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Son of Witz · 15 Dec 2010, 21:23 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: Sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org (Son of Witz)
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:23:39 -0800
Subject: (urth) (no subject)
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W16D08B9FE0ACA25CE25D62CF140 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W16D08B9FE0ACA25CE25D62CF140 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <02C2B026-6249-480C-AF14-8E66DB151D41 at butcherbaker.org>

On Dec 15, 2010, at 11:14 AM, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:

> 
> 
>> Gerry Quinn: I don't think there's any special reason to think Severian's universe is 
>> without a Christ.  There is substantial evidence that it's history is similar to ours.  
>> In BotLS there are notable religious references, including some to Christ.
> 
> Jerry recently cited Wolfe interviews which explicity say it. Special? Not special? Jerry
> is wrong?
> 
> The "similar history" is explained by the same principle as the similar (but not identical)
> geography of Urth to our Earth. Wolfe says he conceives of Briah as a different universe than ours, 
> a previous iteration.
> 
> I think it is more accurate to say Long Sun has religious references to a Jesus-like character.
> Nothing about salvation is mentioned, that I know of.                         
> _______________________________________________

Wait. There is a very unambiguous salvation metaphor here.
The Whorl is a sort of gnotic false creation with a false pantheon. God sends his healing energy, Logos- Christ the physician - the Outsider to usher them out of the false creation into a new world free of the Demiurgos of the Whorl, Pas.  How much clearer could the salvation metaphor be? The humanity of the whorl has no future if they don't leave it. The outsider saved them, acting through silk, who was enlightened, not posessed by the Outsider.

Man Lee, you should read Phillip K. Dick's VALIS and Divine Invasion for some great sci-fi permutations of this idea if you haven't already.
~witz

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