Memorare

Roy C. Lackey · 06 Apr 2007, 06:30 · from 2007-April.txt.gz

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From: rclackey at stic.net (Roy C. Lackey)
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 01:30:06 -0500
Subject: (urth) Memorare
Message-ID: <000c01c77815$07bfb8c0$9dc95a42 at rclackey.stic.net>

A key to understanding this story is the exact nature of the glamour cast
over the people in asteroid memorial #19. It causes people to look better
than they really look; the very young to look older, old people to look
younger. But it's only new arrivals who simply look better than they did on
arrival; those who have been there a while are shown by the camera to be, in
fact, sick and getting sicker by the day, soon to die. But it isn't just
people. A dank cavern looks like a pastoral heaven; a rickety shed like a
quaint cottage; sewage like tea, etc. How may this glamour be categorized?

March has an often repeated habit of rubbing his lantern jaw. Was this the
habit of some character from (pulp?) fiction I can't recall?

With the pointed exception of "The Last Thrilling Wonder Story", "Memorare"
is the only other thing I have read by Wolfe that reminded me of Heinlein.
The near-future simplicity of the plot, the practical science, the dialogue,
Kit's characterization, all combined to give me that impression. Anyone else
see that?

-Roy

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