Typhon Era Fliers
The Urth list — 3 messages, 2 voices, 23 Sep 1999
https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/1792

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Macronaut — 23 Sep 1999, 14:49

My first post, and I hope one that does not repeat an
earlier discussion!

An earlier post remarked on the difference between the
locust-like fliers in the era of Typhon and the cherry
leaf fliers in use at the time of the Autarchy.  Could
the locust-shaped fliers be attack helicoptors of some
sort? -- it seems to me that the blunt cylindrical
bodies of such craft might resemble a locust or
grasshoper.

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Mitchell A. Bailey — 24 Sep 1999, 15:24
  follows, by subject match Macronaut

Macronaut wrote:...

> An earlier post remarked on the ... locust-like fliers in the era of > Typhon ...Could the locust-shaped fliers be attack helicoptors of some
> sort? ...

I seem to recall that Sev compared their "thrumming" sound as well as
looks to that of locusts. That thought occurred to me during a period
when we had an unusual amount of military copter traffic around here AND
the usual early autumn grasshopper invasion. The hoppers make a racket
very like little 'copters.

Another thought floated up unbidden like a denizen of the Lake of Birds,
who spat up its lead slingstones, even as I write: one of the final
plagues in Revelation involved "locusts" which ascend from the Pit and
attack people. Did Wolfe want to evoke that reference, tangentially?
Make of that what you will.

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Macronaut — 24 Sep 1999, 13:41
  follows, by subject match Mitchell A. Bailey

Mitchell wrote:
 
one of the final

> plagues in Revelation involved "locusts" which
> ascend from the Pit and
> attack people. Did Wolfe want to evoke that
> reference, tangentially?
> Make of that what you will.

I think it fits in very well with the idea of human
interstellar empire, as represented by Typhon, as a
plague upon the face of the Earth, ravaging its
resources, driving down galactic property values, etc.
etc.

> --- "Mitchell A. Bailey" <MAB at lindau.net> wrote:
> Macronaut wrote:...

> > An earlier post remarked on the ... locust-like
> > fliers in the era of > Typhon ...Could the
> > locust-shaped fliers be attack helicoptors of some
> > sort? ...

> I seem to recall that Sev compared their "thrumming"
> sound as well as
> looks to that of locusts. That thought occurred to
> me during a period
> when we had an unusual amount of military copter
> traffic around here AND
> the usual early autumn grasshopper invasion. The
> hoppers make a racket
> very like little 'copters.
> 
> Another thought floated up unbidden like a denizen
> of the Lake of Birds,
> who spat up its lead slingstones, even as I write:
> one of the final
> plagues in Revelation involved "locusts" which
> ascend from the Pit and
> attack people. Did Wolfe want to evoke that
> reference, tangentially?
> Make of that what you will.
> 
> 
> the New Sun and other works

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