Key to the Universe

David Stockhoff · 18 Dec 2010, 16:39 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2010 11:39:04 -0500
Subject: (urth) Key to the Universe
In-Reply-To: <4D0C62DF.2060308 at io.com>
References: <792639.46457.qm at web84104.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
	<4D0C62DF.2060308 at io.com>
Message-ID: <4D0CE3A8.3090700 at verizon.net>

Well put.

On 12/18/2010 2:29 AM, Jeff Wilson wrote:
> On 12/17/2010 3:53 PM, DAVID STOCKHOFF wrote:
>> I know what you mean.
>>
>> On one hand, the Alice quote is a legitimate literary allusion. On the
>> other hand, Jonas quotes it.
>>
>> It appears that Urth has tracked Earth unnervingly closely in some ways.
>> But if you look at the Jungle Room, where apparently historical
>> characters appear anachronistically, perhaps there are serious
>> differences, proving that there can be serious differences.
>
> Remember, in the BOTNS, time proceeds only mostly linearly, with many 
> loops and echoes backwards and possibly forewards. If we take other 
> metafictional hints in the BOTNS, the universe(s) described in the 
> Book are themselves book-like, proceeding from draft to draft with the 
> best lines and tropes congealing around the plot skeleton. The 
> Increate, outside of time, fiddles with manuscript, keeping some 
> elements while rearranging others, and trying to work in His favored 
> set pieces like the Flood where He can.
>


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