Severians Later Appearance (Spoilers)

Jerry Friedman · 12 Jan 2010, 18:06 · from 2010-January.txt.gz

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From: jerry_friedman at yahoo.com (Jerry Friedman)
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:06:38 -0800 (PST)
Subject: (urth) Severians Later Appearance (Spoilers)
In-Reply-To: <COL121-W50DA345DDA3146D220FB4BE66C0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <907652.74759.qm at web50707.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

--- On Tue, 1/12/10, Tom Hopkins <topkins at hotmail.co.uk> wrote:

I agree completely.  Wolfe said that astral projection
made the possibility of Silkhorn's meeting Severian a
"gun on the wall", but I've felt since I first read the
passage that the gun would have been better left
unfired.

In addition to your criticisms, I have a superficial one:
I was disappointed to read that torturers' cloaks have
red linings.

Yes, Josh, it made me think, but not in any way that
helped me enjoy the book.

Jerry Friedman

> Sorry If I wasn't clear but I was
> more asking why he felt
> the need to add him to the Short Sun books in the first
> place? As it goes it
> seems to me to be one of the worst ways to include him in
> the narrative, as it
> is in a way that comes close to contradicting the text of
> the New Sun; and then
> too explain it all away by saying he neglected to mention
> it, is either very
> shoddy writing, (which I highly doubt in Wolfe?s case) or
> something more.
> 
> 
> 
> > Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:38:50 -0500
> > From: brunians at brunians.org
> > To: urth at lists.urth.net
> > CC: urth at urth.net
> > Subject: Re: (urth) Severians Later Appearance
> (Spoilers)
> > 
> > He hadn't planned it out, Tom.
> > 
> > When he wrote the New Sun he had no idea there was
> going to be a Short Sun.
> > 
> > 
> > .
> > 
> > >
> > >
> > > One of the main problems I have difficulty
> understanding is
> > > why Wolfe felt the need to include Severian in
> the Short Sun books. I am
> > > unclear
> > > on whether this is meant to be the Severian of
> the New Sun books, or his
> > > first
> > > iteration or maybe another. I find I am reluctant
> to accept that Severian
> > > did
> > > not include SilkHorn in the books because no one
> would believe him as he
> > > states, because Severian includes many wild
> adventures which seem even
> > > less
> > > likely. Also I think it creates an inconsistency
> with Merryn appearing in
> > > the
> > > New Sun book, surely they would recognise each
> other to a greater extent
> > > and I
> > > can't imagine Severian neglecting to mention
> something in that regard in
> > > the
> > > narrative; especially as he mentions another
> brief meeting between them as
> > > a
> > > child.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > In my mind It simply does not seem to add up, and
> I am convinced there is
> > > something I am missing which makes for a more
> feasible explanation. As at
> > > the
> > > momment it comes across to me as shoddy and
> unneeded yet I feel this must
> > > be a
> > > fault with my own understanding of the text,
> rather than Wolfe?s work.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > So I'd greatly appreciate any thoughts of
> theories on the matter, even If
> > > it
> > > happens to be it is the Severian from New Sun and
> he just fails to mention
> > > SilkHorn.

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