Subject: Book of the New Sun -- Severian's mother

From: obrien <obrien at aero2.aero.org>
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1987 19:46:35 +0000

This is a specialty question for those folks who've read "The
Book of the New Sun" with some degree of care.

   Wolfe claims that he tied up all the loose ends.  Wolfe is also
known for incredible subtleties.  Therefore, I'd like to know if
anyone out there has any clues as to the real identity of Severian's
mother.

   Ouen claims that her name was Catherine, and that she ran away
from a group of monials.  Some time after her tryst with Ouen, the
law took her away, presumably to the Matachin Tower, where the
infant Severian was adopted into the Order.

   The question is, can anyone match this up with any of the other
characters in the book?  Cyriaca, for instance?  Or is it indeed
true that this was some completely new person, never met or referred
to by anyone else?

Mike O'Brien
obrien at aerospace.aero.org

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From: Kevin Maroney <dg_rtp!kjm at rutgers.edu>
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1987 01:08:45 +0000

I feel fairly confident in stating that Catherine was not in any way
connected with the other characters of the novel. Although with the
bizarre folds in time, there's always the possibility that Catherine
is Saint Katherine, the patron of the Order of Seekers of Truth and
Penitence. But I'd have to see some real, textual evidence for this
before I would accept it. Maybe there's something about her in
_Castle of The Otter_ (or maybe one or the other Catherine will be
mentioned in _The Urth of the New Sun_, which is due out in November
from Tor).

Is there anyone else out there willing, as I am, to make the claim
that this four-volume novel is the crowning achievement of
S(peculative)F(iction)?  I read these as they came out, and thought
highly of them; but when I re-read them in one sitting earlier in
the year, I (figuratively) saw God.

Kevin J. Maroney

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From: Chris Jarocha-Ernst <cje at elbereth.rutgers.edu>
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1987 18:56:07 +0000

kjm at dg_rtp.UUCP (Kevin Maroney) writes:
> I feel fairly confident in stating that Catherine was not in any
> way connected with the other characters of the novel. Although
> with the bizarre folds in time, there's always the possibility
> that Catherine is Saint Katherine, the patron of the Order of
> Seekers of Truth and Penitence.

Realize that this is coming from someone who's read the first 2
books only and so may be unfamiliar with later developments.

In the Christian Church, Saint Catherine of Alexandria was tortured
to death (as were many saints, admittedly) on the wheel.  I don't
know what she's supposed to be the Patron Saint of, but it wouldn't
be surprising if she were so honored by the Torturers.

Side notes: a Catherine('s) Wheel is also an acrobatic cartwheel and
a type of fireworks.  Some British pubs are named "The Cat and
Wheel" after a corruption of "Catherine's Wheel".  The point here is
that this woman and her torture device are linked in popular
culture, making her an even more likely candidate as Patron Saint of
Torturers.  (*And no flames about bad taste!  Since when has the
Church cared about bad taste? :-) *)

Chris Jarocha-Ernst

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From: Allan Terry <aterry at teknowledge-vaxc.arpa>
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1987 21:18:27 +0000

> S(peculative)F(iction)?  I read these as they came out, and
> thought highly of them; but when I re-read them in one sitting
> earlier in the year, I (figuratively) saw God.

YES! YES! The Book of the New Sun is one of the best books I ever
read.  I hold this up to anybody else's favorite literature.  I
generally feel this way about most of Wolfe's work (ever read
Peace?), but this is his best.  This book has so much depth and
texture that you could read it dozens of times and still be
surprised.

How could anybody keep everything so knit together over four volumes
and several years of writing them?  Everything ties in with
everything else.  I love the way he gives an explanation of parts of
his world the way science fiction writers do, but then gives
different and contradictory explanations later.  Nothing neat and
tidy, more like life.  I love the historical feel to his society far
in our future.  The terminology sounds roman, the journey sounds
like a Midaevel pilgrimage, yet when people dig they find layer upon
layer of prior civilizations.  I love his passion for telling
strange little stories (and the translated story of the Ascian is a
marvel).  Where else in SF have you seen an honest-to-God
hagiography?  I love his jokes, like the Frankenstein turnabout.  Or
Severian's guild: the Seekers for Truth and Penitence, commonly
known as the Torturers.  But mostly I just like the writing.  It
takes a master to bring a reader to the logical acceptance of
Volodius' alzebo feast or to bring the reader to appreciate that
Severian is an excellent carnifex, one who is part of a rich
tradition and who honestly plies his craft.  I can't recommend it
more highly.  Besides, the cover of the first book is sure fire to
get you a seat by yourself on a crowded Muni bus.

My question back is did anybody else feel a jar in Severian's
attitude about women?  He has a certain detachment for people and
for his own body--I suppose necessary in his line of work, or for
somebody en route to "higher things".  I can also understand that
women were not part of his upbringing.  Still, he seems too casual
about Dorcas and her feelings.  Why is he so hung up on Agila (sp?)
considering her feelings back?  He screws around but his heart does
not seem to be in it.  I have not quite figured out what Wolfe was
doing with this part of Severian's character.

Allan