Subject: (whorl) A response, of sorts

From: m.driussi <m.driussi at genie.com>
Date: Fri, 07 Feb 1997 05:07:00 +0000

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

Reply:  Item #0696786 from WHORL at LISTS.BEST.COM@INET02#

Xury,

Interesting new twist on Blue/Green.  My impression is that they are
separate worlds (like Skuld, Verthandi) rather than a double world
(Urth/Lune).  Your theory would require that the Whorl made a big
circle out in space (like Aldis's NON-STOP) and returned to "The
Planet of the Apes" deal.  But if we spot the Green Man on Blue we
will know that you were right!

David,

Re: Mint as a pure vessel of Kypris, untainted by Echidna (here, I'll
help bolster your argument: note how Mint begins to bloom militarily
[III, 39] =before= Echidna's appearance [III, 91]; and keeping her
eyes averted keeps Echidna from seeing you-know-who inside), do you
mean to assert that a sexy love goddess, twenty-three years old, has,
by definition of her title, the theory and practice of a war goddess?
(Well gee--then what's left for Sphigx?) <g>

Re: Mint as Auk's mother, if I'm to be included in "people," for the
record I never said that she was his biological mother.  But she
stands to Auk (who never knew his mother) as Silk's nameless foster
mother stands to Silk.  Surely you will agree to that proposal?

Re: Mucor's parents.  Your interpretation of the utterances is
entirely correct--as the ploughman sees it on Urth, or, how does Silk
put it?  That part about three meanings?  Anyway, I take it that you
prefer Silk's miraculous guesses-that-come-true in those cases where
they are based upon the fancy artwork on a needler or dagger?  How
about paintings--would those also be favorable artifacts for Silk's
speculations to bear truthful, piercing observations?  (One more
titbit about Mucor.  I know it won't convince you, but . . . [II,
243].  There.)

Re: Urth timeline.  I (again?) direct your attention to "Additions,
Errata, &cetera--volume 2."  Further, with regard to worlds, let me
remind you that Urth is (presumably) the backwater of the solar
system compared to Skuld, Verthandi, and Lune.  Enough planets yet?
No?  Let's skip over Serenus and Dis.  There are stars within a few
light years (which isn't that far a travel at relativistic speeds), and
since the Cumaean uses an FTL communicator we can imagine (i.e., speculate)
that if necessary, Typhon has access to one as well.

Re: Urth technology and Typhon.  You are probably right that Urth by
itself doesn't have the tech.  But since Typhon came from another
world, bringing his technology (and likely the exultants) with him, I
don't see this as a problem.

Re: Pas's sprats, you write "the oldest appears to have been about
twenty or so when stored in Mainframe."  Really?  Do you mean Scylla,
the first born?  She has the sneering features of a pre-teen (III,
32).  (Does this help your argument or deepen your confusion?)

algae,

On 27 Jan 1997 you wrote:

>3) Who was writing "Silk is Calde" five floors up?  From
>the context, early in _Calde_, it might have been Quetzal,
>or maybe Mucor.

You really ought to read the passage you refer to again.  Please.
(III, 20).  (Unless, like Jahi, you =intend= to mislead! <g>)

Re: the Lake as the Scylla's Window.  You say "Not!" (in so many words).
Okay, sure.  But then you'd better explain to the rest of our readers
about people walking into the lake, hypnotized ala Coypu (II, 164);
the dazed woman at the Limna Juzgado (II, 156-159); the carving on
the boulder (II, 161); the identity of the person ahead of Silk on
the Pilgrim's Way (II, 172); and the identity of the dead person in the
tunnel (II, 218/220).

Re: "undercut my theory" because Silk doesn't say (oh, hi kypris)?
Puh-lease!  Haven't you learned that the moment Wolfe turns so very
quiet, becomes so very oblique, that it is for a Very Important reason?
No?

Quick quiz: what was the fourth book in the stack that Severian gave
to Thecla?  (See what I mean?)

Or recall the softness with which Wolfe revealed Severian's mother,
father, paternal grandmother, and last, paternal grandfather [whom we
met first--perhaps as early as ch. 2 of THE SHADOW OF THE TORTURER,
but certainly by ch.22].  So softly that some reviewers (and even
a critical essay published in an academic book)

=mantis=

Questions or problems to whorl-owner at lists.best.com

---

From: Doug Eigsti <douge at nti.com>
Date: Fri, 07 Feb 1997 09:53:18 +0000

mantis,

	I appreciate your responses. I always find them to be full of 
thought provoking ideas. Could you please elaborate on Severian's 
lineage. I did not make the connection for any of the ones you listed 
(below) even after my second pass through NEW SUN. I am anxious to check 
them out but my notes are of no help because I was not even looking. 

=Talon=
douge at nti.com