Lupiverse(es)

Gerry Quinn · 12 Mar 2012, 20:33 · from 2012-March.txt.gz

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From: gerry at bindweed.com (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:33:42 -0000
Subject: (urth) Lupiverse(es)
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W45B2308D73948C34FBEECACF5B0 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W45B2308D73948C34FBEECACF5B0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <09E73CDA688D4D638A4CF1615384FFCD@Rover>

From: Lee Berman 

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. 

It?s reasonable.  Earth was considered ? at least by those colonising Mars - the past of humanity, Mars  the present, hence its new name.  Then those interested in colonising Venus decided to go one up on both.

One thing is certain: you don?t need to do ?further readings and research?.  The meanings of past, present and future are explicitly noted, with no references to Norns needed.  Wolfe doesn?t generally hide cryptic clues like this.  He did assume that many or most readers would know that Mars (?which was then called War?) derives from the name of the Roman god of war ? but he also noted that it was red just in case anyone needed an extra clue.

> 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.

What makes you think I missed something so completely obvious?  

If Urth is a reference to a past universe, Verthandi and Skuld are the Mars and Venus of that universe. Every iteration has an Urth, a Verthandi and a Skuld.  So their names say nothing about which iteration they are in.

- Gerry Quinn

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