Gummed-Up Works or Got Lives?

Daniel Petersen · 14 Dec 2011, 14:24 · from 2011-December.txt.gz

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From: danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com (Daniel Petersen)
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:24:17 +0000
Subject: (urth) Gummed-Up Works or Got Lives?
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On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 1:50 PM, Gerry Quinn <gerry at bindweed.com> wrote:

>
>
>  *From:* Ant?nio Pedro Marques <entonio at gmail.com>
>
> > Curious bit here: I've never got the 's&s' feeling from any of the Sun
> > books, not even NS.
>
> Same here.  If you?ve read Vance (say) beforehand, you?ll know what?s
> going on (of course in _The Dying Earth_ magic did rather dominate tech,
> but at the same time the environment is recognisable).  And Wolfe tells us
> very quickly anyway in the graveyard scene, where ?there was a a shot? and
> we are instantly informed that Vodalus is using some kind of energy pistol.
>
> It?s not really about the tech versus magic thing anyway, so much as the
> foregrounding of a way of thinking about the world.  Vance?s magic is a
> kind of technology, even in Lyonesse.  Conversely, Moorcock can go on all
> he wants about power rings or whatever, but he?s still writing swords and
> sorcery.
>
> I guess Wolfe might leave an option for the Increate or his chief minions
> to interfere with the physical underpinnings of the world ? but for all
> lesser beings at least, magic is a name for technologies we don;t
> understand.  The Cumaean says as much.
>
> - Gerry Quinn
>
>
Yeah, I saw right away it was 'science fantasy', but the sword, cloak, long
journeys on foot, healings (and other 'miracles' I doubt are reducible to
'technologies we don't understand'), monsters (even though you eventually
realise they're aliens), etc. all give a SnS *feel* I think.  Surely others
have thought this?  I thought it was kind of obvious, given, and sort of
celebrated.  Hm.

-DOJP
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