Latro

Jeff Wilson · 15 Nov 2006, 02:46 · from 2006-November.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 20:46:13 -0600
Subject: (urth) Latro
In-Reply-To: <p06230907c17ff2d63e07@[209.157.132.35]>
References: <433905.64816.qm at web32403.mail.mud.yahoo.com>	<62843A33-CC7F-4A20-A2E4-DED361B783D8 at tcnj.edu>	<p06230904c17f101016b5@[209.157.132.35]>
	<45597559.1070207 at io.com> <p06230907c17ff2d63e07@[209.157.132.35]>
Message-ID: <455A7F75.8020605 at io.com>

Dan Rabin wrote:
> At 1:50 AM -0600 11/14/06, Jeff Wilson wrote:
>> Dan Rabin wrote:
>>
>>>  This fits the general pattern of inversions between the two series,
>>>  but also solves a technical problem: the construction of Latro's
>>>  situation makes foreshadowing within the body of the novels
>>>  immpossible, so the "translator" can plant a bit in the forewords.
>> since the actual author isn't amnesiac, I don't see how this is a problem.
> 
> I meant that Latro, not Wolfe, can't foreshadow the way Severian can. 
> It is true, as I guess you're suggesting, that nothing prevents Wolfe 
> from injecting foreshadowing into the utterances and actions of 
> others as reported by Latro.  Indeed, Wolfe has gods, oracles, and 
> seers do precisely this.

Now that I think about it, Latro can do this, though not reliably. 
Certainly in _Mist_, he revisits themes and topics hinted at earlier, 
and this is explained by him re-reading his earlier entries immediately 
prior to inscribing new ones. In fact, he pretty much has to be assumed 
to re-read at least "read this every day" for him to know to continue 
the scroll at all.

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
< http://www.io.com/~jwilson >

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