absurdum attemtpt. N…
08 Dec 2010, 16:35
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Gene Wolfe has referenced the process of the origin of myth through the course of his entire body of work. Are you suggesting he is just a hack who does nothing but pound us over t…
08 Dec 2010, 09:15
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Sure, I am not speaking for James. But elements in your argument with him pertain to our discussion. Instead you prefer to pare ideas down to what you consider bare essentials a…
08 Dec 2010, 08:43
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I expect you didn't put 6 years of work all in one >post though. Either way, I, for one, don't have a clear idea of what your theory is. I think the various bits I've read are …
07 Dec 2010, 20:53
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I could accept that as a working principle. But then we have to discuss how many levels of understanding there are. Severian is required to recite the 7 levels in regard to governa…
07 Dec 2010, 19:38
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Heh! good response Gerry. Provides some insight into your thinking. The "people" you mention are all me, I'm afraid. I noticed some eyes batting. Didn't you? I hope you weren't o…
07 Dec 2010, 17:55
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I don't remember the cynocephalus making any noise. It just seems to look in on Severian then leave. There are revelations about Oreb at the end of RttWhorl which do involve the li…
07 Dec 2010, 16:03
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If this were the case I'd expect to see something in the text which reflects this. In the Cumaean I think there may be a hint of weariness in her voice. But quite the opposite for …
07 Dec 2010, 12:44
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Roy- > " 'My name is Horn.' I offered my hand. He took it, and this time I felt his hand _and remembered it_ . It was I'm glad the conversation in this thread has drifted back t…
07 Dec 2010, 09:30
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Since that entity had Horn's body and memories mustn't we define him, within James' theory, as part-human part-Neighbor? I think there is a long tradition of legends and folk her…
06 Dec 2010, 20:43
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My thoughts went in the same direction as Jeff's. Typhon does refer to Piaton as his "steed". Nah, Jeff was being deliberately cryptic. It is a reference to Alexander's beloved …
06 Dec 2010, 19:06
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Yeah, such ideas were all the rage in the early 70's, just before BotNS was being written. I think Von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods was the peak of it. I've always thought it mig…
06 Dec 2010, 18:21
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Ouen makes the statement in regard to a locket and perhaps some other items, maybe a hairbrush and mirror (sorry I have not got the text with me). I guess a corpse could be constru…
06 Dec 2010, 18:05
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This is a bizarrely coincidental post given James' recent entry. Had you seen the post below, Ryan? I'm starting to feel like a puppet myself. How are you guys able to corres…
06 Dec 2010, 15:52
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IIRC, Ouen says his father had a problem with holding onto material possessions (FWIW a trait shared by Fechin). He had to get the locket out of hock, to get it back. (this might…
06 Dec 2010, 15:08
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I can agree with your thinking. Moreover if we parse Ouen's statement more tightly: we could infer that Ouen finds the name "Cas" and "died when I was young" to be fact but "in …
06 Dec 2010, 12:51
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I see clues that Inire is patterned after Pan who could create his own legion of helpers. Why is this so much less plausible than a character patterned after Alexander? Are you sug…
06 Dec 2010, 12:34
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Borski takes this to imply that Dorcas had a pregnancy and birth after Ouen. I agree that it is a strange (though not impossible) turn of phrase to refer to one's self at birth as …
06 Dec 2010, 11:00
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Who is the judge on whether the text supports or contradicts a theory? I think the only defensible answer to this question is: Each of us, for ourselves. You both misunderstand …
06 Dec 2010, 02:59
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It will. I have already been waiting for you to post it, with anticipation. Yes, it says that in the text. But is that all the text says? The text also gives them an angelic app…
06 Dec 2010, 01:33
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I'm not sure if this is an expression of personal interest and request for an elaboration of my Father Inire theory or an attempt at invalidating it via reductio ad absurdum. If th…
05 Dec 2010, 13:55
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Someone (I forget who) brought up an objection that I forgot to address. The objection was that we can't compare the shapeshifting and multiple body versions of Tzadkiel with Fathe…
05 Dec 2010, 04:40
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We could thus disqualify Maxellindis' uncle from consideration as a version of Inire. Or it could be a push toward option 2: The multiple versions of Inire are independently opera…
05 Dec 2010, 04:07
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That's an interest post to me Witz. Most do not think the boatman at the drowning is the Boatman at the Lake of Birds. I think Borski suggests that the "drowning" old boatman is Ma…
04 Dec 2010, 17:25
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I understand that Gene Wolfe's work attracts a lot of scientists and science-minded people. I have been one myself though I am now retreated to the comfort and boredom of governme…
04 Dec 2010, 11:47
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Jeff, I had an exhausting debate on this issue a couple years ago I wouldn't want to repeat. So please take the following as an explanation of my own thinking and not at all attem…
04 Dec 2010, 11:05
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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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Agilus' ribbons might be connected to the Jungle Sorcerers' masks. Agia uses a claw weapon much like (perhaps identical) to those of the jungle guys to cut Severian's face. (Ac…
04 Dec 2010, 08:54
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Amen brother! Roast fucking Beef. Severian has to destroy Mother Urth. Far out! That is a great symbolic connection. I don't think I've seen it observed before. I think the …
04 Dec 2010, 08:33
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Well, its too late now. ;- ). I'd hoped to put in a plea to change the Subject to "Foes of the New Sun". My image of a foe of the Increate is a guy pulling out a knife and attempti…
03 Dec 2010, 21:38
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I read your response with anticipation and interest, but at the end found myself asking, "so where was the flaw?". Sorry. Our thinking may be too diffrent to communicate effectivel…
03 Dec 2010, 21:07
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I chose to frame my question using Jesus at age 20 because of that record gap and because that is Severian's approximate age at the beginning of BotNS. I suspect Wolfe chose to m…
03 Dec 2010, 19:11
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More specifically, Agia is installed as the Vodalarii leader by Father Inire, replacing Thea who isn't doing such a good job. Hm...why exactly does Inire think this enemy of the Co…
03 Dec 2010, 18:54
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Dan'l: Do we? How? I don't think so. I always thought his most likely appearance was as the cowled servitor who guides Severian to the thiasus. Next likely is the little uturuncu…
03 Dec 2010, 18:24
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