Longevity in the Commonwealth

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes · 29 Aug 2006, 00:01 · from 2006-August.txt.gz

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From: danldo at gmail.com (Dan'l Danehy-Oakes)
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 17:01:08 -0700
Subject: (urth) Longevity in the Commonwealth
Message-ID: <1f7617370608281701y58162010ob9314c501bec1bcd at mail.gmail.com>

The question was asked, how we could tell how long an Autarch might
live with alien medicine et al.

The short answer is, we can't...

...but...

...I think that even the highest classes in the Commonwealth don't live
much longer than a modern-day First World citizen.

My argument is primarily thematic -- the great sin of both Typhon and
Baldanders is artificially extending their lives (by, admittedly, evil and
forbidden[?] methods, but if other methods were available ... well, you
know). It seems to me that the Autarchs, whose position was created in
reaction to Typhon, and whose purpose is to prepare for the coming
of the New Sun, would not be likely to commit that particular sin.

One bit of supporting textual evidence ... we know that the cacogens
Severian hangs with have _shorter_ lives than humans. Therefore I
suggest that they would not be a likely source of life extension
technology for humans.

-- 
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, writer, trainer, bon vivant
-----
http://www.livejournal.com/users/sturgeonslawyer
"Shovels are essential to the fantasy genre.
However, they are primarily used by the authors rather than the
characters." -- Stephen R. Donaldson

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