Dionysus, the mausoleum

Lee Berman · 20 Dec 2010, 20:46 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:46:13 -0500
Subject: (urth) Dionysus, the mausoleum
Message-ID: <SNT123-W2764352D1330A4D4829606CF190 at phx.gbl>

>James Wynn: Well, I hope this doesn't make you go away again. To the contrary, I 
>just want to ensure you ideas are taken seriously and met with more than a shrug.

James, when I rejoined this List last year under this name, your cogent advice to 
the "new guy" was that when people present their deeply well-thought out theories here, 
they are most often ignored. People are mostly hoping their own theories will be recognized. 
The greatest interest and response thus comes from those who want to ignore the parts 
of a new theory that have obvious value and pour themselves into undercutting what they
perceive as the weaknesses. Some see this as an appropriate version of natural selection of
ideas, but not me. Much of what goes on is personality based. How persistent is the poster? How
nasty are the opponents?  In the real world, good ideas do not often stand soley on their own 
merits. There are always human beings involved.

I think really, really intelligent people tend to feel a bit isolated and alone in the 
world and are thus more easily discouraged when their peers treat their ideas with
harshness or dismissal. The casualties are not only people's feelings but some very 
good ideas. Thus my ongoing crusade to encourage encouragement and constructive criticism
and discourage discouragement and destructive criticism.

My previous posts suggested that WOlfe must be read at multiple levels. As such I think various
theories should not be seen as mutually exclusive. If apprentice Severian can be both a virgin 
and non-virgin depending on how you (or Bill Clinton) define sex, I think James and Marc's theories
can co-exist. Perhaps Wolfe consciously wrote his Sun series so that it could be parallel-read
as both a Christian and Gnostic universe. I'm tracking both theories in my mind and finding both
very insightful and helpful to my overall understanding.

>Marc Aramini: My big big big question that needs resolving ASAP is how are Severian and Typhon related? 

I agree this is a very important question. I have some inkling but not a crystal-clear view yet. For me
the relevant puzzle pieces are: 

1. The Mandragora- fetal man-dragon's conversation with Severian seems an important linkage.

2. Severian's relationship to FATHER Inire.

3. How are Father Inire and Typhon related? Did Typhon have a vizier? If so, I think he is easy to spot
in UotNS. He may even make an appearance in Long/Short Sun. 

I'll leave it at that for now, with hopes others can provide insight.

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