Key to the Universe

David Stockhoff · 18 Dec 2010, 23:27 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:27:43 -0500
Subject: (urth) Key to the Universe
In-Reply-To: <4D0D3AB2.5050109 at io.com>
References: <SNT123-W487905A3BB7A5E9C2584CACF170 at phx.gbl>
	<4D0D3AB2.5050109 at io.com>
Message-ID: <4D0D436F.5050605 at verizon.net>

Sound. I agree that "galaxies" fits better than planets, because there 
are gulfs and then there are inconceivable gulfs.

I like Ultan as Cyriaca's uncle, who knows lots of stories.

On 12/18/2010 5:50 PM, Jeff Wilson wrote:
> On 12/18/2010 10:16 AM, Lee Berman wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Also, Master Ultan says that the library houses "books cased in 
>>> perfumed
>>> woods shipped across the inconceivable gulf between creations
>>
>> This sounds so much like description of manvantaras by Malrubius I 
>> feel one has
>> to perform contortions to avoid the connection.
>
> Even bonafide Yesodis casually use "creations" to refer to galaxies 
> when thy are speaking to be understood by Urthlings.
>
>>> there's much less interchange between
>>> manvantaras than is otherwise suggested between Urth and Earth by G.W.
>>
>>
>> I could accept this better if I thought Wolfe wrote BotNS primarily 
>> to create a
>> strange, alien planet so different from our own. Instead this is a 
>> planet tightly
>> allusionally bound to our own so there must be significant 
>> connections between the
>> two planets. It could be that is a result of Urth being future Earth 
>> and has nothing
>> to do with alternate manvantaras. But if that were true, why would 
>> WOlfe dwell on the
>> multiple universe theme so strongly?
>
> Because it's a time travel story, and a religious story, and deals 
> with the beginning and end of the world as well.
>
>
>>> I don't see any way for Ultan to know about Yesodi-level goings on 
>>> and yet feel free
>>> to share it so casually with someone he can't positively identify.
>>
>>
>> I do. But this is because I am not willing to default to the 
>> assumption that Ultan is just a
>> throw-away character: show up, reference Borges, then disappear 
>> forever in the story.
>> Weird things are going on with him. Gnostic symbolism, as has 
>> recently been discussed. The
>> woman from the coffin is seen in his face. His hunger for the 
>> knowledge of the dead, etc.
>
> So he's Cyriaca's uncle, and fits in with the general macbre, gothic 
> mode of the citadel.
>
>> We have the example of Cyriaca's "uncle" casually sharing the secrets 
>> of the universe with
>> her (then Cyriaca casually sharing them with Severian and us).
>
> The story of the citadel library and the ancient machine companions, 
> et al, isn't a secret of the universe, just forgotten history. Ultan 
> can be free with that sort of general ancient lore because it's all in 
> the library somewhere and it's his job to facilitate access to it. The 
> Yesodi plot is for-sure current state secret of the Commonwealth that 
> is actively concealed by the "cacogen" masquerade, and the Yesodis 
> keep some of it from even the Autarchs until they get a certified 
> sun-bringer,  to whom they have to eventually reveal their master plan 
> in order to secure his participation, or we'd never learn of it at all.
>
>


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