{ "export": { "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/6764", "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": 6764, "subject": "Good afternoon Urth", "messages": 26, "voices": 12, "first": "2017-11-12T10:26:37+00:00", "last": "2017-11-19T14:32:35+00:00" }, "messages": [ { "message_id": "<68470859-bd60-127b-e3d1-2586c53102b1@casema.nl>", "from": { "name": "Ab de Vos", "address": "foxyab at casema.nl" }, "date": "2017-11-12T10:26:37+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": null, "reply_link": null, "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Hi,\n\nThe list is silent these days." } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Paul Zinn-Justin", "address": "pzinnjustin at gmail.com" }, "date": "2017-11-12T10:55:32+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "<68470859-bd60-127b-e3d1-2586c53102b1@casema.nl>", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Lately, each time I receive a message from this mailing list, especially\nafter a long period of silence, I can't help feeling \"this is going to be\nsad news\". Am I the only one?\nSlowly catching up on Wolfe short stories. Enjoying Marc's write ups." }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Sun, Nov 12, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Ab de Vos wrote:\nHi,\n\nThe list is silent these days.\n\n_______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Ab de Vos", "address": "foxyab at casema.nl" }, "date": "2017-11-12T11:35:08+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Everybody is holding his breath for Marc to finish.\n\n\nOp 12-11-2017 om 11:55 schreef Paul Zinn-Justin:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "Lately, each time I receive a message from this mailing list, \nespecially after a long period of silence, I can't help feeling \"this \nis going to be sad news\". Am I the only one?\nSlowly catching up on Wolfe short stories. Enjoying Marc's write ups.\n\n\nOn Sun, Nov 12, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Ab de Vos > wrote:\n\n Hi,\n\n The list is silent these days.\n\n _______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "<388ca2e9-58e2-493b-1d19-ed61e1e11173@hwaet.com>", "from": { "name": "Eric Bourland", "address": "eb at hwaet.com" }, "date": "2017-11-12T14:07:49+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Speaking just for me. The list is quiet, and I'm usually a dedicated \nreader of it, so I've noticed it's been quiet. As a mail server admin I \nmanage a bunch of mailing lists, and have noticed that most of them are \nlike creatures, active then quiet then active again and so on.\n\nAmong the stack of books I usually keep going, there's always a Wolfe. \nRight now I am re-reading A Borrowed Man. I remember gulping it down in \nan afternoon when it came out a couple of years ago. I've looked for \nnews of the next one, which I think is titled Interlibrary Loan, but I \ndon't see anything.\n\nI am liking A Borrowed Man more, the second time through, maybe because \nthis time I'm more aware of Smithe's efforts, sometimes unconscious, to \nassert his own humanity. One thing I noticed this time through is that \nhe does pushups on his shelf. A little thing that sets him up for \nvarious feats of strength later in the story. Good for him!\n\nThe first time through the book I needed to overcome a visceral response \nto the way in which reclones are treated.\n\nHave we discussed reclones in Borrowed Man? I remember a couple of \npassing conversations that I scanned but did not really consider. I need \nto go back through the Urth archives.\n\nI'm sending Mr. Wolfe good vibes. Hope he's feeling better. I'm guessing \nhe wants some privacy. When I'm not feeling well I want everyone to \nleave me alone. ;-)\n\nEric" }, { "kind": "sig", "depth": 0, "text": "Eric Bourland\neb at hwaet.com\nhttps://www.hwaet.com\n\n\nOn 11/12/2017 6:35 AM, Ab de Vos wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "Everybody is holding his breath for Marc to finish.\n\n\nOp 12-11-2017 om 11:55 schreef Paul Zinn-Justin:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": "Lately, each time I receive a message from this mailing list, \nespecially after a long period of silence, I can't help feeling \"this \nis going to be sad news\". Am I the only one?\nSlowly catching up on Wolfe short stories. Enjoying Marc's write ups.\n\n\nOn Sun, Nov 12, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Ab de Vos > wrote:\n\n Hi,\n\n The list is silent these days.\n\n _______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "<3e2685ff-1674-112f-216f-9bf8dbb09720@casema.nl>", "from": { "name": "Ab de Vos", "address": "foxyab at casema.nl" }, "date": "2017-11-12T15:12:35+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "<388ca2e9-58e2-493b-1d19-ed61e1e11173@hwaet.com>", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "We had a discussion about the meaning of reclones. It is maybe an edited \nreprint of a clone with a limited capability like a program that limits \nhis freedom in order to make him/her conform to the (presumed?) \noriginal. As a choice of character in a novel rather arresting.\n\n\nOp 12-11-2017 om 15:07 schreef Eric Bourland:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "Speaking just for me. The list is quiet, and I'm usually a dedicated \nreader of it, so I've noticed it's been quiet. As a mail server admin \nI manage a bunch of mailing lists, and have noticed that most of them \nare like creatures, active then quiet then active again and so on.\n\nAmong the stack of books I usually keep going, there's always a Wolfe. \nRight now I am re-reading A Borrowed Man. I remember gulping it down \nin an afternoon when it came out a couple of years ago. I've looked \nfor news of the next one, which I think is titled Interlibrary Loan, \nbut I don't see anything.\n\nI am liking A Borrowed Man more, the second time through, maybe \nbecause this time I'm more aware of Smithe's efforts, sometimes \nunconscious, to assert his own humanity. One thing I noticed this time \nthrough is that he does pushups on his shelf. A little thing that sets \nhim up for various feats of strength later in the story. Good for him!\n\nThe first time through the book I needed to overcome a visceral \nresponse to the way in which reclones are treated.\n\nHave we discussed reclones in Borrowed Man? I remember a couple of \npassing conversations that I scanned but did not really consider. I \nneed to go back through the Urth archives.\n\nI'm sending Mr. Wolfe good vibes. Hope he's feeling better. I'm \nguessing he wants some privacy. When I'm not feeling well I want \neveryone to leave me alone. ;-)\n\nEric\n\n-- \nEric Bourland\neb at hwaet.com\nhttps://www.hwaet.com\n\nOn 11/12/2017 6:35 AM, Ab de Vos wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": "Everybody is holding his breath for Marc to finish.\n\n\nOp 12-11-2017 om 11:55 schreef Paul Zinn-Justin:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 3, "text": "Lately, each time I receive a message from this mailing list, \nespecially after a long period of silence, I can't help feeling \n\"this is going to be sad news\". Am I the only one?\nSlowly catching up on Wolfe short stories. Enjoying Marc's write ups.\n\n\nOn Sun, Nov 12, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Ab de Vos > wrote:\n\n Hi,\n\n The list is silent these days.\n\n _______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Marc Aramini", "address": "marcaramini at gmail.com" }, "date": "2017-11-12T17:44:54+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Thanks ... I looked at Land Across again yesterday. The problem is\nmultifoliate - I am not entirely burnt out but I am waiting for the light\nof stability to hit and solidify all the small details. The problem\ninvolves when certain scenes in late wolfe should be taken metaphorically:\nborder guards say the factories make fertilizer, official instructs grafton\non how to get rid of the willows (which make him think of god and heaven)\nand the bees (which make him think of hell) by putting plenty of fertilizer\ndown, planting fruit trees (symbols of a strong man who instills fear even\nafter his death in this story) ... how much of a metaphorical prophecy is\nthat? He avoids the sting of the bees by thinking of martya’s hips\nsexually... seems metaphorical. Later he speculates on the actual use of\nthe factories making “fertilizer”\n\nI feel an immense responsibility in getting these last few works right as\nwell, though the plan was to leave borrowed man a bit open ended (thousands\nof pages of authoritarian tyranny followed by, well, I guess you guys can\nread it how you want ... leave em smiling when you go. There’s nothing I\ncan do after I am done which will ever equal the importance of this. )" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Sunday, November 12, 2017, Ab de Vos wrote:\nEverybody is holding his breath for Marc to finish.\n\nOp 12-11-2017 om 11:55 schreef Paul Zinn-Justin:\n\nLately, each time I receive a message from this mailing list, especially\nafter a long period of silence, I can't help feeling \"this is going to be\nsad news\". Am I the only one?\nSlowly catching up on Wolfe short stories. Enjoying Marc's write ups.\n\n\nOn Sun, Nov 12, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Ab de Vos > wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": "Hi,\n\nThe list is silent these days.\n\n_______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "<7b345975-838e-6068-250f-ec5c84e06acb@hwaet.com>", "from": { "name": "Eric Bourland", "address": "eb at hwaet.com" }, "date": "2017-11-14T03:12:12+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "http://locusmag.com/2017/11/wolfe-update/\n\nFYI. What do you suppose a Care Facility is?\n\nIf I were still in Illinois I would volunteer to go to Peoria and help \nout in some way -- wash dishes or cook or do laundry or walk the dog or \nsomething -- though I can imagine a thousand ways in which such \nassistance however well-meant would quickly become misguided and awkward.\n\nMarc, I'm looking forward to reading thoroughly your three-volume \nexegesis. I have returned repeatedly to the only volume I have seen so \nfar, which is the first.\n\nEric" }, { "kind": "sig", "depth": 0, "text": "Eric Bourland\neb at hwaet.com\nhttps://www.hwaet.com\n\n\nOn 11/12/2017 12:44 PM, Marc Aramini wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "Thanks ... I looked at Land Across again yesterday. The problem is \nmultifoliate - I am not entirely burnt out but I am waiting for the \nlight of stability to hit and solidify all the small details. The \nproblem involves when certain scenes in late wolfe should be taken \nmetaphorically: border guards say the factories make fertilizer, \nofficial instructs grafton on how to get rid of the willows (which \nmake him think of god and heaven) and the bees (which make him think \nof hell) by putting plenty of fertilizer down, planting fruit trees \n(symbols of a strong man who instills fear even after his death in \nthis story) ... how much of a metaphorical prophecy is that? He avoids \nthe sting of the bees by thinking of martya’s hips sexually... seems \nmetaphorical. Later he speculates on the actual use of the factories \nmaking “fertilizer”\n\nI feel an immense responsibility in getting these last few works right \nas well, though the plan was to leave borrowed man a bit open ended \n(thousands of pages of authoritarian tyranny followed by, well, I \nguess you guys can read it how you want ... leave em smiling when you \ngo. There’s nothing I can do after I am done which will ever equal the \nimportance of this. )\n\n\n\nOn Sunday, November 12, 2017, Ab de Vos > wrote:\n\n Everybody is holding his breath for Marc to finish.\n\n\n Op 12-11-2017 om 11:55 schreef Paul Zinn-Justin:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": " Lately, each time I receive a message from this mailing list,\n especially after a long period of silence, I can't help feeling\n \"this is going to be sad news\". Am I the only one?\n Slowly catching up on Wolfe short stories. Enjoying Marc's write ups.\n\n\n On Sun, Nov 12, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Ab de Vos > wrote:\n\n Hi,\n\n The list is silent these days.\n\n _______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Charles Gillingham", "address": "charlesgillingham at gmail.com" }, "date": "2017-11-14T05:25:39+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "<7b345975-838e-6068-250f-ec5c84e06acb@hwaet.com>", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "\"Sure thing Gene, I'll make some dessert... if you tell me why Severian\ndidn't have children...\"" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Nov 13, 2017 7:12 PM, \"Eric Bourland\" wrote:\nhttp://locusmag.com/2017/11/wolfe-update/\n\nFYI. What do you suppose a Care Facility is?\n\nIf I were still in Illinois I would volunteer to go to Peoria and help out\nin some way -- wash dishes or cook or do laundry or walk the dog or\nsomething -- though I can imagine a thousand ways in which such assistance\nhowever well-meant would quickly become misguided and awkward.\n\nMarc, I'm looking forward to reading thoroughly your three-volume\nexegesis. I have returned repeatedly to the only volume I have seen so far,\nwhich is the first.\n\nEric\n\n--\nEric Bourlandeb at hwaet.comhttps://www.hwaet.com\n\n\nOn 11/12/2017 12:44 PM, Marc Aramini wrote:\n\nThanks ... I looked at Land Across again yesterday. The problem is\nmultifoliate - I am not entirely burnt out but I am waiting for the light\nof stability to hit and solidify all the small details. The problem\ninvolves when certain scenes in late wolfe should be taken metaphorically:\nborder guards say the factories make fertilizer, official instructs grafton\non how to get rid of the willows (which make him think of god and heaven)\nand the bees (which make him think of hell) by putting plenty of fertilizer\ndown, planting fruit trees (symbols of a strong man who instills fear even\nafter his death in this story) ... how much of a metaphorical prophecy is\nthat? He avoids the sting of the bees by thinking of martya’s hips\nsexually... seems metaphorical. Later he speculates on the actual use of\nthe factories making “fertilizer”\n\nI feel an immense responsibility in getting these last few works right as\nwell, though the plan was to leave borrowed man a bit open ended (thousands\nof pages of authoritarian tyranny followed by, well, I guess you guys can\nread it how you want ... leave em smiling when you go. There’s nothing I\ncan do after I am done which will ever equal the importance of this. )\n\n\n\nOn Sunday, November 12, 2017, Ab de Vos wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": "Everybody is holding his breath for Marc to finish.\n\nOp 12-11-2017 om 11:55 schreef Paul Zinn-Justin:\n\nLately, each time I receive a message from this mailing list, especially\nafter a long period of silence, I can't help feeling \"this is going to be\nsad news\". Am I the only one?\nSlowly catching up on Wolfe short stories. Enjoying Marc's write ups.\n\n\nOn Sun, Nov 12, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Ab de Vos wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 3, "text": "Hi,\n\nThe list is silent these days.\n\n_______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "David Stockhoff", "address": "dstockhoff at verizon.net" }, "date": "2017-11-14T17:09:45+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "<7b345975-838e-6068-250f-ec5c84e06acb@hwaet.com>", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Thanks for the update." }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On 11/13/2017 10:12 PM, Eric Bourland wrote:\n\nhttp://locusmag.com/2017/11/wolfe-update/\n\nFYI. What do you suppose a Care Facility is?\n\nIf I were still in Illinois I would volunteer to go to Peoria and help \nout in some way -- wash dishes or cook or do laundry or walk the dog \nor something -- though I can imagine a thousand ways in which such \nassistance however well-meant would quickly become misguided and awkward.\n\nMarc, I'm looking forward to reading thoroughly your three-volume \nexegesis. I have returned repeatedly to the only volume I have seen so \nfar, which is the first.\n\nEric\n\n-- \nEric Bourland\neb at hwaet.com\nhttps://www.hwaet.com\n\nOn 11/12/2017 12:44 PM, Marc Aramini wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": "Thanks ... I looked at Land Across again yesterday. The problem is \nmultifoliate - I am not entirely burnt out but I am waiting for the \nlight of stability to hit and solidify all the small details. The \nproblem involves when certain scenes in late wolfe should be taken \nmetaphorically: border guards say the factories make fertilizer, \nofficial instructs grafton on how to get rid of the willows (which \nmake him think of god and heaven) and the bees (which make him think \nof hell) by putting plenty of fertilizer down, planting fruit trees \n(symbols of a strong man who instills fear even after his death in \nthis story) ... how much of a metaphorical prophecy is that? He \navoids the sting of the bees by thinking of martya’s hips sexually... \nseems metaphorical. Later he speculates on the actual use of the \nfactories making “fertilizer”\n\nI feel an immense responsibility in getting these last few works \nright as well, though the plan was to leave borrowed man a bit open \nended (thousands of pages of authoritarian tyranny followed by, well, \nI guess you guys can read it how you want ... leave em smiling when \nyou go. There’s nothing I can do after I am done which will ever \nequal the importance of this. )\n\n\n\nOn Sunday, November 12, 2017, Ab de Vos > wrote:\n\n Everybody is holding his breath for Marc to finish.\n\n\n Op 12-11-2017 om 11:55 schreef Paul Zinn-Justin:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 3, "text": " Lately, each time I receive a message from this mailing list,\n especially after a long period of silence, I can't help feeling\n \"this is going to be sad news\". Am I the only one?\n Slowly catching up on Wolfe short stories. Enjoying Marc's write\n ups.\n\n\n On Sun, Nov 12, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Ab de Vos > wrote:\n\n Hi,\n\n The list is silent these days.\n\n _______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "<866205592.528729.1510753106125@mail.yahoo.com>", "from": { "name": "Paul Rydeen", "address": "rydeen at bellsouth.net" }, "date": "2017-11-15T13:42:59+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "I wasn’t sure if the list was just quiet or if the list server was missing me again. “Looks like it’s both. ?I received Charles” email about dessert but I didn’t receive any of the other emails quoted in this thread.\n\n\n\nSent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone\n\n\nOn Tuesday, November 14, 2017, 12:25 AM, Charles Gillingham wrote:\n\n\"Sure thing Gene, I'll make some dessert... if you tell me why Severian didn't have children...\"\nOn Nov 13, 2017 7:12 PM, \"Eric Bourland\" wrote:\n\n \nhttp://locusmag.com/2017/11/ wolfe-update/\n \nFYI. What do you suppose a Care Facility is?\n \nIf I were still in Illinois I would volunteer to go to Peoria and help out in some way -- wash dishes or cook or do laundry or walk the dog or something -- though I can imagine a thousand ways in which such assistance however well-meant would quickly become misguided and awkward.\n \n \nMarc, I'm looking forward to reading thoroughly your three-volume exegesis. I have returned repeatedly to the only volume I have seen so far, which is the first.\n \nEric\n -- \nEric Bourland\neb at hwaet.com\nhttps://www.hwaet.com \n On 11/12/2017 12:44 PM, Marc Aramini wrote:\n \nThanks ... I looked at Land Across again yesterday. The problem is multifoliate - I am not entirely burnt out but I am waiting for the light of stability to hit and solidify all the small details. The problem involves when certain scenes in late wolfe should be taken metaphorically: border guards say the factories make fertilizer, official instructs grafton on how to get rid of the willows (which make him think of god and heaven) and the bees (which make him think of hell) by putting plenty of fertilizer down, planting fruit trees (symbols of a strong man who instills fear even after his death in this story) ... how much of a metaphorical prophecy is that? He avoids the sting of the bees by thinking of martya’s hips sexually... seems metaphorical. Later he speculates on the actual use of the factories making “fertilizer” \n I feel an immense responsibility in getting these last few works right as well, though the plan was to leave borrowed man a bit open ended (thousands of pages of authoritarian tyranny followed by, well, I guess you guys can read it how you want ... leave em smiling when you go. There’s nothing I can do after I am done which will ever equal the importance of this. ) \n \n \n On Sunday, November 12, 2017, Ab de Vos wrote:\n \n \nEverybody is holding his breath for Marc to finish.\n \n \n Op 12-11-2017 om 11:55 schreef Paul Zinn-Justin:\n \n Lately, each time I receive a message from this mailing list, especially after a long period of silence, I can't help feeling \"this is going to be sad news\". Am I the only one? Slowly catching up on Wolfe short stories. Enjoying Marc's write ups.\n \n \n On Sun, Nov 12, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Ab de Vos wrote:\n \nHi,\n \n The list is silent these days.\n \n ______________________________ _________________\n Urth Mailing List\n To post, write urth at urth.net\n Subscription/information: http://www.urth.net\n \n \n \n \n ______________________________ _________________\nUrth Mailing List\nTo post, write urth at urth.net\nSubscription/information: http://www.urth.net \n \n \n \n \n ______________________________ _________________\nUrth Mailing List\nTo post, write urth at urth.net\nSubscription/information: http://www.urth.net \n \n -- \nEric Bourland\neb at hwaet.com\nhttps://www.hwaet.com \n______________________________ _________________\nUrth Mailing List\nTo post, write urth at urth.net\nSubscription/information: http://www.urth.net" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Charles Gillingham", "address": "charlesgillingham at gmail.com" }, "date": "2017-11-15T20:44:40+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "<866205592.528729.1510753106125@mail.yahoo.com>", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Some messages go to my spam. Beyond that, the list is quiet unless Marc is\nposting something. Any of us can change that." }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Nov 15, 2017 5:43 AM, \"Paul Rydeen\" wrote:\nI wasn’t sure if the list was just quiet or if the list server was missing\nme again. Looks like it’s both. I received Charles? email about dessert\nbut I didn’t receive any of the other emails quoted in this thread.\n\n\n\n\nSent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone\n\n\nOn Tuesday, November 14, 2017, 12:25 AM, Charles Gillingham <\ncharlesgillingham at gmail.com> wrote:\n\n\"Sure thing Gene, I'll make some dessert... if you tell me why Severian\ndidn't have children...\"\n\nOn Nov 13, 2017 7:12 PM, \"Eric Bourland\" wrote:\n\nhttp://locusmag.com/2017/11/ wolfe-update/\n\n\nFYI. What do you suppose a Care Facility is?\n\nIf I were still in Illinois I would volunteer to go to Peoria and help out\nin some way -- wash dishes or cook or do laundry or walk the dog or\nsomething -- though I can imagine a thousand ways in which such assistance\nhowever well-meant would quickly become misguided and awkward.\n\nMarc, I'm looking forward to reading thoroughly your three-volume\nexegesis. I have returned repeatedly to the only volume I have seen so far,\nwhich is the first.\n\nEric\n\n--\nEric Bourlandeb at hwaet.comhttps://www.hwaet.com\n\n\nOn 11/12/2017 12:44 PM, Marc Aramini wrote:\n\nThanks ... I looked at Land Across again yesterday. The problem is\nmultifoliate - I am not entirely burnt out but I am waiting for the light\nof stability to hit and solidify all the small details. The problem\ninvolves when certain scenes in late wolfe should be taken metaphorically:\nborder guards say the factories make fertilizer, official instructs grafton\non how to get rid of the willows (which make him think of god and heaven)\nand the bees (which make him think of hell) by putting plenty of fertilizer\ndown, planting fruit trees (symbols of a strong man who instills fear even\nafter his death in this story) ... how much of a metaphorical prophecy is\nthat? He avoids the sting of the bees by thinking of martya’s hips\nsexually... seems metaphorical. Later he speculates on the actual use of\nthe factories making “fertilizer”\n\nI feel an immense responsibility in getting these last few works right as\nwell, though the plan was to leave borrowed man a bit open ended (thousands\nof pages of authoritarian tyranny followed by, well, I guess you guys can\nread it how you want ... leave em smiling when you go. There’s nothing I\ncan do after I am done which will ever equal the importance of this. )\n\n\n\nOn Sunday, November 12, 2017, Ab de Vos wrote:\n\nEverybody is holding his breath for Marc to finish.\n\nOp 12-11-2017 om 11:55 schreef Paul Zinn-Justin:\n\nLately, each time I receive a message from this mailing list, especially\nafter a long period of silence, I can't help feeling \"this is going to be\nsad news\". Am I the only one?\nSlowly catching up on Wolfe short stories. Enjoying Marc's write ups.\n\n\nOn Sun, Nov 12, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Ab de Vos wrote:\n\nHi,\n\nThe list is silent these days.\n\n______________________________ _________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "<9ff9aabd-aa2c-8267-1bb8-3dac9624c12e@hwaet.com>", "from": { "name": "Eric Bourland", "address": "eb at hwaet.com" }, "date": "2017-11-16T03:02:34+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Which one of you borrowed my copy of Endangered Species? ;-)\n\nExcept seriously I can't find it. It was a beat-to-hell copy of the \nmass-market softcover Tor edition from 1990 with the orange cover and \nthe puffer-fish-lookin' critter on the cover. I have two shelves for \nWolfe and usually it's right there. . . . ah, well. I will ask for it \nfor Christmas.\n\nI was doing research on sundials, and was reminded of A Solar Labyrinth, \nwhich I re-read today. I can never decide if it's creepy or . . . . \nwell, it's creepy.\n\nNone of this is here or there. I have a lot more chatty appreciation of \nWolfe than learned exegesis, so mostly I pipe down and read the list, \nenjoying it when there are active conversations. There's a Facebook \ngroup where all of this chatty nonsense finds a more appropriate home.\n\nSome questions, for those who wish to answer:\n\n1) What are you reading?\n\n2) What are you writing, if anything?\n\nEric" }, { "kind": "sig", "depth": 0, "text": "Eric Bourland\neb at hwaet.com\nhttps://www.hwaet.com\n\n\nOn 11/15/2017 3:44 PM, Charles Gillingham wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "Some messages go to my spam. Beyond that, the list is quiet unless \nMarc is posting something. Any of us can change that.\n\nOn Nov 15, 2017 5:43 AM, \"Paul Rydeen\" > wrote:\n\n I wasn’t sure if the list was just quiet or if the list server was\n missing me again. Looks like it’s both. I received Charles?\n email about dessert but I didn’t receive any of the other emails\n quoted in this thread.\n\n\n\n\n Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone\n \n\n On Tuesday, November 14, 2017, 12:25 AM, Charles Gillingham\n >\n wrote:\n\n \"Sure thing Gene, I'll make some dessert... if you tell me why\n Severian didn't have children...\"\n\n On Nov 13, 2017 7:12 PM, \"Eric Bourland\" > wrote:\n\n http://locusmag.com/2017/11/ wolfe-update/\n \n\n FYI. What do you suppose a Care Facility is?\n\n If I were still in Illinois I would volunteer to go to\n Peoria and help out in some way -- wash dishes or cook or\n do laundry or walk the dog or something -- though I can\n imagine a thousand ways in which such assistance however\n well-meant would quickly become misguided and awkward.\n\n Marc, I'm looking forward to reading thoroughly your\n three-volume exegesis. I have returned repeatedly to the\n only volume I have seen so far, which is the first.\n\n Eric\n\n -- \n Eric Bourland\n eb at hwaet.com \n https://www.hwaet.com\n\n\n On 11/12/2017 12:44 PM, Marc Aramini wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": " Thanks ... I looked at Land Across again yesterday. The\n problem is multifoliate - I am not entirely burnt out but\n I am waiting for the light of stability to hit and\n solidify all the small details. The problem involves when\n certain scenes in late wolfe should be taken\n metaphorically: border guards say the factories make\n fertilizer, official instructs grafton on how to get rid\n of the willows (which make him think of god and heaven)\n and the bees (which make him think of hell) by putting\n plenty of fertilizer down, planting fruit trees (symbols\n of a strong man who instills fear even after his death in\n this story) ... how much of a metaphorical prophecy is\n that? He avoids the sting of the bees by thinking of\n martya’s hips sexually... seems metaphorical. Later he\n speculates on the actual use of the factories making\n “fertilizer”\n\n I feel an immense responsibility in getting these last\n few works right as well, though the plan was to leave\n borrowed man a bit open ended (thousands of pages of\n authoritarian tyranny followed by, well, I guess you guys\n can read it how you want ... leave em smiling when you\n go. There’s nothing I can do after I am done which will\n ever equal the importance of this. )\n\n\n\n On Sunday, November 12, 2017, Ab de Vos > wrote:\n\n Everybody is holding his breath for Marc to finish.\n\n\n Op 12-11-2017 om 11:55 schreef Paul Zinn-Justin:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 3, "text": " Lately, each time I receive a message from this\n mailing list, especially after a long period of\n silence, I can't help feeling \"this is going to be\n sad news\". Am I the only one?\n Slowly catching up on Wolfe short stories. Enjoying\n Marc's write ups.\n\n\n On Sun, Nov 12, 2017 at 9:26 PM, Ab de Vos\n wrote:\n\n Hi,\n\n The list is silent these days.\n\n ______________________________ _________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Dan'l Danehy-Oakes", "address": "danldo at gmail.com" }, "date": "2017-11-16T03:55:46+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "<9ff9aabd-aa2c-8267-1bb8-3dac9624c12e@hwaet.com>", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\n\nThe spatula is the natural enemy of the hypothalamus.\n\nOn Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 7:02 PM, Eric Bourland wrote:\n\nSome questions, for those who wish to answer:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "1) What are you reading?" }, { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Just started Patrick Rothfuss's _The Name of the Wind_. (I've been putting\nthis one off for a _long_ time.)" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "2) What are you writing, if anything?" }, { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "At any given times, several things, most of which come to naught." } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Charles Gillingham", "address": "charlesgillingham at gmail.com" }, "date": "2017-11-16T04:22:43+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "What is the Facebook group?\n\nI've been reading Clark Ashton Smith. Which is excellent. It's obvious to\nme how much he influenced Wolfe. I've been so impressed I've read a few of\nthe stories to my girlfriend.\n\nHe seemed to have lived a quiet, sad life. For whatever reason. It's such a\nshame when such a talented artist doesn't express their craft to it's\nfullest extent. With how complex his writing was it's understandable how he\ncouldn't produce it forever.\n\nI haven't been able to write anything for a long time. Living in the woods\nwith only a phone to type on doesn't help. I have feathers enough for\nquills, and bark for paper. To Green with excuses!\n\nOn Nov 15, 2017 7:55 PM, \"Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\" wrote:\n\n\n\nDan'l Danehy-Oakes\n\nThe spatula is the natural enemy of the hypothalamus.\n\nOn Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 7:02 PM, Eric Bourland wrote:\n\nSome questions, for those who wish to answer:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "1) What are you reading?" }, { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Just started Patrick Rothfuss's _The Name of the Wind_. (I've been putting\nthis one off for a _long_ time.)" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "2) What are you writing, if anything?" }, { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "At any given times, several things, most of which come to naught." } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Marc Aramini", "address": "marcaramini at gmail.com" }, "date": "2017-11-16T04:57:13+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Everyone knows what I am writing, amidst other academic work.\n\n I’m teaching again and this semester I had the chance to teach world lit\nfor science majors ... the course description says from antiquity to the\npresent so I figured I would push a narrative of violence and competition\nas the motivator for progress. Started with Hesiod and Gilgamesh, went\nthrough the Iliad and the Aeneid, through the renaissance and\nEnlightenment. Just got to the 20th century this week and taught Brighter\nThan a Thousand Suns about the Manhattan Project - had Oppenheimer’s\ngranddaughter come in and talk to them today. The next few weeks we are\ngoing through some of the modernists before I totally screw them by making\nthem explain Fifth Head of Cerberus to me on the second to last day ... I\nhave lectured the whole semester save for a few poetry exercises for them\n... let’s see how it goes.\n\nOtherwise not reading much for pleasure only for work." } ] }, { "message_id": "<627bd261-b2aa-57cc-117a-f812db117dd9@hwaet.com>", "from": { "name": "Eric Bourland", "address": "eb at hwaet.com" }, "date": "2017-11-16T05:34:03+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Marc, your class sounds like a lot of fun. I hope your students are \nappreciative.\n\nI do not know that I could defensibly explain Fifth Head and I have read \nit too many times to comfortably count." }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On 11/15/2017 11:57 PM, Marc Aramini wrote:\nEveryone knows what I am writing, amidst other academic work.\n\n?I’m teaching again and this semester I had the chance to teach world \nlit for science majors ... the course description says from antiquity \nto the present so I figured I would push a narrative of violence and \ncompetition as the motivator for progress. Started with Hesiod and \nGilgamesh, went through the Iliad and the Aeneid, through the \nrenaissance and Enlightenment. Just got to the 20th century this week \nand taught Brighter Than a Thousand Suns about the Manhattan Project?- \nhad Oppenheimer’s granddaughter come in and talk to them today. The \nnext few weeks we are going through some of the modernists before I \ntotally screw them by making them explain Fifth Head of Cerberus to me \non the second to last day ... I have lectured the whole semester save \nfor a few poetry exercises for them ... let’s see how it goes.\n\nOtherwise not reading much for pleasure only for work.\n\n\n\n_______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Eric Bourland", "address": "eb at hwaet.com" }, "date": "2017-11-16T05:58:52+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Charles,\n\nhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/2230578996/\n\nI read Clark Ashton a long time ago. I'll look into him again.\n\nEric" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On 11/15/2017 11:22 PM, Charles Gillingham wrote:\nWhat is the Facebook group?\n\nI've been reading Clark Ashton Smith. Which is excellent. It's obvious \nto me how much he influenced Wolfe. I've been so impressed I've read a \nfew of the stories to my girlfriend.\n\nHe seemed to have lived a quiet, sad life. For whatever reason. It's \nsuch a shame when such a talented artist doesn't express their craft \nto it's fullest extent. With how complex his writing was it's \nunderstandable how he couldn't produce it forever.\n\nI haven't been able to write anything for a long time. Living in the \nwoods with only a phone to type on doesn't help. I have feathers \nenough for quills, and bark for paper. To Green with excuses!\n\nOn Nov 15, 2017 7:55 PM, \"Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\" > wrote:\n\n\n\n Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\n\n The spatula is the natural enemy of the hypothalamus.\n\n On Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 7:02 PM, Eric Bourland > wrote:\n\n Some questions, for those who wish to answer:\n\n 1) What are you reading?\n\n Just started Patrick Rothfuss's _The Name of the Wind_. (I've been\n putting this one off for a _long_ time.)\n\n 2) What are you writing, if anything?\n\n At any given times, several things, most of which come to naught.\n\n _______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "<7508c8d7-1f74-73ba-73f1-efcc48ce85e7@casema.nl>", "from": { "name": "Ab de Vos", "address": "foxyab at casema.nl" }, "date": "2017-11-16T09:23:03+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "At the time I'm reading Porius? by John Cowper Powys and stories by \nBorges and Pierre Michon. Porius is a bit hard to get through. I find \nI'm more appreciative of short stories and essays as I get older. I'm \nreading Azimov's magazine and Interzone and some other magazines on and \noff. I'm memorizing psalms for a number of years. Usually I read too \nmany books at the same time.\n\nI only write when I have to do a paper for an Open University course. \nNever felt much artistic stirring or academic ambition. Always thought \nthe best is already written like the Bible or Homer.\n\nOp 16-11-2017 om 06:58 schreef Eric Bourland:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "Charles,\n\nhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/2230578996/\n\nI read Clark Ashton a long time ago. I'll look into him again.\n\nEric\n\n\nOn 11/15/2017 11:22 PM, Charles Gillingham wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": "What is the Facebook group?\n\nI've been reading Clark Ashton Smith. Which is excellent. It's \nobvious to me how much he influenced Wolfe. I've been so impressed \nI've read a few of the stories to my girlfriend.\n\nHe seemed to have lived a quiet, sad life. For whatever reason. It's \nsuch a shame when such a talented artist doesn't express their craft \nto it's fullest extent. With how complex his writing was it's \nunderstandable how he couldn't produce it forever.\n\nI haven't been able to write anything for a long time. Living in the \nwoods with only a phone to type on doesn't help. I have feathers \nenough for quills, and bark for paper. To Green with excuses!\n\nOn Nov 15, 2017 7:55 PM, \"Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\" > wrote:\n\n\n\n Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\n\n The spatula is the natural enemy of the hypothalamus.\n\n On Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 7:02 PM, Eric Bourland > wrote:\n\n Some questions, for those who wish to answer:\n\n 1) What are you reading?\n\n Just started Patrick Rothfuss's _The Name of the Wind_. (I've\n been putting this one off for a _long_ time.)\n\n 2) What are you writing, if anything?\n\n At any given times, several things, most of which come to naught.\n\n _______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "<1b786492-6285-0f27-1cd5-35a285056cb5@verizon.net>", "from": { "name": "David Stockhoff", "address": "dstockhoff at verizon.net" }, "date": "2017-11-16T14:03:55+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "I'm reading Durrell's Alexandria Quartet. Not SF, but definitely \nexperimental and a little reminiscent of Robert Aickman in its \ndetachment combined with nearly-alienating attention to detail.\n\nWriting, ha! More dribbles of naught." }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On 11/15/2017 11:22 PM, Charles Gillingham wrote:\nWhat is the Facebook group?\n\nI've been reading Clark Ashton Smith. Which is excellent. It's obvious \nto me how much he influenced Wolfe. I've been so impressed I've read a \nfew of the stories to my girlfriend.\n\nHe seemed to have lived a quiet, sad life. For whatever reason. It's \nsuch a shame when such a talented artist doesn't express their craft \nto it's fullest extent. With how complex his writing was it's \nunderstandable how he couldn't produce it forever.\n\nI haven't been able to write anything for a long time. Living in the \nwoods with only a phone to type on doesn't help. I have feathers \nenough for quills, and bark for paper. To Green with excuses!\n\nOn Nov 15, 2017 7:55 PM, \"Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\" > wrote:\n\n\n\n Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\n\n The spatula is the natural enemy of the hypothalamus.\n\n On Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 7:02 PM, Eric Bourland > wrote:\n\n Some questions, for those who wish to answer:\n\n 1) What are you reading?\n\n Just started Patrick Rothfuss's _The Name of the Wind_. (I've been\n putting this one off for a _long_ time.)\n\n 2) What are you writing, if anything?\n\n At any given times, several things, most of which come to naught.\n\n _______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Gerry Leb", "address": "leb.gerald at gmail.com" }, "date": "2017-11-16T14:10:01+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "<1b786492-6285-0f27-1cd5-35a285056cb5@verizon.net>", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Re-reading Pirate Freedom.\n\n\nVirus-free.\nwww.avast.com\n\n<#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 9:03 AM, David Stockhoff \nwrote:\nI'm reading Durrell's Alexandria Quartet. Not SF, but definitely\nexperimental and a little reminiscent of Robert Aickman in its detachment\ncombined with nearly-alienating attention to detail.\n\nWriting, ha! More dribbles of naught.\n\n\nOn 11/15/2017 11:22 PM, Charles Gillingham wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": "What is the Facebook group?\n\nI've been reading Clark Ashton Smith. Which is excellent. It's obvious to\nme how much he influenced Wolfe. I've been so impressed I've read a few of\nthe stories to my girlfriend.\n\nHe seemed to have lived a quiet, sad life. For whatever reason. It's such\na shame when such a talented artist doesn't express their craft to it's\nfullest extent. With how complex his writing was it's understandable how he\ncouldn't produce it forever.\n\nI haven't been able to write anything for a long time. Living in the\nwoods with only a phone to type on doesn't help. I have feathers enough for\nquills, and bark for paper. To Green with excuses!\n\nOn Nov 15, 2017 7:55 PM, \"Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\" > wrote:\n\n\n\n Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\n\n The spatula is the natural enemy of the hypothalamus.\n\n On Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 7:02 PM, Eric Bourland > wrote:\n\n Some questions, for those who wish to answer:\n\n 1) What are you reading?\n\n Just started Patrick Rothfuss's _The Name of the Wind_. (I've been\n putting this one off for a _long_ time.)\n\n 2) What are you writing, if anything?\n\n At any given times, several things, most of which come to naught.\n\n _______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Allan Anderson", "address": "rubel at goosemoon.org" }, "date": "2017-11-16T15:08:20+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "<1b786492-6285-0f27-1cd5-35a285056cb5@verizon.net>", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 4:04 AM David Stockhoff \nwrote:\nI'm reading Durrell's Alexandria Quartet. Not SF, but definitely\nexperimental and a little reminiscent of Robert Aickman in its\ndetachment combined with nearly-alienating attention to detail." }, { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "I really enjoyed the Alexandria Quartet. He gives each of the four books\nsuch a different voice and appetite. Which one are you on? I hadn't made an\nAickman connection, but I can see that. I've just finished up his *Dark\nEntries* wth my old college chums Facebook reading group.\n\nIn SF, I've been trying out David Brin's *Kiln People*, which, egregious\ntitle pun aside, seems to have a bit in common with *A Borrowed Man. *Brin's\nbook's schtick is that just about everyone has access to the technology to\nmake shortlived artificial copies of themselves, to various degrees of\nfidelity and autonomy. Murder mystery, copies of people, memory games--very\ndifferent setting and, I expect, conclusions, but still, fun." } ] }, { "message_id": "<1589035950.1570214.1510848373878@mail.yahoo.com>", "from": { "name": "Paul Rydeen", "address": "rydeen at bellsouth.net" }, "date": "2017-11-16T16:10:28+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Reading *The Devil’s Alphabet* by Daryl Gregory. ?\n\n\n\n\nSent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone\n\n\nOn Thursday, November 16, 2017, 9:09 AM, Gerry Leb wrote:\n\nRe-reading Pirate Freedom.\n\n| | Virus-free. www.avast.com |\n\n\nOn Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 9:03 AM, David Stockhoff wrote:\n\nI'm reading Durrell's Alexandria Quartet. Not SF, but definitely experimental and a little reminiscent of Robert Aickman in its detachment combined with nearly-alienating attention to detail.\n\nWriting, ha! More dribbles of naught.\n\n\nOn 11/15/2017 11:22 PM, Charles Gillingham wrote:\n\nWhat is the Facebook group?\n\nI've been reading Clark Ashton Smith. Which is excellent. It's obvious to me how much he influenced Wolfe. I've been so impressed I've read a few of the stories to my girlfriend.\n\nHe seemed to have lived a quiet, sad life. For whatever reason. It's such a shame when such a talented artist doesn't express their craft to it's fullest extent. With how complex his writing was it's understandable how he couldn't produce it forever.\n\nI haven't been able to write anything for a long time. Living in the woods with only a phone to type on doesn't help. I have feathers enough for quills, and bark for paper. To Green with excuses!\n\nOn Nov 15, 2017 7:55 PM, \"Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\" > wrote:\n\n\n\n? ? Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\n\n? ? The spatula is the natural enemy of the hypothalamus.\n\n? ? On Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 7:02 PM, Eric Bourland > wrote:\n\n? ? ? ? Some questions, for those who wish to answer:\n\n? ? ? ? 1) What are you reading?\n\n? ? Just started Patrick Rothfuss's _The Name of the Wind_. (I've been\n? ? putting this one off for a _long_ time.)\n\n? ? ? ? 2) What are you writing, if anything?\n\n? ? At any given times, several things, most of which come to naught.\n\n? ? ______________________________ _________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Gwern Branwen", "address": "gwern at gwern.net" }, "date": "2017-11-16T16:22:17+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 11:57 PM, Marc Aramini wrote:\nI figured I would push a narrative of violence and competition as the motivator for progress....\nJust got to the 20th century this week and taught Brighter Than a Thousand Suns\nabout the Manhattan Project - had Oppenheimer’s granddaughter come in and\ntalk to them today." }, { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "How fun.\n\nNot that you need the suggestion, but one of my favorite books is all\nabout this theme of warfare and competitive pressures of various kinds\npushing (and corrupting) science/technology and is about the\npost-Manhattan Project nuclear laboratories: Carter Scholz's 2002\nnovel _Radiance_. (I hesitate to label it 'science fiction', even\nthough Scholz is usually considered one and his last novel was\nunambiguously SF, because it's so based on real events and SDI.)\n\nI have an annotated transcription & scans at\nhttps://www.gwern.net/docs/radiance/2002-scholz-radiance along with\nsupporting materials, some of which are quite interesting in their own\nright, for example, Greg Benford's memoirs \"Old Legends\" (\nhttps://www.gwern.net/docs/radiance/1995-benford-oldlegends.pdf ) or\nBerger's \"The _Astounding_ Investigation: The Manhattan Project's\nConfrontation with Science Fiction\" (\nhttps://www.gwern.net/docs/radiance/1984-berger.djvu ) or MacKenzie &\nSpinardi 1995's \"Tacit Knowledge, Weapons Design, and the Uninvention\nof Nuclear Weapons\" (\nhttps://www.gwern.net/docs/radiance/1995-mackenzie.pdf ). Physicists\nor people interested in future weapons development might also find it\ninteresting to revisit _Fourth Generation Nuclear Weapons_ (\nhttp://web.elastic.org/~fche/mirrors/www.cryptome.org/2014/06/wmd-4th-gen-quest.pdf\n), and consider the array of possible nuclear weapons - turns out\nthere are a lot of possible nuclear weapons going beyond classic\nfission and fusion designs (apropos of which, 'quark fusion':\nhttps://arxiv.org/abs/1708.02547\nhttps://phys.org/news/2017-11-theoretical-quark-fusion-powerful-hydrogen.html\n)." }, { "kind": "sig", "depth": 0, "text": "gwern" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "António Pedro Marques", "address": "entonio at gmail.com" }, "date": "2017-11-16T21:02:01+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "<9ff9aabd-aa2c-8267-1bb8-3dac9624c12e@hwaet.com>", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "During the last year I've mostly been reading Andrea Camilleri - some years ago I'd read two books I've found at a fair in english, then last year on a trip to Italy I found a couple in the original and thought I'd give them a go - they're mostly written in sicilianised Italian and romance linguistics is one of my hobbies - and I couldn't stop before I'd read about twenty. Camilleri is quite successful and respected in Italy, he's in his nineties and keeps writing, and is the kind of communist I like (my political views are mostly coincident with Gene Wolfe's). Being successful and opinionated, he's also disliked by some, of course.\n\nI've also read a bit of Aickman. I've had him in my list for a decade or so, but haven't yet gotten around to picking him up successfully. These days I'm averse to reading short stories, I don't know why." } ] }, { "message_id": "<107EB4DF-FB2C-4D12-8A98-A22FB2FA031C@verizon.net>", "from": { "name": "David Stockhoff", "address": "dstockhoff at verizon.net" }, "date": "2017-11-19T04:30:44+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Allan, I have only just started the first book. Justine, I believe. \n\nI'm glad to see people reading Aickman." }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On November 16, 2017 10:08:08 AM EST, Allan Anderson wrote:\nOn Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 4:04 AM David Stockhoff\n\nwrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": "I'm reading Durrell's Alexandria Quartet. Not SF, but definitely\nexperimental and a little reminiscent of Robert Aickman in its\ndetachment combined with nearly-alienating attention to detail." }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "I really enjoyed the Alexandria Quartet. He gives each of the four\nbooks\nsuch a different voice and appetite. Which one are you on? I hadn't\nmade an\nAickman connection, but I can see that. I've just finished up his *Dark\nEntries* wth my old college chums Facebook reading group.\n\nIn SF, I've been trying out David Brin's *Kiln People*, which,\negregious\ntitle pun aside, seems to have a bit in common with *A Borrowed Man.\n*Brin's\nbook's schtick is that just about everyone has access to the technology\nto\nmake shortlived artificial copies of themselves, to various degrees of\nfidelity and autonomy. Murder mystery, copies of people, memory\ngames--very\ndifferent setting and, I expect, conclusions, but still, fun." } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Marc Aramini", "address": "marcaramini at gmail.com" }, "date": "2017-11-19T14:32:35+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Good afternoon Urth", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Thanks for all of this, Gwern. I look forward to looking to looking it over\nsoon!" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 9:21 AM, Gwern Branwen wrote:\n\n\nHow fun.\n\nNot that you need the suggestion, but one of my favorite books is all\nabout this theme of warfare and competitive pressures of various kinds\npushing (and corrupting) science/technology and is about the\npost-Manhattan Project nuclear laboratories: Carter Scholz's 2002\nnovel _Radiance_. (I hesitate to label it 'science fiction', even\nthough Scholz is usually considered one and his last novel was\nunambiguously SF, because it's so based on real events and SDI.)\n\nI have an annotated transcription & scans at\nhttps://www.gwern.net/docs/radiance/2002-scholz-radiance along with\nsupporting materials, some of which are quite interesting in their own\nright, for example, Greg Benford's memoirs \"Old Legends\" (\nhttps://www.gwern.net/docs/radiance/1995-benford-oldlegends.pdf ) or\nBerger's \"The _Astounding_ Investigation: The Manhattan Project's\nConfrontation with Science Fiction\" (\nhttps://www.gwern.net/docs/radiance/1984-berger.djvu ) or MacKenzie &\nSpinardi 1995's \"Tacit Knowledge, Weapons Design, and the Uninvention\nof Nuclear Weapons\" (\nhttps://www.gwern.net/docs/radiance/1995-mackenzie.pdf ). Physicists\nor people interested in future weapons development might also find it\ninteresting to revisit _Fourth Generation Nuclear Weapons_ (\nhttp://web.elastic.org/~fche/mirrors/www.cryptome.org/2014/\n06/wmd-4th-gen-quest.pdf\n), and consider the array of possible nuclear weapons - turns out\nthere are a lot of possible nuclear weapons going beyond classic\nfission and fusion designs (apropos of which, 'quark fusion':\nhttps://arxiv.org/abs/1708.02547\nhttps://phys.org/news/2017-11-theoretical-quark-fusion-\npowerful-hydrogen.html\n).\n\n--\ngwern\n_______________________________________________" } ] } ] }