Fairies and Wolfe

Lee Berman · 03 Apr 2012, 19:27 · from 2012-April.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2012 15:27:02 -0400
Subject: (urth) Fairies and Wolfe
Message-ID: <SNT123-W794C26405A7803756C5EDCF4D0 at phx.gbl>

>Gerry Quinn: I never said Severian is using science and technology.  
>What I am arguing is that whatever Severian is doing is understood 
>by the Hieros (though not by Severian) in terms of their science.

Ah, I see. I'd generally agree with that. Still at the end of UotNS,
B, F (and O?) prostrate themselves to Severian to recognize his 
resurrection power is beyond that of Tzadkiel's. Moreover, Tzadkiel
has been an accolyte to Severian, implying I think, that there is a
divine aspect to Severian's power to which even Hierogrammates must 
show adoration and humble worship.

>Dan'l Danehy-Oakes: I call your attention again to the Cathedral of the 
>Pelerines. All power is ultimately divine power...

>> while others are akin to magic, i.e. performed for
>> selfish human wants?

>Exactly.

I think this jibes with Wolfe's stated philosophy that evil must be 
recognized, always, as a distortion or exaggeration of good. (like
Lucifer as former angel, orcs as twisted elves, etc.). God can only
create good, right?

Yet God/The Increate forsees all distortions and ultimately turns them
to serve His Plan. I still think such an omniscient, omnipotent God 
doesn't jibe with the jealous, angry, vengeful God of the OT. How can
you be angry at something that you knew would happen and, ultimately
you set in motion?

For me, either the OT God is different or the people reporting on Him
were different than modern Christian theologians. Perhaps both? Anyway,
I still think, despite their technological superiority, the people in
Sun Series (and perhaps The Outsider) are portrayed as less spiritually 
advanced than modern earthly Christians and their God.

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