started my second read of New Sun

Lee Berman · 17 May 2010, 18:16 · from 2010-May.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 14:16:48 -0400
Subject: (urth) started my second read of New Sun
Message-ID: <SNT123-W1098623540113A2E5B0B11CFE00 at phx.gbl>

>I believe that Wolfe would say, rather than "the problem God has in
... conveying His message to humanity," "the difficulty we have in
 understanding God's message."

>but it being Wolfe I have to ask myself does
he mean it to be God (probably) or is he speaking more of the Hierogrammates

My interpretation of the subtext of the Sun series is this- There is not a
vast, empty gap between humanity and God (the Increate/Outsider etc.). Just as
there are lower creatures than human, there are higher ones, in a 
succession increasingly closer to God. We see an illustration of the
progression in the rapid evolution of Zak from shapeless blob to mammal
to primate to man to superman to archangel Tzadkiel. 

I think there is the implication that Tzadkiel and her race are not the 
final stage...there are many beings more advanced still. But these beings
are so far advanced from humanity that meaningful communication is impossible.
Thus communication from God/Increate must be imperfectly imparted to humanity
by such imperfect (yet still superior) beings such as angels.

My further guess (in part from Wolfe interviews) is that he thinks that
humanity was in some fashion in closer contact with these superhuman beings
in the past. Thus the origin of our mythologies of angels, ancient pantheons
of gods, demigods,etc. Furthermore, those superior beings who diverged from
the path of evolution toward God became our mythological demons and monsters,
vampires,etc. Of course, ultimately they serve the purpose of the Increate also.

I'm not sure, but, going out on a limb, it might be that Wolfe considers the
evolutionary path toward the Increate to be a circular one. Thus the problem
of communication between Man and God is simultaneously a problem
for Him and for His ultimate successor, ourselves. 		 	   		  
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