the pelagic argosy sights the new sun

Son of Witz · 09 Feb 2011, 20:07 · from 2011-February.txt.gz

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From: Sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org (Son of Witz)
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2011 12:07:27 -0800
Subject: (urth) the pelagic argosy sights the new sun
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W3412514EE6D8D9404D50FCFED0 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W3412514EE6D8D9404D50FCFED0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <6716C67B-D355-4B68-91E8-976F536CFD6B at butcherbaker.org>

On Feb 9, 2011, at 9:55 AM, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:

> 
> 
>> Marc Aramini: Green things die that men may live, and MEN DIE THAT GREEN THINGS MAY LIVE
> 
> It seems clear that the New Sun and its killing of humanity so that green things (even a green man)
> may live is presaged here. The pelagic, watery, fish stuff combined with the green stuff makes it
> clear that Wolfe is trying to get at something in BotNS that he more fully fleshes out in Short Sun
> with Blue and Green. 
> 
> As Severian is alone in the mountains above Thrax he ponders ideal worlds. Two of the principles he
> considers as ideal seem to be a population of people all brothers because they are derived from the 
> same two ancestors (or something like that). And also vegetarianism. I think Wolfe's values may have
> mutated a bit in the 20 years between BotNS and Short Sun. But death of humanity, blue water and green 
> plants seem to persist as themes. (and for me, it is difficult to find the basics of Christianity there).
> 
> Natural trees being higher than man-made masts seems to suggest the idea that our current humanity is an 
> artificial, flawed, imperfect (perhaps corrupted?) species. Perhaps one that needs to be replaced. Such 
> a philosophy doesn't seem too crazy for the 70's in America.                         
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One of the reasons I've always seen Severian's flood as a positive is that I have a similar sort of feeling. I don't hold much hope for humanity, but I hope for earth.  I was attempting to write a story, at 19, that featured a "Mother Nature Fights Back" near wipe out of humanity. I hold this hope with a lot of dissonance, of course. I'm not a full flegded misanthrope.

Severian really saves Urth, not humanity.  Perhaps the *inevitable* consequence of mankind incorporating plants into their bodies (Green Man future) is a merger, where we end up with plants with a sort of human consciousness.  Could be...

Aramini's suggestion about the flora/fauna female/male names indicating a reproductive necessity is interesting. I'm reminded of Orson Scott Card's Speaker of the Dead planet where the alien's reproduction required them to die, have a tree grow from their body, which would eventually birth an animal larvae that grows into the original form.

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