Pike's Ghost

Lee Berman · 23 Nov 2011, 15:33 · from 2011-November.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:33:04 -0500
Subject: (urth) Pike's Ghost
Message-ID: <SNT123-W119D2A76DCF72C217238D3CFC90 at phx.gbl>

>> Is it possible Incus, instead of simply being female, is hermaphroditic or
>> transgendered in some way? Consider the theories regarding Hyacinth's ambiguous
>> gender, based both on mythology and textual clues. Doesn't this present a very clear
>> reason for a confusion between Hyacinth and Incus?

>David Stockhoff: Could it it be a flag for that ambiguity, rather than evidence either way?

Oh absolutely. Some quotes from Gene Wolfe interviews suggest that many of his "puzzles" are 
not meant to have specific solutions but merely hint at a certain theme. Surely other puzzles 
do have specific solutions and I think we can all admit that telling the difference is not 
always easy.

We have discussed a father-son-father theme which may reflect the Dionysus(primeval spirit)-
Zeus(father)-Dionysus(son) connection. It likely also reflects the Roy Wolfe(father)-
Gene Wolfe(author)-Roy Wolfe(son) trinity.

This discussion brings to mind an adjunct theme of manly father-effeminate son. We see that with
Zeus and young Dionysus, surely. Phillip and young Alexander also.  I don't know about the Wolfe
family but I think it is there with Horn and Sinew/Krait. Pas and Silk also?

Interestingly it seems reversed with wimpy Ouen and boiled leather and horn Severian. Of course,
Gene Wolfe was a younger author then. Ouen may reflect his own father. Roy-Gene-Roy? I get the
sense that as a narrator, Wolfe matured from Severian into Horn.

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