Merger

James Wynn · 31 Jan 2011, 01:53 · from 2011-January.txt.gz

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From: crushtv at gmail.com (James Wynn)
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 19:53:40 -0600
Subject: (urth) Merger
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W52E420DF1DED5F14659A7CCFE30 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W52E420DF1DED5F14659A7CCFE30 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <4D461624.8070608 at gmail.com>


>> u+16b9-
>> The alzabo might well have been engineered to allow dead humans to live on in an animal
>
> Lee-
> I'm not understanding the assumption that alzabos are evolved or engineered to feed on humans.
> They are alien creatures, like the notules and slugs and salamanders. If these can be used to
> to kill humans without being evolved or engineered to, why not alzabo?

Well, I agree. But it is certainly debatable and I was only offering an 
alternate purpose for humans engineering of the alzabo.  I wanted to 
show that there more than two possible origins of the creature. 
Obviously, if it's ability is natural, it probably developed in absence 
of humans. But it might have been engineered by alien civilizations.

On the other hand, there are no "alien civilizations" in tBotNS, are 
there? There humans and the descendants of humans. It sort of reminds me 
of Tracking Song in that.

u+16b9

>
> The fact that the alzabo appears when Agia is hiding in the attic, safe from it, might suggest
> it has been called through the mirrors by Hethor. Severian later wonders why she didn't sneak
> down and stab him while he was eating or at some other vulnerable time. Moreover, it is in
> Casdoe's cabin that Severian tells Agia he knows who Hethor is and that he is the source of
> the deadly beasts he has encountered. Agia assures Severian that one of Hethor's beasts will kill
> him if she doesn't do it first. Later...enter alzabo.
>
>
>> Alzabos whose instincts in this regard tend to be subverted  by the minds of their prey are
>> unfit alzabos, who leave fewer progeny.
>
> More evidence, I think, that alzabos are not evolved to prey upon humans. Humans are are unique
> in being both easy prey without weapons and deadly enemies with them. The alzabo's own instincts
> seem better suited for hunting pure prey species. Alzabo-Becan combined instincts lead to the
> death of the beast which wouldn't have happened if the prey had been a rabbit-like creature.
>
> I think it is similar to a dog who is killed by chasing cars. Naturally evolved instincts in
> animals often become deadly when misapplied in a human-based world (as the alzabo brain has
> partially become). 		 	   		
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