Master Ash v Silkhorn (astral time travel)

David Duffy · 11 Apr 2006, 21:54 · from 2006-April.txt.gz

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From: David.Duffy at qimr.edu.au (David Duffy)
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 07:54:23 +1000 (EST)
Subject: (urth) Master Ash v Silkhorn (astral time travel)
In-Reply-To: <705c5fe0dae91a2ae07cac881836f29d at ou.edu>
References: <mailman.1.1144786449.9796.urth-urth.net at lists.urth.net>
	<705c5fe0dae91a2ae07cac881836f29d at ou.edu>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.58.0604120707040.3496 at orpheus.qimr.edu.au>

I think relativity holds in the NS-SS-LS universe.  Wolfe posits the
presence of FTL and time travel, and makes the breakdown of causality from
our point of view a feature: allowing the miraculous and free will (though
perhaps more for those walking the corridors of time) and determinism, as
well as the mysteries that exceed human understanding.

So, I think for Silkhorn to astral travel "instantaneously" requires time
travel, just not requiring the apparatus many of the others used. Then
it's interesting to compare the fate of Master Ash's attempt to travel
with Severian with that of Silkhorn: viz Ash fades away because "I can
exist [in your world] only if the probability of my existence is high".

David Duffy

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