Loony Presents and Futures

Jim Henley20 Nov 1999, 21:42original

Okay, we got three terraformed planets (in the old sense) we know about in the solar system: Skuld, Lune and Verdanthi, aka Venus, The Moon and Mars. Two questions: 1) What's going on on those three worlds during the tail end of the Age of the Autarchs? 2) What are the effects of the New Sun on those worlds? Frex, might the NS kill all the vegetation on Lune, returning it within a couple of centuries or a millenium to the appearance we all know and love? Was the terraforming of Skuld possible only with the cooling of the Old Sun? Did life on Verdanthi really start to suck as the OS grew weaker over the millenia? (It's interesting that while Lune is green, Verdanthi is still?/again? red...) I'm especially interested in hearing relatively rigorous planetological speculation on point 2, but theories on point 1 are more than welcome. Do the exultants travel freely between Urth and the other worlds of the solar system? Are the other worlds also terminally poor, bitter-end societies like we know on Urth? Are they playgrounds for the remnant of "rich" humans? Or are they they Checkpoint Charlies of cacogen defense policy? Best, Jim ***************************************** "All God's children got a little bit of soul but not that much . . . " -- Graham Parker, "Obsessed with Aretha"

Daniel Fusch21 Nov 1999, 06:24original

↳ follows, by subject match Jim Henley

Regarding Question # 1: When Severian is talking with Rudesind in chapter V of TSOTT, they mention the theory that Vodalus might hiding "in the forests of Lune." That this suggestion is even made suggests that it is, in fact, possible for an Urth exultant to hide in the forests of Lune; Rudesind's comment that if Vodalus in on Lune, it may be a while before the Autarch catches him--seems to suggest that travel from Urth to Lune is difficult...at least to the point at which you have trouble landing large search parties there. That's one possible reading, anyway. Question #2--I have no idea about this one.

25 quoted lines

From: "Jim Henley" <jlhenley at erols.com> Reply-To: urth at lists.best.com To: urth at lists.best.com Subject: (urth) Loony Presents and Futures Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1999 21:42:06 -0500 Okay, we got three terraformed planets (in the old sense) we know about in the solar system: Skuld, Lune and Verdanthi, aka Venus, The Moon and Mars. Two questions: 1) What's going on on those three worlds during the tail end of the Age of the Autarchs? 2) What are the effects of the New Sun on those worlds? Frex, might the NS kill all the vegetation on Lune, returning it within a couple of centuries or a millenium to the appearance we all know and love? Was the terraforming of Skuld possible only with the cooling of the Old Sun? Did life on Verdanthi really start to suck as the OS grew weaker over the millenia? (It's interesting that while Lune is green, Verdanthi is still?/again? red...) I'm especially interested in hearing relatively rigorous planetological speculation on point 2, but theories on point 1 are more than welcome. Do the exultants travel freely between Urth and the other worlds of the solar system? Are the other worlds also terminally poor, bitter-end societies like we know on Urth? Are they playgrounds for the remnant of "rich" humans? Or are they they Checkpoint Charlies of cacogen defense policy? Best, Jim ***************************************** "All God's children got a little bit of soul but not that much . . . " -- Graham Parker, "Obsessed with Aretha" works

JMCAzurin22 Nov 1999, 11:01original

↳ follows, by subject match Daniel Fusch

3 quoted lines

From: "Jim Henley" <jlhenley at erols.com> 1) What's going on on those three worlds during the tail end of the Age of the Autarchs?

Given that Urth's core has solidified by Sev's time, the same would have happened to Verthandi and Skuld. They wouldn't have geothermal (urr...venothermal? marothermal?) plants. Barring their possession of technogical wizardry that's not present on Urth, their primary energy source would likewise be the darkened sun. They'd probably be pretty dismal places to live as well. Their mineral-richness or -poorness is arguable though. They may not have been as thoroughly mined. Another loony idea: what if Wolfe had tipped his hat to Arthur C Clarke and had the Hieros ignite Jupiter instead? Certainly seems easier than transporting a white fountain. Mikah - Are you crying? - No, I'm bleeding.

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