Inhumi in the Whorl

Lee Berman · 09 Feb 2011, 20:30 · from 2011-February.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2011 15:30:04 -0500
Subject: (urth) Inhumi in the Whorl
Message-ID: <SNT123-W41706C397ED673724C1829CFED0 at phx.gbl>

>Gerry Quinn: Fair enough - we could also note that the creation process is more 
>*important* than good and evil:  "Which does humanity need more? Justice and 
>peace? Or a New Sun?"

Yes, I think we are in agreement on Wolfe's intentions. Especially if "creation", 
"God's Plan" and "Word of the Increate" are all synonymous.

>That seems a bit of a stretch.  It is easier to take the opposite tack: the 
>parasite has destroyed its prey, and will now itself die.  The story is 
>driven by the failure of an ecosystem, not its success.  [In some sense, all 
>three stories are driven by such a failure, but in BotNS the cause and cure 
>are in some degree external, and in BotSS the system has outlived is design 
>life.  I don't think ecosystem failure is the central theme ofd the Solar 
>Cycle.]

I don't quite get you here. Why has the parasite destroyed its prey? Inhumi
don't normally kill their host. All three species seem destined to live on in
one form or another. Do you mean that Neighbors are not seen in corporeal form?

Only Urth (and its ocean-bound denizens) seem threatened with extinction by a
future of ice. But Severian and his handlers have taken care of that. Cyclical
succession including resurrection is a perfectly viable way to maintain an
ecosystem. Happens every year in some places.

>They may be more morally, aesthetically, and technologically advanced in 
>some ways - but they were still defeated by the inhumi. Not to go all 
>Campbellian, but  perhaps there's a reason why the humans end up in 
>possession of Blue.

Heh, sure that's how it always is- your own race is always the winner, is 
always the superior one (just like on St. Anne ;- ) ). Sometimes victory
is actually slavery in disguise. 

Given the assault on the wedding party by an army of inhumi that will only get larger, 
I'm not sure "humans end up in possession of Blue" is the only way to look at it. I 
suppose cows can be said to be in possession of the field they graze upon. But McDonalds
views the situation a bit differently.

>That seems quite wrong.  The Neighbours failed utterly to control them.  The 
>inhumi destroyed the Neighbours.

Not completely. Horn encounters them in a certain form.  And I supect we can find Neighbors 
in other forms. Wolfe gave them limb, body and head multiplicity for a reason. I think it 
is symbolic. What is the source of giant creatures like The Mother and Great Scylla who can 
produce multiple copies of human-like forms? You can't ignore these guys and their place
in the ecosystem.

What does The Mother use Seawrack for? What do Scylla, Erebus, Abaia et al. use humans on 
Urth for? 

I guess it can be pleasant to think of one's own race as the ultimate top of the food chain or 
whatever, but can we be sure that is humanity's place in the Sun Cycle? Top Dog?

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