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Well, this isn't a fully formed theory, just an idea I had today. I assumed all here have seen The Matrix, but if not I apologize. The purpose of the Plan would be the same as t…
01 Sep 2010, 22:12
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Who says a shapeshifter can do pretty much anything, biologically-wise? Take the Inhumi. Quite limited in many ways, biologically. They can do things we cannot do, but vice versa …
01 Sep 2010, 21:57
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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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Antonio Marques: Typhon makes it clear he considers Severian and perhaps all humanity too far beneath him to warrant lying. He says "It is courtesy that is truthful. When the …
01 Sep 2010, 18:41
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I think Wolfe chose the name "Typhon" because he wanted this character to embody the essence of the greek myth, the epitome of all monsters and maybe also to represent the last, gr…
01 Sep 2010, 12:09
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At the risk of mucking up David's perfectly good Andersenian reference I'd want to note that sirens and mermaids are not really distinct creatures. The sirens are often depicted a…
31 Aug 2010, 01:47
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Hm...sounds cryptic. As though you had an answer in mind. Spill the beans or I'll be forced to assume your theory is that Seawrack and Mother are living backward in time and the n…
30 Aug 2010, 13:50
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Well, if the "shipwreck" idea doesn't float (heh) perhaps it is something else. None of the names I've found for the mythological sirens fit in. Another guess on Seawrack's real …
30 Aug 2010, 11:37
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This is the sort interpretation I was expecting to end the series all along. If we trace the arc of the story back to Severian the apprentice, perhaps nothing else would do.…
30 Aug 2010, 11:18
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I think the issue boils down to a difference in sense of interpretation. As a contrast, to my theory I'll mention Borski's theory, which included exhaustive botanical research to…
30 Aug 2010, 01:58
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I hope I am not being insulting in noting that the English pronunciation of Scylla usually involves a silent "c" like scissors or scintillating. This would bring Scylla's pronunci…
29 Aug 2010, 03:27
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Well! I bumped into the dream sequence Dave partially posted last night and had the intention of starting a new thread on it but I was beaten to it! Actually I think this dream add…
28 Aug 2010, 13:53
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Perhaps this is the intended point..that Wolfe is not sure how to judge Zeus and Apollo and Osiris and Vishnu etc. within a Christian framework. Perhaps the Whorl was a way to bet…
27 Aug 2010, 21:15
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Mark Lewin- Yes, thanks Mark. There are other Wolfe quotes which as clearly and unequivocally say the same thing about Gene Wolfe's personal religious philosophy. This is the most…
27 Aug 2010, 16:40
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Mark Lewin- Yes, thanks Mark. There are other Wolfe quotes which as clearly and unequivocally say the same thing about Gene Wolfe's personal religious philosophy. This is the …
27 Aug 2010, 16:39
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FWIW, here was Ranjit's last words on that particular subject (and they were made a month or two before the exit of brunians).…
26 Aug 2010, 20:02
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Interesting that 5HoC is invoked on the theme of anti-colonialism. My first thought is that Dave's conclusion is similar to the generally acknowledged solution to the mystery of VR…
26 Aug 2010, 13:14
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Sleepy trees? Hm, sounds a bit like a nod to Ents. Anyway, I don't find this theory overly fantastic at all. To me it makes sense both metaphorically and scientifically. Trees a…
25 Aug 2010, 03:37
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I agree with Ryan. The stuff here doesn't make good pub or dinner table conversation. I agree with Craig. Niggling at the shape of the individual jigsaw pieces is okay, but eve…
25 Aug 2010, 03:13
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I seem to remember a girl at Orchid's being victimized by inhumi and Quetzal being a very unlikely culprit. Does this have something to do with that? Also, did Silk commit suicid…
24 Aug 2010, 18:39
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Sorry, just had to post this pic of hydra reproduction http://s2.hubimg.com/u/425321_f260.jpg :- )…
23 Aug 2010, 17:20
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As James said, I am writing to the list. I suspect the confusion is coming from the fact that James has used several posts to reply to different parts of my one earlier post. I'…
23 Aug 2010, 17:03
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James, I confess that understanding BotNS has always been my primary goal with other stories being more accessory to it. Urth/Earth is the home of humanity and it remains central …
23 Aug 2010, 02:01
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Nobody is very interested in anything, anymore.…
22 Aug 2010, 08:24
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I think this is close to my view and why I kinda like Yesod to be the next higher universe in a sequence with Briah. Great and prescient as the Hierogrammates are, they don't know …
19 Aug 2010, 21:53
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Well, I'll try to present my Grand Unified Theory or spill my GUT as it were. It isn't that profound or unique and I doubt it will serve anyone else as an epiphany. But perhaps it …
19 Aug 2010, 20:09
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Ah, well, who knows. But the not-metaphoric meaning of "beast" is: So in any of the usual meanings, a beast isn't going to be a human or plant. Many seem to think of Baldander…
19 Aug 2010, 18:21
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They are still about the same age when they married I think. I am not interested in parsing out exact timelines but I think those who do estimate Severian's journey from graveyard…
19 Aug 2010, 03:54
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Moreover the Whorl humans have shifted worship toward Echidna now that they are on Blue. Good point, Antonio. Thanks.…
18 Aug 2010, 18:45
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Yes, good point. I suppose Wolfe's Baldanders is based more on the Borgean giant than the protean German guys. Baldanders' status as a megatherian is surely an interesting questi…
18 Aug 2010, 18:43
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Could be. Still we see someone ostensibly from Severian's past there in his distant future. Why is it called the Atrium of Time then? There is no time travel there in the Atrium…
18 Aug 2010, 18:14
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James, I'm sensing a misunderstanding of my general framework for BotNS, which Roy derisively calls the "Grand Unified Theory". I have one which works pretty well for me but I unde…
18 Aug 2010, 18:02
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I am confident that the first and only person to do that will be adam @ io.com…
18 Aug 2010, 15:32
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All you JW types are the same. Hm..I guess that makes me the same as brunians.com. ;- ). Sorry James. Yes, Scylla is mentioned once as a megatherian of Urth. But the same name i…
18 Aug 2010, 14:36
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Yes :- ). Isn't there a mention that Scylla had her own world to rule? I think Echidna is also a possibility, though mythological Scylla was a sea monster and Echidna was a ca…
18 Aug 2010, 13:14
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My view is that The Mother is analagous to the sea-borne monsters like Erebus and Abaia that we hear about on Urth. As such she is capable of taking on a form of a Naviscaput. Late…
18 Aug 2010, 12:19
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Ah, now I understand your reluctance to invoke time travel. That kind is a huge undertaking. But how much effort did Severian spend to travel to the future to see Ragnarok? A fligh…
18 Aug 2010, 11:58
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That Gene Wolfe fellow must not be the sharpest tool in the shed or he'd have figured out after 30 years of writing that nobody finds his stories obvious. ;- ) A good observatio…
18 Aug 2010, 01:59
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I also saw some echo of Jesus in the Conciliator on first reading. I remain convinced that Urth never had a Jesus nor a Flood and that's why it is the way it is and why it needed S…
18 Aug 2010, 01:22
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Thanks for the thoughtful response Jeff. I'll try to make my rejoinder brief. My argument is that in this book, time travel is not a maximized hypothesis It is as valid as propo…
17 Aug 2010, 19:30
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I think it best to be mindful that we have no reality here. Just words on a page from an acknowledged unreliable narrator. As someone recently suggested, when a discussion degenera…
17 Aug 2010, 16:02
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This counter-theory (pasted in full below) bothers me for a few reasons. 1. Why would it be desirable to avoid most "time-meddling"? We do have time- travel in the story. Why is…
17 Aug 2010, 14:33
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If Earth is a future manvantara version of Urth and Yesod is in the past from Urth it would seem that Earth cannot be in Yesod. But that's just being logical. I don't really cl…
17 Aug 2010, 12:38
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The head seeming to not be there is very good evidence for your theory Dave. The dizzy/tiredness a bit less compelling regarding resurrection but still good. I like the idea of …
17 Aug 2010, 12:23
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Awesome work Ryan. You da man! I think the average would be notably less for some if certain off-topic arguments were not factored in. Ranjit's limit of 5/day would seem to be …
17 Aug 2010, 11:11
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I am not quite so fluent on Short Sun issues but this is exactly my own theory. I must peruse your other thoughts about Inhumi with careful attention. One can postulate about un…
17 Aug 2010, 02:51
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While I am sympathetic to Mark Millman's sentiment, I am, in contrast to James Wynn, not contrite or chastened. In my opinion this current flurry of activity is temporary and the r…
17 Aug 2010, 02:41
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Thank you Dave! You are so much better at presenting your theory than I am. Now I know where people were getting that ideal of a resurrection happening. Since there are identical k…
17 Aug 2010, 00:56
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Tinsel is, by definition, lightweight just like a batten. If Wolfe wanted to depict a heavy blade he'd have described it as silver painted mahogany or blunted shiny steel. I ask…
17 Aug 2010, 00:38
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If we are wondering if the Whorl came with Inhumi, it seems we should be looking for evidence of shapeshifting vampires on Urth. Shapeshifters are mentioned in BotNS. albeit in st…
16 Aug 2010, 22:08
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