# The Ziggurat in context

*The Urth list — 2 messages, 2 voices, 31 Jan 2000*

<https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/2105>

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### Nicholas Gevers
*31 Jan 2000, 12:34*

Nutria, I'm afraid I'll have to delay my detailed take
on "The Ziggurat" until I've finished another, rather
vexatious critical chore; but you're quite right that
my ST review will only appear in print some time off
(in FOUNDATION), so here's a general comment. It seems
to me that the stories in ST were selected with a
theme in common, that of escape. The world must be
escaped or transcended; but the escape routes are
many, and only one (the route to Heaven) is a true
path. The rest are snares, roads to damnation and
disaster. Emory's route is one such: self-indulgence,
an impulse to dominate. It may make him feel in charge
of his destiny for a while, but read in comparison
with the trends of the other stories, it won't lead
anywhere good.

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### Jim Jordan
*31 Jan 2000, 16:22 · follows Nicholas Gevers*

> At 12:34 PM 1/31/00 -0800, you wrote:
> Nutria, I'm afraid I'll have to delay my detailed take
> on "The Ziggurat" until I've finished another, rather
> vexatious critical chore; but you're quite right that
> my ST review will only appear in print some time off
> (in FOUNDATION), so here's a general comment. It seems
> to me that the stories in ST were selected with a
> theme in common, that of escape. The world must be
> escaped or transcended; but the escape routes are
> many, and only one (the route to Heaven) is a true
> path. The rest are snares, roads to damnation and
> disaster. Emory's route is one such: self-indulgence,
> an impulse to dominate. It may make him feel in charge
> of his destiny for a while, but read in comparison
> with the trends of the other stories, it won't lead
> anywhere good.

Mebbe. I'll need more to be convinced. I accept your overall assessment of
the book as a collection. Maybe I should take the link between "taming" and
"Tamar" more negatively, as a further example of male chauvinism instead of
as a step in the right direction. Hmmm. That would not push me into any of
the extremely negative interpretations we've discussed here, but would
indicate a sadder ending than I'd originally read. Any thots, Alga?

Nutria

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