Subject: (urth) TWK: More Mag

From: Roy C. Lackey <rclackey at stic.net>
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 06:22:29 +0000

Last Feb. 25, I made a speculative post about Mag, and Art's mysterious
connections to her. Here is a tidbit I overlooked, but which only serves to
muddy the waters further. It comes just after the death of Gilling, when
Able was treating Toug's injuries in Thiazi's quarters. Thiazi had just come
in, and Able was introducing the two slave women present, Etela and her
mother, to him. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this scene in
Thiazi's room was the first occasion in the 900 page story where Able met
either female. He says to Thiazi, "And this woman is her [Etela's] mother. I
think I know her name, but it would be better if she were to introduce
herself." The woman (Lynnet) ignored him. (W, 249)

Three pages later, Able asked Toug what her name was. Not even Toug knew it;
Etela had to supply the name. What's going on here? Why did Able/Art think
he knew the name of a woman he hadn't even met before? Able's first mention
of her was page 247.

"There was moonlight in the eyes of the strange woman Etela called Mama; I
wondered what those eyes would be like when the moon was full, and found
myself hoping I would never see them by moonlight."

Able and Lynnet then go on to enter the Room of Lost Love.

-Roy

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From: David Duffy <david.duffy at qimr.edu.au>
Date: Sat, 07 Jan 2006 06:31:54 +0000

I was rereading _The World of Null A_ recently (it wasn't as bad as I was
expecting ;)) and noticed a couple of interesting parallels.  One is the
setting on Venus, which I had completely forgotten: it is a green world
covered by enormous trees (mile high?).  Secondly, the amnesiac hero gets
there by dying on earth and awakening there in a new body, and returns to
Earth by spaceship.  As usual, overall there are more differences than
similarities between Short Sun and _Null A_.

A third resemblance is Gosseyn's method of immortality, cf _The Fifth
Head_.

David Duffy.