Lupiverse(es)

Lee Berman · 12 Mar 2012, 19:54 · from 2012-March.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:54:49 -0400
Subject: (urth) Lupiverse(es)
Message-ID: <SNT123-W45B2308D73948C34FBEECACF5B0 at phx.gbl>

>Gerry Quinn: You are ignore the actual context of the references.  Urth, Verthandi and Skuld 

>are all planets of the same solar system in the same cycle, and the reasons they are given 

>>the names Past, Present and Future are explained.

I am quite aware of the superficial context of the references. You ignore that the text can be

understood at more than one literary level. I don't think there is a particularly good explanation 

for the names of all three planets. But I think you missed a clue there which hints at a connection 

to earth. An ancient language is mentioned in which the words for gift and now are homophones. This 

language is surely english. The chances of it being another language are slim and pointless.

>Jeff Wilson: Urth is certainly the repository of things and personages past, and the 
>name is appropriate, but that doesn't make it literally in our past.

No, what makes it our past is that Gene WOlfe said it was our past. I certainly had thought it was

the future until I encountered the James Jordan interview (and one other, I believe). I don't think 

the possibility was much discussed in here until I brought the topic up 5-6 years ago.

Only after that clue from the interviews did I start looking for evidence that Urth was in a previous

universe than earth's.  But once I went looking, I found some. Others look for evidence that Urth is 

earth's future and that can be found also.

So, two competing hypothesis with a significant number of followers in each camp. Take your pick.

They are both valid, based on the support they receive. The "Urth is earth's future" camp has the 

unpleasant requirement of assuming that Wolfe was lying, retrofitting, forgetful or otherwise less 

than accurate in the interviews. Or perhaps two different interviewers managed to quote him 

incorrectly in the same way on this point. But for some people, these problems are outweighed by 

problems with the other hyphothesis. C'est la vie.

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