{
  "export": {
    "source": "https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/997",
    "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": 997,
    "subject": "Feed Your Head or Go Ask Alga When She's 10 Feet Tall :-)",
    "messages": 1,
    "voices": 1,
    "first": "1998-07-16T09:49:58+00:00",
    "last": "1998-07-16T09:49:58+00:00"
  },
  "messages": [
    {
      "message_id": "<urth-v0017-0021@digest.urth.net>",
      "from": {
        "name": "Dan Parmenter",
        "address": "dan at lec.com"
      },
      "date": "1998-07-16T09:49:58+00:00",
      "subject": "(urth) Feed Your Head or Go Ask Alga When She's 10 Feet Tall :-)",
      "in_reply_to": null,
      "reply_link": null,
      "blocks": [
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 2,
          "text": "Mantis wrote:\nActually I believe raster's primary concern re: authentic autarchs is\nthe same as my own--the brain eating bit.  It seems to define\n\"autarch\" as distinct from \"monarch,\" \"suzerain,\" \"dictator of the\nproletariate,\" etc.; it also seems to figure into the equation of\n\"how one person can represent many\" in a concrete way rather than\njust the lip-service paid by representative democracy.  The autarch\n=is= legion--it isn't just a metaphor."
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "From: raster at highfiber.com (Charles Dye)"
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "And also provides a slick justification for the royal plural."
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "I notice that Severian drops that once he gets the various\npersonalities in order and they retreat to the background.  So\n\"self-ruler\" doesn't just mean free from restraints, it actually\nrefers to ruling one's self, and all one's other selves.\n\nDo you suppose that any of this would be \"dynastic\" Autarchs had their\nchildren eat their brains?\n\nFor that matter, given what we know about the Autarch being the only\nlegitimate representative of Urth, what do you suppose would have\nhappened if Severian had followed Appian's initial offer to go right\nto Yesod when he showed him the hierogrammate in the book?  Would the\nhierogrammates have said \"go back and tell that idiot to let you eat\nhis brains first, oh and gain some more valuable life experience while\nyou're at it and maybe rule the Commonwealth for a decade, THEN we'll\ntalk.\"  That incident has always troubled me.  Appian knows who\nSeverian is but seeks to extend his own reign.  Is he just being\nfoolish and vain and suffering last minute cold feet?  \"Oh, can't you\njust make him the new sun and let me live out my life as Autarch?\"  If\nthis is the case, I'm assuming that some of the references to resuming\nthe autarchy in Urth may reflect Appian's desires more than\nSeverian's."
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 2,
          "text": "Prion wrote:\nHas anyone noticed that the Autarch Appian's name is a homophone for\napian (bee-like)?  Any connection with the Honey Steward?"
        },
        {
          "kind": "quote",
          "depth": 1,
          "text": "Bingo!  Name pun -- Wolfe loves 'em.  Also, of course, another Claudian\nreference."
        },
        {
          "kind": "text",
          "depth": 0,
          "text": "I don't know if it's a homophone, and it's not quite a homograph\neither with that extra 'p', but terminological differences aside, I\nthink that the connection is definitely intentional.\n\nBees show up in several places.  More complicated sun imagery I think,\nthough I'm not sure if I can pinpoint the mechanics of the symbolism\nin this case.  I love the fact that the prisoners in the antechamber\nwere fascinated by bees, thinking them as large as rabbits.\n\nD"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}