Like a good Neighbor

David Stockhoff · 25 Nov 2011, 15:29 · from 2011-November.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:29:10 -0500
Subject: (urth) Like a good Neighbor
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W446FEF691AD4425E42270BCFCF0 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W446FEF691AD4425E42270BCFCF0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <4ECFB446.2010607 at verizon.net>

On 11/25/2011 9:18 AM, Lee Berman wrote:
> I assume they only went to blue after Neighbors flew to Green and became corrupted by the
>
> parasites. Then the corrupted Neigbors were willing to decimate their own home planet and
>
> population.

So the inhumi used Neighbor ships? That's possible.

Is there any evidence of any character who is an inhumu who has fed on a 
Neighbor?
>
> There is a connecting theme here to other Wolfe books. In 5HoC, we are presented with the
>
> principle than an imitative species will lie and deceive even itself to maintain the illusion
>
> of the imitation. In UotNS, Zak runs away from Severian when he recognizes that the little guy
>
> who helped him is the animal he previously encounted. Severian accepts the running away noting
>
> that such a defense mechanism must be part of the deepest instinct of such a species.
>
>
>
> Interestingly, WOlfe's principle that a vile, imitative species can, if given the right source
>
> material, become gods is duplicated in the finale of Frank Herbert's Dune series.
>
>
>
> Anyway, to sum up, I see this as a choice between a simple, cool but unexplained scientific
>
> improbability and a socio-political-religious commentary about instinctive liars and imitators
>
> which extends across numerous WOlfe stories.  I guess we can have both, but the Short Sun series
>
> becomes significantly thinner if we don't catch the second possibility.

I don't see why we can't have both. Only if we insist on determining the 
absolute truth---in a universe where such appears to be 
unattainable---does that decision need to be a binary one.

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