Baldanders

Macronaut · 18 May 2006, 17:24 · from 2006-May.txt.gz

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From: macronaut at yahoo.com (Macronaut)
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 10:24:44 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: (urth) Baldanders
In-Reply-To: <7D15678D-1414-494B-BEF5-028BB16390A7 at io.com>
Message-ID: <20060518172444.98004.qmail at web51107.mail.yahoo.com>

I agree -- and it's not just that they behave
monstrously, but that this monstrous behavior is
reflected in (and motivates) physical alteration into
something monstrous we no longer feel comfortable
describing as human.  I think this is part of Wolfe's
commentary, found throughout the books, on the
morality of so-called "transhumanism."  Depending on
the morality that motivated the alteration, the
alteration is beautiful (ie. the green man) or
perverse (Typhon, Baldanders).  There may be a third
category, morality that is simply alien -- Im thinking
of the undines -- reflected in characters who are
sometimes beautiful, sometimes terrifying or ugly,
sometimes both simultaneously.  

Macronaut

--- Adam Thornton <adam at io.com> wrote:

> 
> On May 18, 2006, at 9:48 AM, b sharp wrote:
> 
> >
> >   Wolfe also says:
> >
> >> "I also gave the people and other beings in the
> book real names,  
> >> with the
> >> exception of the Ascian >who appears in The
> Citadel -- Loyal to  
> >> the Group
> >> Seventeen. As for the monsters' names, I simply
> >named them for  
> >> monsters".
> >
> > So Baldanders would seem to be either an "other
> being" or monster  
> > which may
> > be the inspiration for some who feel he is a "baby
> Abaia".  
> > Nonetheless he
> > seems to start out looking like a small man. There
> are some other  
> > characters
> > from the stars who seem to appear as small
> men........
> 
> I don't see why monsters can't be genetically human.
>  Typhon and  
> Baldanders both behave monstrously regardless of
> what their DNA looks  
> like.
> 
> Adam
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