{ "export": { "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/6837", "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": 6837, "subject": "Interlibrary Loan (no spoilers)", "messages": 7, "voices": 7, "first": "2020-07-18T14:44:23+00:00", "last": "2020-07-20T01:31:26+00:00" }, "messages": [ { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Dave Lebling", "address": "dlebling at hyraxes.com" }, "date": "2020-07-18T14:44:23+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Interlibrary Loan (no spoilers)", "in_reply_to": null, "reply_link": null, "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Has anyone read this, and if so, do you have thoughts?\n\nI re-read *A Borrowed Man* before reading *Interlibrary Loan*. I had found *A\nBorrowed Man* to be very opaque on first reading, and much more reasonable\non a second reading. (This is my normal pattern with Wolfe; each reading\nproduces more clarity.)\n\nI found the first reading of *Interlibrary Loan* to be even more opaque,\nand also a bit disjointed. It was by turns weird, scary, and funny. I\nbelieve it is actually hard SF rather than Fantasy, which seems to go\nagainst a lot of reviews. It could have used another draft. It is extremely\nsad we will never get one.\n\nDave Lebling" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Ab de Vos", "address": "foxyab at casema.nl" }, "date": "2020-07-18T15:33:19+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Interlibrary Loan (no spoilers)", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "I read it as well and everything in the book seems to be a riddle. How \nmany Erns are there, is the story line mixed up, what is in the green \nbox, what happens to the key Ern takes from dead Ern, the status of the \nghosts, the relation of the book to Borrowed Man etc.\n\nFascinating but frustrating.\n\nOp 18-7-2020 om 16:44 schreef Dave Lebling:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "Has anyone read this, and if so, do you have thoughts?\n\nI re-read /A Borrowed Man/ before reading /Interlibrary Loan/. I had \nfound /A Borrowed Man/ to be very opaque on first reading, and much \nmore reasonable on a second reading. (This is my normal pattern with \nWolfe; each reading produces more clarity.)\n\nI found the first reading of /Interlibrary Loan/ to be even more \nopaque, and also a bit disjointed. It was by turns weird, scary, and \nfunny. I believe it is actually hard SF rather than Fantasy, which \nseems to go against a lot of reviews. It could have used another \ndraft. It is extremely sad we will never get one.\n\nDave Lebling\n\n_______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Dan'l Danehy-Oakes", "address": "danldo at gmail.com" }, "date": "2020-07-19T03:00:15+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Interlibrary Loan (no spoilers)", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "I *have* read it - just finished a few minutes ago - and boy do I have\nthoughts, but most of them have to wait until the spoilage period has\npassed.\n\nI found it much easier going than *A Borrowed Man* - until the last four\npages or so, where I suddenly had *no* idea what was going on, and most\nespecially the last line. What the actual hell?\n\nDan'l Danehy-Oakes\n\n*?Wherever you are, you find the sun, a blade of grass, the spirals of the\ndragonfly. Courage consists of staying at home, close to nature, which\ncould not care less about our disasters. Each grain of dust contains the\nsoul of something marvellous. -- *Joan Mir?" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 7:44 AM Dave Lebling wrote:\nHas anyone read this, and if so, do you have thoughts?\n\nI re-read *A Borrowed Man* before reading *Interlibrary Loan*. I had\nfound *A Borrowed Man* to be very opaque on first reading, and much more\nreasonable on a second reading. (This is my normal pattern with Wolfe; each\nreading produces more clarity.)\n\nI found the first reading of *Interlibrary Loan* to be even more opaque,\nand also a bit disjointed. It was by turns weird, scary, and funny. I\nbelieve it is actually hard SF rather than Fantasy, which seems to go\nagainst a lot of reviews. It could have used another draft. It is extremely\nsad we will never get one.\n\nDave Lebling\n_______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "<6dfac7cbe336495cbdc86c7c19e002de@hwaet.com>", "from": { "name": "eb", "address": "eb at hwaet.com" }, "date": "2020-07-19T03:39:21+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Interlibrary Loan (no spoilers)", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "I've almost finished it. I'm liking it a lot. To discuss.\n\n*******\nEric Bourland\neb at hwaet.com\nhttps://www.hwaet.com/\n\n----------------------------------------\n\nFrom: \"Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\" \nSent: 7/18/20 11:01 PM\nTo: The Urth Mailing List \nSubject: Re: (urth) Interlibrary Loan (no spoilers)\n\nI have read it - just finished a few minutes ago - and boy do I have thoughts, but most of them have to wait until the spoilage period has passed.\n\nI found it much easier going than A Borrowed Man - until the last four pages or so, where I suddenly had no idea what was going on, and most especially the last line. What the actual hell?\n\nDan'l Danehy-Oakes\n\n\"Wherever you are, you find the sun, a blade of grass, the spirals of the dragonfly. Courage consists of staying at home, close to nature, which could not care less about our disasters. Each grain of dust contains the soul of something marvellous.\" -- Joan Mir?\n\nOn Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 7:44 AM Dave Lebling wrote:\nHas anyone read this, and if so, do you have thoughts?\n\nI re-read A Borrowed Man before reading Interlibrary Loan. I had found A Borrowed Man to be very opaque on first reading, and much more reasonable on a second reading. (This is my normal pattern with Wolfe; each reading produces more clarity.)\n\nI found the first reading of Interlibrary Loan to be even more opaque, and also a bit disjointed. It was by turns weird, scary, and funny. I believe it is actually hard SF rather than Fantasy, which seems to go against a lot of reviews. It could have used another draft. It is extremely sad we will never get one.\n\nDave Lebling_______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Evan Pickett", "address": "picketter at gmail.com" }, "date": "2020-07-19T04:14:28+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Interlibrary Loan (no spoilers)", "in_reply_to": "<6dfac7cbe336495cbdc86c7c19e002de@hwaet.com>", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "I read it and (I think) kept up with it until the last ~3 chapters. Does\nanyone know if the book was definitively finished, or was it finished\nenough that the publishers want ahead? Not casting aspersion; just curious.\nIt felt like there was another 100 pages of material in the last couple\nchapters, that just wasn't there. With Wolfe, it's hard to say if that's\nintentional or not.\n\nEvan" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 8:48 PM eb wrote:\nI've almost finished it. I'm liking it a lot. To discuss.\n\n*******\nEric Bourland\neb at hwaet.com\nhttps://www.hwaet.com/ \n\n------------------------------\n*From*: \"Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\" \n*Sent*: 7/18/20 11:01 PM\n*To*: The Urth Mailing List \n*Subject*: Re: (urth) Interlibrary Loan (no spoilers)\nI *have* read it - just finished a few minutes ago - and boy do I have\nthoughts, but most of them have to wait until the spoilage period has\npassed.\n\nI found it much easier going than *A Borrowed Man* - until the last four\npages or so, where I suddenly had *no* idea what was going on, and most\nespecially the last line. What the actual hell?\n\nDan'l Danehy-Oakes\n\n*\"Wherever you are, you find the sun, a blade of grass, the spirals of the\ndragonfly. Courage consists of staying at home, close to nature, which\ncould not care less about our disasters. Each grain of dust contains the\nsoul of something marvellous.\" -- *Joan Mir?\n\n\nOn Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 7:44 AM Dave Lebling wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": "Has anyone read this, and if so, do you have thoughts?\n\nI re-read *A Borrowed Man* before reading *Interlibrary Loan*. I had\nfound *A Borrowed Man* to be very opaque on first reading, and much more\nreasonable on a second reading. (This is my normal pattern with Wolfe; each\nreading produces more clarity.)\n\nI found the first reading of *Interlibrary Loan* to be even more opaque,\nand also a bit disjointed. It was by turns weird, scary, and funny. I\nbelieve it is actually hard SF rather than Fantasy, which seems to go\nagainst a lot of reviews. It could have used another draft. It is extremely\nsad we will never get one.\n\nDave Lebling\n_______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "", "from": { "name": "Marc Aramini", "address": "marcaramini at gmail.com" }, "date": "2020-07-19T04:56:08+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Interlibrary Loan (no spoilers)", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Wolfe finished it and turned it in very shortly before he died. I do feel\nthat the sketchiness of the last few chapters might have something to do\nwith that fact, though of course the green square is present throughout.\nCertainly the pace accelerates at the end." }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 9:14 PM Evan Pickett wrote:\nI read it and (I think) kept up with it until the last ~3 chapters. Does\nanyone know if the book was definitively finished, or was it finished\nenough that the publishers want ahead? Not casting aspersion; just curious.\nIt felt like there was another 100 pages of material in the last couple\nchapters, that just wasn't there. With Wolfe, it's hard to say if that's\nintentional or not.\n\nEvan\n\nOn Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 8:48 PM eb wrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": "I've almost finished it. I'm liking it a lot. To discuss.\n\n*******\nEric Bourland\neb at hwaet.com\nhttps://www.hwaet.com/ \n\n------------------------------\n*From*: \"Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\" \n*Sent*: 7/18/20 11:01 PM\n*To*: The Urth Mailing List \n*Subject*: Re: (urth) Interlibrary Loan (no spoilers)\nI *have* read it - just finished a few minutes ago - and boy do I have\nthoughts, but most of them have to wait until the spoilage period has\npassed.\n\nI found it much easier going than *A Borrowed Man* - until the last four\npages or so, where I suddenly had *no* idea what was going on, and most\nespecially the last line. What the actual hell?\n\nDan'l Danehy-Oakes\n\n*\"Wherever you are, you find the sun, a blade of grass, the spirals of\nthe dragonfly. Courage consists of staying at home, close to nature, which\ncould not care less about our disasters. Each grain of dust contains the\nsoul of something marvellous.\" -- *Joan Mir?\n\n\nOn Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 7:44 AM Dave Lebling \nwrote:" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 3, "text": "Has anyone read this, and if so, do you have thoughts?\n\nI re-read *A Borrowed Man* before reading *Interlibrary Loan*. I had\nfound *A Borrowed Man* to be very opaque on first reading, and much\nmore reasonable on a second reading. (This is my normal pattern with Wolfe;\neach reading produces more clarity.)\n\nI found the first reading of *Interlibrary Loan* to be even more\nopaque, and also a bit disjointed. It was by turns weird, scary, and funny.\nI believe it is actually hard SF rather than Fantasy, which seems to go\nagainst a lot of reviews. It could have used another draft. It is extremely\nsad we will never get one.\n\nDave Lebling\n_______________________________________________" } ] }, { "message_id": "<80E93D1E-13CF-49D1-8567-384207401F59@yahoo.com>", "from": { "name": "Factory Farmer", "address": "factoryfarmer at yahoo.com" }, "date": "2020-07-20T01:31:26+00:00", "subject": "(urth) Interlibrary Loan (no spoilers)", "in_reply_to": "", "reply_link": "header", "blocks": [ { "kind": "text", "depth": 0, "text": "Isn’t this to be expected as one or more volumes would have been forthcoming?\n\nAnd of course the belief that more would have made it more understandable. Hahaha!\n\nListened to the audiobook which I considered very well executed." }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 1, "text": "On Jul 19, 2020, at 12:56 AM, Marc Aramini wrote:\n\n\nWolfe finished it and turned it in very shortly before he died. I do feel that the sketchiness of the last few chapters might have something to do with that fact, though of course the green square is present throughout. Certainly the pace accelerates at the end. " }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 2, "text": "On Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 9:14 PM Evan Pickett wrote:\nI read it and (I think) kept up with it until the last ~3 chapters. Does anyone know if the book was definitively finished, or was it finished enough that the publishers want ahead? Not casting aspersion; just curious. It felt like there was another 100 pages of material in the last couple chapters, that just wasn't there. With Wolfe, it's hard to say if that's intentional or not.\n\nEvan" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 3, "text": "On Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 8:48 PM eb wrote:\nI've almost finished it. I'm liking it a lot. To discuss.\n\n*******\nEric Bourland\neb at hwaet.com\nhttps://www.hwaet.com/\n\nFrom: \"Dan'l Danehy-Oakes\" \nSent: 7/18/20 11:01 PM\nTo: The Urth Mailing List \nSubject: Re: (urth) Interlibrary Loan (no spoilers)\nI have read it - just finished a few minutes ago - and boy do I have thoughts, but most of them have to wait until the spoilage period has passed.\n\nI found it much easier going than A Borrowed Man - until the last four pages or so, where I suddenly had no idea what was going on, and most especially the last line. What the actual hell?\n \nDan'l Danehy-Oakes\n\n\"Wherever you are, you find the sun, a blade of grass, the spirals of the dragonfly. Courage consists of staying at home, close to nature, which could not care less about our disasters. Each grain of dust contains the soul of something marvellous.\" -- Joan Mir?" }, { "kind": "quote", "depth": 4, "text": "On Sat, Jul 18, 2020 at 7:44 AM Dave Lebling wrote:\nHas anyone read this, and if so, do you have thoughts?\n\nI re-read A Borrowed Man before reading Interlibrary Loan. I had found A Borrowed Man to be very opaque on first reading, and much more reasonable on a second reading. (This is my normal pattern with Wolfe; each reading produces more clarity.)\n\nI found the first reading of Interlibrary Loan to be even more opaque, and also a bit disjointed. It was by turns weird, scary, and funny. I believe it is actually hard SF rather than Fantasy, which seems to go against a lot of reviews. It could have used another draft. It is extremely sad we will never get one.\n\nDave Lebling\n_______________________________________________" } ] } ] }