interview questions

Lee Berman · 06 Jan 2011, 13:32 · from 2011-January.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2011 08:32:49 -0500
Subject: (urth) interview questions
Message-ID: <SNT123-W6223F8155F8123F29D61C0CF0A0 at phx.gbl>

>Maybe VRT was doing his best to play anthropologist

>David Stockhoff: This explanation strikes me as an economical one. Also, remember that we 
>become that which we pretend to be.

David, do you mean it would be more accurate to say VRT was doing his best to BE an
anthropologist? If so, I certainly understand your drift in the greater theme of things.

I'd still consider the issue of perspective. VRT is genetically disposed to erase his memories
of being an abo (and perhaps earlier a Shadow Child and earlier a Shadow) to perfect his imitation
and BE an anthropogist. Only we, as omniscient (hah!) readers can realize that he is playing the 
role of someone else.

(I find characterizing the original form as a "shadow" useful. Shadows are dark, imitative and 
indeterminate in size, shape and number).

>Gerry Quinn: Same old thing - a storytelling contest.  I consider the structure of 5HoC 
>infinitely more elegant.  Storytelling contests remind me of that Wolfe tic 
>"First explain how you know that I know that..." of which 5HoC is also mercifully free.

Yeah, but was there a purpose for the contest? Just passing time or winning some inconsequential
thing? Well, doesn't matter. I generally agree with you on the elegance of 5HoC. But what about
the contrivance of reading the Brown Book? More elegant than a story contest?

>Antonio P. Marques: ...so if someone came there millennia earlier, it wasn't someone we 
>know from History. The folks from Atlantis, maybe? Or Gondwanaland, but both names are modern. Heck.

I think we can assume those names are translated from the (likely mental) language of the Shadow Kids.

>Tony Ellis: The thing we can't seem to get past is whether or not the Old Wise One is fantasising when he 
>speaks of being human. We read it differently and there I think the matter has to rest. Lee asked my reasons 
>for preferring one theory and I've given them, probably in more detail than anybody wanted :-)

We are made to understand that forgetting origins is part of the perfection process of imitation. I also find
the equation of Shadow+Human = Shadow Child to be a better intuitive conclusion than Weed+Human = Shadow Child; 
both by naming convention and biological process.

>Tony: An earthly origin, or perhaps that humanity on both Earth and St Anne is the result of some earlier 
>galactic expansion. I find the idea pretty far-fetched to say the least - but also hard to dismiss.

Sticking with my "shadow" metaphor, I think we are meant to ask whether shadows are only to be found on Ste. 
Anne (and in fiction). Perhaps Earth and reality have their version (not to mention Urth and Green). If so
what is the connection between these shadowy entitities?

(Apologies for getting metaphysical, but I've suggested to David that "shadows" may be considered by WOlfe as 
a necessary by-product of creation. "Let there be Light" plus "Let there be Objects" requires the corollary "Let
there be Shadows".  A hammer blow creates both a dent and a bump. Did God need to create a Lucifer to get a Jesus?)

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