shapeshifter hearsay

b sharp · 31 Jul 2006, 17:53 · from 2006-July.txt.gz

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From: bsharporflat at hotmail.com (b sharp)
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2006 13:53:23 -0400
Subject: (urth) shapeshifter hearsay
Message-ID: <BAY103-F37E607EF347D8FF112F36CD75C0 at phx.gbl>

Tony Ellis writes:

>And hearsay in a novel is a million times more significant than hearsay you 
>or I hear down the pub - >because the author has deliberately chosen to put 
>it in. As with Chekhov's Gun, if a good author >includes a reference to an 
>old legend or rumour in their story, we can be damn sure
>it has a bearing. If the author piles on such references, the way Wolfe 
>does with shape-changing >and mimicry in all three Fifth Head novellas, 
>then we know that something is definitely going on.

Does the same principle apply to the circumstantial evidence for 
shapeshifters in BotNS? Do they exist on Urth?
(no I will NOT mention the Piteous Gate ;-) )

-bsharp

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