The argument for Intractability

Jeff Wilson · 24 Dec 2008, 17:01 · from 2008-December.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:01:00 -0600
Subject: (urth) The argument for Intractability
In-Reply-To: <49522340.2070803 at gmail.com>
References: <4951AFAE.9080406 at io.com> <49522340.2070803 at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <49526ACC.1010807 at io.com>

Dave Tallman wrote:
> Jeff Wilson wrote:
>> A female Severian (50% likelihood) would not be raised as a torturer, 
>> and would thus have a very different mentality.
>>   
> I'm glad that someone caught my point. In general, time-travelers would 
> have to be very careful about  changing the conception circumstances of 
> anyone important. I don't think Sev's conception could be left to chance 
> (it had to happen by chance the first time, but once it did...).

On the other hand, the author may not have subscribed to the chaotic 
model of parallel universes, or of human development. The Corridors of 
Time might be organized in some way that the closest parallels are 
grouped together and more readily accessible to time travelling meddlers 
than others. Likewise, there could be some dogma in play like the Well 
of Souls that implies some part of Severian's persona exists 
independently of his fleshy chromosomal crapshoot.

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

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