Losing Imitation

James Wynn · 30 Dec 2010, 04:29 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: crushtv at gmail.com (James Wynn)
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2010 22:29:22 -0600
Subject: (urth) Losing Imitation
In-Reply-To: <42C9E368AD7C4B62BDDF3769932EAEA3@jill>
References: <SNT123-W65600BD7E7EECC3BE9625CCF020 at phx.gbl><B1635281BEF74EABA6D1FD52CDD015BE@jill>	<4D1BBC1A.4050102 at gmail.com><31815A2F2A98406C985615F03F4E55FB@jill>	<4D1BE488.7040803 at gmail.com>
	<42C9E368AD7C4B62BDDF3769932EAEA3@jill>
Message-ID: <4D1C0AA2.1000600 at gmail.com>

>>> Gerry Quinn-
>>> He also said Urth = Green, and look at the trouble THAT'S caused!
>>
>> J Wynn-
>> It doesn't mean it isn't true. It only means it has not been 
>> established HOW it is true. I think it is true. I only doubt that the 
>> Blue/Green sun is Urth's Sol.
>
> G Quinn-
> Completely different planets, completely different biota, completely 
> different stars, you get from one to the other in a generation ship...

And yet, the author has something to say that throws a kink in our 
initial interpretation. This reasoning of yours is like a little child's 
who thinks his father has become scary when he puts on a halloween mask 
and no assurances from him will make a difference. That actors in 
westerns are actually cowboys. You created a category based on what you 
read, and you can't be influenced by evidence to the contrary because 
the categories are the categories.

>> J Wynn-
>> There are at least two OTHER groups of abos identified.
>
> G Quinn-
> True, but the hillmen and marshmen seem to differ culturally, not 
> biologically.

Seeming is not being. There's no evidence the marshmen are capable of 
psychic connections is there? We really don't have enough evidence on 
the matter. But even if it were true, the hillmen and marshmen sure 
_seem_ a lot more human-like than the "Shadow Children" (for clarity's 
sake I'll labeling them as though the distinction were exclusive). This 
belies your argument. The Shadow Children are not so different in looks 
from Sandwalker that mere human differentiation could not account for 
it. They are far more different from humans in psychic abilities. Why 
not assume they are _all_ human?

>> J Wynn-
>> Furthermore we KNOW abos sometimes take the forms of trees if the 
>> stories of their reproduction are to be believed. And only a very 
>> naive Wolfean reader would think VRT's pussy cat is just a pussy cat. 
>> There were multiple groups of humans that came to St A/St C. Why 
>> would the abos, so famous for changing their appearance, be in only 
>> one form?
>
> G Quinn-
> I don't know about the cat, but I am pretty sure the trees are not 
> abos. There is some sexual symbolism / mythology regarding trees, and 
> the abos seem to think the trees father children.  Nevertheless male 
> abos exist and have sex with females, who bear children as humans do. 
> They copied the humans who landed first - presumably just one group, 
> possibly monoracial.  Abos have both genders and individual appearances. 

Hmmm...so when reference is made to trees during mating, that's 
sexual/symbolism--not to be taken literally--even though that is what 
the stories about abos among humanity say (such humanity as exists on St 
C). But gender differentiations could NOT be merely formal distinctions 
among an alien race MIMICKING human behavior. What evidence causes you 
to fall one way or another? Do you have an extra-textual model in mind 
that you are bringing to the story?

u+16b9

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