House Absolute

Tim Walters · 04 Dec 2008, 00:28 · from 2008-December.txt.gz

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From: walters at doubtfulpalace.com (Tim Walters)
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2008 16:28:55 -0800 (PST)
Subject: (urth) House Absolute
In-Reply-To: <W4942512586147901228349723@webmail6>
References: <W4942512586147901228349723@webmail6>
Message-ID: <3130.198.1228350535.squirrel at o2.hostbaby.com>

> I'm no archaeologist, but isn't the earth a city like UR is found in
> considered rock and not just dirt.

Nope. Otherwise the artifacts would be fossilized.

> and if not, isn't it rocky enough for someone like Severian who knows of
> Lightning rather than Electricity, to take a hardpacked sediment as rock?
> I mean, you can stand on it. you can carve steps into it.

You can't build a cliff that tall out of it without it collapsing.

But for me this is somewhat beside the point. If the scene doesn't
indicate deep futurity, then there's simply no reason for it to exist. I'm
happy to accept felicitous implausibilities--in fact what I'm advocating
is still rather implausible--but not ones that reduce rather than enhance
the meaning of the text.

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

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