{ "export": { "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/6498", "note": "Exported from an unofficial mirror of a public mailing list. Copyright in each message remains with the person who wrote it. Email addresses are obscured as `user at host`, the form the original archive published. This file was rebuilt from parsed fields rather than retained headers, so it is faithful in content but not byte-exact.", "addresses": "obscured as 'user at host'" }, "archive": "urth", "thread": { "id": 6498, "subject": "This Week in Google Alerts: more _Land Across_", "messages": 6, "voices": 5, "first": "2013-12-29T16:48:14+00:00", "last": "2013-12-30T22:48:25+00:00" }, "messages": [ { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Gwern Branwen", "address": "gwern at gwern.net" }, "date": "2013-12-29T16:48:14+00:00", "subject": "(urth) This Week in Google Alerts: more _Land Across_", "in_reply_to": null, "reply_link": null, "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "http://io9.com/dont-expect-to-figure-out-gene-wolfes-new-novel-the-f-1484516074\n(review)\n\nhttp://www.bendbulletin.com/home/1591917-151/the-strange-lands-of-sci-fi-master-gene-wolfe\n(review)\n\nhttp://thebookofsilk.blogspot.com/2013_12_01_archive.html (character list)\n\nhttp://jdbookreview.com/gene-wolfe-no-comparison/ interview:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "Whether you subscribe to the theory that Wolfe is some kind of hothouse-cultivated Ent, or “merely” a human genius, you’ll want to read his new novel _The Land Across_. The author graciously took the time to speak with me via email about the genesis of his typically inventive new work, the state of 21st-century SF, and many other subjects. An edited transcript of our conversation follows, below. — Paul Di Filippo" }, { "kind": "sig", "depth": 0, "text": "gwern\nhttp://www.gwern.net" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Daniel Otto Jack Petersen", "address": "danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com" }, "date": "2013-12-29T17:53:14+00:00", "subject": "(urth) This Week in Google Alerts: more _Land Across_", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "*http://jdbookreview.com/gene-wolfe-no-comparison/\n interview:> Whether you\nsubscribe to the theory that Wolfe is some kind of hothouse-cultivated Ent,\nor “merely” a human genius, you’ll want to read his new novel _The Land\nAcross_. The author graciously took the time to speak with me via email\nabout the genesis of his typically inventive new work, the state of\n21st-century SF, and many other subjects. An edited transcript of our\nconversation follows, below. — Paul Di Filippo*\n\n\nFor any other out-of-it sap like me, who didn't know what 'the Singularity'\nwas that Di Filippo asked Wolfe about, here's a very helpful article I\nfound (summary: it's 'the Rapture for nerds'):\n\nhttp://io9.com/5534848/what-is-the-singularity-and-will-you-live-to-see-it\n\nKnowing what it is makes Wolfe's answer all the more fascinating and\ntantalising...\n\n-DOJP" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Sun, Dec 29, 2013 at 4:48 PM, Gwern Branwen wrote:\n\nhttp://io9.com/dont-expect-to-figure-out-gene-wolfes-new-novel-the-f-1484516074\n(review)\n\n\nhttp://www.bendbulletin.com/home/1591917-151/the-strange-lands-of-sci-fi-master-gene-wolfe\n(review)\n\nhttp://thebookofsilk.blogspot.com/2013_12_01_archive.html (character list)\n\nhttp://jdbookreview.com/gene-wolfe-no-comparison/ interview:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": "Whether you subscribe to the theory that Wolfe is some kind of\nhothouse-cultivated Ent, or “merely” a human genius, you’ll want to read\nhis new novel _The Land Across_. The author graciously took the time to\nspeak with me via email about the genesis of his typically inventive new\nwork, the state of 21st-century SF, and many other subjects. An edited\ntranscript of our conversation follows, below. — Paul Di Filippo" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "--\ngwern\nhttp://www.gwern.net\n_______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Gerry Quinn", "address": "gerry at bindweed.com" }, "date": "2013-12-29T18:08:57+00:00", "subject": "(urth) This Week in Google Alerts: more _Land Across_", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "From: Gwern Branwen\n\nhttp://jdbookreview.com/gene-wolfe-no-comparison/ interview:\n\n'Gene Wolfe easily admits to being a supernatural being. How else to \nexplain his famous comment that editor Damon Knight, whose ORBIT series of \nanthologies helped launch Wolfe’s career, “grew me from a bean?”?'\n\nHmm, if we are to assume it was a black bean, it would not make him the \nnicest kind of supernatural being! [I'm assuming that the story of the \nblack beans cast into the sea in BotNS is meant to refer to the origin of \nAbaia, Erebus and the rest.]\n\n- Gerry Quinn " } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Antonin Scriabin", "address": "kierkegaurdian at gmail.com" }, "date": "2013-12-29T20:48:24+00:00", "subject": "(urth) This Week in Google Alerts: more _Land Across_", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "The Singularity is a pretty popular trope in modern, mainstream sci-fi.\nCharles Stross' \"Accelerando\" and Harrison's \"Light\" come to mind. I didn't\nparticularly care for either one, I think it makes for lazy writing. Tech\nbecomes magic, but characters aren't mystified, they are experts. It is\neasy to explain away problems in the narrative." }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Dec 29, 2013 1:09 PM, \"Gerry Quinn\" wrote:\n\n\nFrom: Gwern Branwen\n\nhttp://jdbookreview.com/gene-wolfe-no-comparison/ interview:\n\n'Gene Wolfe easily admits to being a supernatural being. How else to\nexplain his famous comment that editor Damon Knight, whose ORBIT series of\nanthologies helped launch Wolfe’s career, “grew me from a bean?”?'\n\nHmm, if we are to assume it was a black bean, it would not make him the\nnicest kind of supernatural being! [I'm assuming that the story of the\nblack beans cast into the sea in BotNS is meant to refer to the origin of\nAbaia, Erebus and the rest.]\n\n- Gerry Quinn\n_______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Lee", "address": "severiansola at hotmail.com" }, "date": "2013-12-30T19:22:45+00:00", "subject": "(urth) This Week in Google Alerts: more _Land Across_", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "subject", "blocks": [ { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "Gerry Quinn: Hmm, if we are to assume it was a black bean, it would not make him the \nnicest kind of supernatural being! [I'm assuming that the story of the \nblack beans cast into the sea in BotNS is meant to refer to the origin of \nAbaia, Erebus and the rest.]" }, { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "With recognition of the lightheartedness of this reply, I truly do not think that Gene\nWolfe considers himself to be the \"nicest\" of people.\n\nI haven't met him in person but I know he is often described as \"genial\". Still in the\ntone of some of his answers to direct questions, I know he has a sharp side. But these\nare all external judgements anyway.\n\nI find Wolfe's self-assessments best exemplified in his most autobiographical characters\n(Weer, Severian and Horn, imho). In these characters I find self-criticism which goes\nbeyond acknowledgement of imperfection and which drifts toward true confession and self-\ncondemnation.\n\nMoreover, if the role of author may be considered as demiurgical creator, as has been\ndiscussed in other threads, perhaps the comparison of Wolfe himself to giant god-like\nmonsters is apt. If \"black beans\" hold the origin of \"Abaia, Erebus and the rest\", then\nScylla must be included and thus, by extension, Typhon/Pas and Echidna (whom I find \ndifficult to disconnect from The Cumaean). \t\t \t \t\t " } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Gerry Quinn", "address": "gerry at bindweed.com" }, "date": "2013-12-30T22:48:25+00:00", "subject": "(urth) This Week in Google Alerts: more _Land Across_", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "From: Lee" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "I haven't met him in person but I know he is often described\nas \"genial\". Still in thetone of some of his answers to direct\nquestions, I know he has a sharp side. But these are all\nexternal judgements anyway." }, { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Yes, he comes across as genial but often suddenly prickly at times.\n\n I love the books, I'm not actually all that concerned about the \nauthor." }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "Moreover, if the role of author may be considered as demiurgical\ncreator, as has been discussed in other threads, perhaps the comparison\nof Wolfe himself to giant god-likemonsters is apt. If \"black beans\"\n hold the origin of \"Abaia, Erebus and the rest\", then Scylla must be\n included and thus, by extension, Typhon/Pas and Echidna (whom I find\ndifficult to disconnect from The Cumaean)." }, { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "I don't believe Typhon had the same origin as the sea monsters. Typhon is \nrelatively human, I think.\n\nI doubt Wolfe would approve, but I do actually imagine the sea monsters in \nterms of 'singularity' concepts - they are creatures that can reconstruct \nthemselves on a molecular level, and they have brains or other devices \ncapable of powerful computations. They are gods [or demons] by our \nstandards. I think the 'seeds; were nanofactories that built them. But \nthat is equally true of all the seeds of living organisms.\n\n- Gerry Quinn " } ] } ] }