House Absolute

Tim Walters · 03 Dec 2008, 23:00 · from 2008-December.txt.gz

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From: walters at doubtfulpalace.com (Tim Walters)
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2008 15:00:29 -0800 (PST)
Subject: (urth) House Absolute
In-Reply-To: <4936FF06.5020501 at io.com>
References: <63FB9AC7E0AEC7459DBCC99DC44247CA01F6AFF4 at BOSIDEXDB.Bankofscotland.ie>
	<4935C471.9050409 at io.com>
	<40976.198.1228261518.squirrel at o2.hostbaby.com>
	<4936FF06.5020501 at io.com>
Message-ID: <29661.198.1228345229.squirrel at o2.hostbaby.com>


>> What's the artistic point of the cliff scene, world-famous for its
>> evocation of deep time, if not to show that a gazillion years have
>> passed?
>
> To show that many, many human societies have arisen, fallen, and been
> trampled unto dust, and the dust piled upon dust until it has become
> fused into rock.

Well, yes, exactly. That takes a gazillion years, not 20,000, and is more
powerful for representing a gazillion years of human futility rather than
20,000.

I thought you (or somebody) was proposing that Typhon had artificially
created these cliffs, which completely vitiates this reading. Certainly
there's no natural process that can create such a cliff in 20,000 years.

>> What's the artistic point of mentioning the cooling of Urth's core, if
>> not
>> to show that a gazillion years have passed?
>
> To show the ironically ignorant nature of the far future civilization (
> paraphrasing "there is another word for it I can't recall, but lightning
> is what makes it go") who continue to be brought down by human hubris in
> their attempts to ascend to godlike heights of wisdom.

This might fly if there were textual evidence for it.

-- 
Tim Walters | http://doubtfulpalace.com

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