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the Cumaean>> is the leader of the Witches in BotNS. Jeffrey Wilson: Is she? She's considered a witch, and Merryn is at her disposal in the Stone Town, but that's not the same.…
22 Aug 2014, 14:55
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I feel Antonio has the answer. One can take a minimalist approach to interpreting the novel and assume it is just one person who is killed and replaced. (keeping in mind that bef…
22 Aug 2014, 13:59
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This is my view also. One shape-shifting species is present in various stages of imitative, Lamarckian evolution. Self-deception at each stage of their evolution toward perfect h…
21 Aug 2014, 16:54
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I find them to be sufficiently linked. It is to be remembered that the Cumaean is the leader of the Witches in BotNS. There is a constellation of traits including snakes, witchcr…
21 Aug 2014, 16:20
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Hopefully this is related. For a long time I was mystified by the dream appearance of a giant, bull-headed father for Severian (as Thecla) as he lay dying on the battlefield. …
20 Aug 2014, 14:02
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On first reading, the dream influence of Severian's past as a torturer would seem to be the likely inspiration for Baldanders' dream. But given the futuristic nature of Severia…
20 Aug 2014, 12:47
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Agreed. Again, agreed, completely. I find this to be a very plausible interpretation given that Mr. Wolfe may often have found himself the lone devout believer in worlds (engin…
20 Aug 2014, 12:16
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A nice theory! I like it! Interesting that you use the word "simply". Had you considered that there might be more to the story? For example that Mr. Million might also be the o…
19 Aug 2014, 13:31
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An interesting theory. I like it! It does explain why the Old Wise One is intangible while the others can be eaten. I must wonder why Sandwalker would start to be incorporated i…
14 Aug 2014, 14:51
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I think the first human contact in the system was the crash of one starship. I think the first human source material the native imitative creatures had to work with was dying or ev…
13 Aug 2014, 12:44
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There may be a misunderstanding of this view. Can we assume, hypothetically that the original imitative creatures on these planets cannot die? If so, then the "John Marsch" who v…
11 Aug 2014, 17:28
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Excellent thoughts Marco. I like it a lot. My thoughts drifted in a similar direction. But I am considering the resurrection theme as separate issues between Severian's (godlike)…
11 Aug 2014, 13:19
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Yes, though it should be noted such "speciation" is just an imitation of it. A faking of millions of years of evolution accomplished in a short amount of time, just as other fe…
11 Aug 2014, 12:31
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My true apologies for any lapses into a negative tone. Unfortunately both my writing and verbal speech patterns unconsciously drift to match whomever I am conversing with. This…
10 Aug 2014, 18:46
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This is another way of saying you cannot conceive of the existence, purpose or value of a piece of literature in which 95% of what we are presented are lies and only an indirect …
08 Aug 2014, 13:47
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Find the passage in which The Old Wise One admits he can't remember which origin story is true. At risk of being insulting, I am getting the sense that there is a certain litera…
07 Aug 2014, 20:26
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04 Aug 2014, 19:18
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Well, you have already answered that question- in the second novella of the trilogy, named: "A Story" by John V. Marsch, that being the only place Shadow Children are referenced. …
04 Aug 2014, 14:18
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01 Aug 2014, 21:24
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01 Aug 2014, 21:20
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In my view, the trick is to observe that Wolfe uses as many, and probably more, "mythological" references as Judeo-Christian references. Gleaning from some hints in Wolfe interview…
02 Feb 2014, 05:27
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The implication from House Azure is that the khaibits are notably shorter than their exultant donor/mistresses. Still, I remain enamoured of my theory that nomenclature can denote…
30 Dec 2013, 19:40
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With recognition of the lightheartedness of this reply, I truly do not think that Gene Wolfe considers himself to be the "nicest" of people. I haven't met him in person but I know…
30 Dec 2013, 19:22
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I can agree somewhat, while recognizing that speculation on specifics is part of the fun of participating on this board for many of us. Wolfe has stated that there are mysteries i…
24 Dec 2013, 14:21
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Or even Doctor Crane? I'm not an expert but it seems to me the current obstacles to cloning animals (plants are easier) reside mostly in the technology being in its infancy. I t…
24 Dec 2013, 14:02
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Agreed! And for me that eggs the questions: What are Typhon-Pas, Echidna and Scylla? What are Tzadkiel, F, B and O? What are Father Inire and The Cumaean? What is The Outsider?…
20 Dec 2013, 20:10
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I have not seen in the speculations on the Mausoleum and Severian as a clone is a mention of the end of RTTW, in which SilkHorn and his retinue travel to Urth and end up in the Nec…
20 Dec 2013, 16:35
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I agree. Wolfe is meticulous enough to write at multiple levels and to impart real meaning at multiple levels. But surely some levels of meaning take precedence over others for ce…
20 Dec 2013, 16:14
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IIRC, the "she" is Thecla speaking to Severian while imprisoned. I can't see why she would beg for pardon for saying he wasn't yet pale enough. Thecla struggled between dismissin…
17 Dec 2013, 15:25
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I agree. Driussi is usually fairly circumspect in injecting his own interpretations onto Wolfe. But now and then, as in this case, he demonstrates an ability to go off on his own …
16 Dec 2013, 15:48
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I agree, this is the clear message of 5HoC, the original novella. But in the two following sections, the dark possibility of our species being taken over by a more rapidly evolvi…
02 Dec 2013, 20:24
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I think Marc would agree. I still get the impression, even after a recent re-read, that some of Horn still remains at the end. But surely the character is mostly Silk. Also, towar…
02 Dec 2013, 14:44
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Well, she was assigned to do so by her/The Mother/Goddess. We humans think true love cannot be done on command. But perhaps this isn't so for humaniform imitators. Perhaps, for the…
26 Nov 2013, 21:23
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I think other Sun Series beings budded off from a larger whole are meant to have their own personalities, including the various incarnations of Tzadkiel, and Idas. But surely the …
25 Nov 2013, 18:39
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Regarding her origin, I think there are two conflicting stories presented. One is that she is a human girl who happened to fall into the water and was taken under the wing (so to …
22 Nov 2013, 16:14
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Like Marc, I think there may be a bit of both. As I see it, Wolfe deliberately confuses spiritual (via electronic) possession and biologcial possession (in the form of genetic par…
22 Nov 2013, 15:42
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.Andreas Johansson: Was going to ask also about the chronological work-out between Yes, among those who scour the text for timeline clues, many arrive at a figure of around 1000 …
11 Oct 2013, 11:54
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FWIW, here is an excerpt from the interview- Some Moments With the Magus:.. with Nick Gevers, Michael Andre-Driussi and James Jordan. A good interview, definitely worth reading- h…
11 Oct 2013, 11:19
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Good questions Brian. I am interested in how others will answer (and I must admit Marc's responses here are bit over my head). By mentioning "Tree gods" it seems a recognition t…
10 Oct 2013, 03:37
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Awesome first post, Andreas! Yes, this had been discussed here a number of years ago and, if I understand correctly, it was that conversation which prompted Marc to write to Gene …
09 Oct 2013, 13:47
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Well, Marc, of course, is the real authority. But in response to a discussion on whether Blue was Urth, I thought Marc said it was a handwritten note which read: "No, no no! GREE…
09 Oct 2013, 12:52
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Andrew Mason: (I believe Marc thinks Quetzal's tree is a Neighbour: this may be right, but a tree isn't well-placed to make the acquaintance of many humans, so it's likely there …
08 Oct 2013, 13:02
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I'm hearing you guys, and considering a change of perspective. There is some thematic sense to this view. But some barriers still exist for me. 1. In their experience with humans…
08 Oct 2013, 12:40
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What Windcloud says is: "In the Whorl, I made the acquaintance of *many* of your race. " This would not seem to be the way one would describe electronically wandering around Mainf…
07 Oct 2013, 14:54
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Andrew, I think you make good observations and arguments against Remora being a straight-up Inhumu, like Quetzal. Regarding Windcloud's statement, I think we can be pretty sure th…
04 Oct 2013, 11:34
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I lean toward Patera Remora. He is undeniably weird, but I find his name to be the biggest hint. One of the defining characteristics of Inhumi is that they get around by being s…
23 Sep 2013, 12:58
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I've long wondered about the significance of the name of Master Ash and his cryptic reference to Vine. I've found one likely reference in Norse mythology, in which the first man a…
13 Sep 2013, 20:00
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Mother? I associate the giant sea god/monster of Blue with Echidna (the greek "mother of all monsters"). Seawrack is a siren and Echidna (the Whorl goddess) has daughters named M…
04 Sep 2013, 13:04
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Thanks for mentioning that Antonio. On first reading of Silk's suicide, it didn't seem to fit what we knew of Silk. His belief in the omnipresent OUtsider was so deep and unswervi…
03 Sep 2013, 15:30
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Well for me, that's it. With a gradual but never full shift from Horn to Silk, I find Wolfe making didactic points regarding aging, family continuity and catholocism. If Horn is c…
03 Sep 2013, 15:17
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