Inhumi in the Whorl

David Stockhoff · 10 Feb 2011, 12:28 · from 2011-February.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2011 07:28:02 -0500
Subject: (urth) Inhumi in the Whorl
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W27C2312E513185D764A6BDCFEC0 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W27C2312E513185D764A6BDCFEC0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <4D53D9D2.9000803 at verizon.net>

I simply meant that sometimes an allusion is just an allusion. If one 
extrapolates a concrete theory from every allusion in Wolfe, it's like 
pulling a thread and unraveling the universe.

On 2/9/2011 10:44 PM, Lee Berman wrote:
>
>> David Stockhoff: Exactly. That interpretation of "Neighbor" has been with me from my
>> first reading. But I don't have any idea what to do with it.
>> I tend to consider conclusions like these to be too literal and not
>> literary enough; that is, they try to make too much of references. For
>> all we know, we are to understand that the Neighbors went sideways when
>> they left.
>> But, borrowing from the parallel discussion of astral projection, it
>> seems an argument could be made that the Neighbors somehow co-opted the
>> Inhumi ability to astral project as humans, combined with time travel,
>> to go back to old Earth and become our gods.
>
>
> Hm..."not literary enough"?  You can't mean Wolfe displays a poor use of the
> English language I think....
>
> Aside from that, isn't the thing that turns a story into literature the ability
> of the author to use his characters to address timeless themes of human existence?
>
> Isn't the origin of western literature rooted in the mythology and religion of ancient
> people? I can't imagine a more literary subject than trying to illustrate the mindset
> of the people who actually created those mythologies and religions.
>
> Isn't that essentially what happens throughout the whole SUn Series- human beings contending
> with powers a bit too great, complex and advanced to fully comprehend but trying to
> use the written word to describe the situation anyway. 		 	   		
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