Subject: (urth) TBoTNS as Science and fantasy

From: Jeremy Crampton <jcrampto at gmu.edu>
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 1999 19:42:27 +0000

There's a section in the text which I think of in reference to the science
vs. fantasy nature of TBoTNS:

Citadel Chapter 17 "Ragnorok The Final Winter", Ash is speaking:

"The distinction you mention no longer holds. Religion and science have
always been matters of faith in something. It is the same something. You
are yourself what you call a man of science, so I talk science to you. If
Mannea were here with her priestesses, I would talk differently".

Although I don't necessarily agree with all these comments it does have the
useful aspect that it involves the reader in the process, rather than just
saying something "is" or "is not."

Many years ago Tim Maroney brought all this up on sf-lovers, namely that
TBoTNS was fantasy because "if Severian put his arm into a rainbow and
pulled out a butterfly, no-one would be surprised."
__
Jeremy W. Crampton		         http://geog.gmu.edu    jcrampto at gmu.edu
Dept. of Geography & Earth Science
[MS 1E2]				’Tis true; there’s magic in the web of it.
George Mason University					--Othello (III.iv.69)
Fairfax, Va 22030

*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/

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From: Daniel Fusch <dfusch at hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 03 Nov 1999 02:13:31 +0000

(snip)

I don't agree with Maroney's comment on classification here, because you 
could say the same of fable and myth, which are both distinct from fantasy, 
and both of which Wolfe makes use of.

But I did want to say that that's quite a witty quote! I hadn't thought of 
it that way, but come to think of it, if Wolfe had Severian reach into a 
rainbow and pull our a butterfly, I wouldn't be surprised.

With Wolfe at the helm, you have to expect the unexpected. Quite literally!

Anyway, that quote brought a chuckle.

-Daniel

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