Subject: (urth) Great Work of Time

From: Adam Stephanides <adamsteph at earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 22:27:47 +0000

mantis wrote:

> Yes, I'm here.  Ask your questions: I'll answer them if I can.

1. What is the function of the opening section, about Caspar Last?  I
can actually think of several possible functions: it provides a glimpse
of our world; it's a prelude to the "original sin" of the Otherhood; it
shows the difficulty of changing the past in a purposeful way; it lures
the reader into thinking GWoT will be a typical changing-the-past
story.  But none of these justify, for me, the size and prominent
position of this section.

2. When the old Denys is telling the young Denys (of our world) his
story, after describing how he failed to kill Rhodes, he says "'I am
satisfied in my own mind...that it cannot be possible to meet oneself on
a trip into the past or future; that is a lie, invented by the Otherhood
to forestall its own extinction, which was however inevitable."
(131-32).  Why does Denys think propagating the "lie" that one can meet
oneself would forestall the Otherhood's extinction?  Why does he think
the Otherhood's extinction inevitable?  And why does the old Denys not
believe his older self dissuaded him from killing Rhodes, when he has
the evidence that that is what happened?  Does he just not want to admit
that his current plight is the result of a considered decision on his
part, rather than an impulsive act?

Hoping this doesn't make you too crazy,

Adam

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