Subject: (whorl)/Cerberus

From: Alastair Reynolds <a.reynolds at fys.ruu.nl>
Date: Tue, 01 Jul 1997 13:40:05 +0000

[Posted from WHORL, the mailing list for Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun]

Hello

I've just joined this list having finished Exodus, finally - what a 
great sequence it was, and now I'm itching to reread the New Sun
for the umpteenth time. Like I suspect many readers, my reaction
when we learn that Whorl has arrived at what appears to the
same double-planet system as featured in The Fifth Head of Cerberus
was one of surprise (I think "bloody hell" was the phrase!) but
I wonder, is there a consensus on whether Wolfe "means" this,
or is he just playing with a similar theme? My copy of Fifth Head
is in a box somewhere, but I think I recall that there is mention
of a "starcrosser" in there somewhere, although it doesn't seem to
be anything like the same beast as the Whorl. Also, we know in Exodus 
that French is a language with which Silk is familiar, (as far as I 
remember, the only other language mentioned is Latin). Personally
I have trouble seeing how Whorl, Severian etc can fit in the same
universe as Fifth Head, which seemed much more recognisably
linked to the present, but, again, I really must reread it.

Anyway, apologies if all this has been done to death.

cheers,

al

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***  Alastair P. Reynolds                                         ***
***  Astronomical Institute                                       ***
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