academic commentary

Jane Delawney · 29 Nov 2010, 01:46 · from 2010-November.txt.gz

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From: jane_delawney at sky.com (Jane Delawney)
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2010 01:46:25 +0000
Subject: (urth) academic commentary
Message-ID: <4CF305F1.90905 at sky.com>

Just a quick enquiry as to whether any other lister has read David 
Wright's 'Attending Daedalus' which is an expansion upon the author's 
Ph.D thesis and was published by Liverpool University Press, UK, in 2003.

Interesting volume, a full on academic study of mythopoesis and 
deception (both on GW's part, and, within the fiction, on the part of 
the Hierogrammates) in BoTNS / UoTNS. The author (Wright, that is) 
appears convinced that the religious and mythic elements many perceive 
in BoTNS and its 'relatives' are all part of classic Wolfean 
misdirection, and that these themes in fact disguise an elaborate 
self-interested scam on behalf of the Hierogrammates.

Seems to me on a first reading that Wright has (a) overlooked a pivotal 
moment in UoTNS where the relationship & balance of power between 
Tzadkiel and Severian are both subverted - turned upon their heads 
indeed - within the space of one single short paragraph; and also that 
(b) he has not taken into account the way things might appear to beings 
who are not bound by our linear perception of time.

Ymmv of course! If any of you have read this work I'd be most interested 
to hear your comments.

cheers

jd

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