This Week in Google Alerts: more _Land Across_

Gerry Quinn · 30 Dec 2013, 22:48 · from 2013-December.txt.gz

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From: gerry at bindweed.com (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2013 22:48:25 -0000
Subject: (urth) This Week in Google Alerts: more _Land Across_
In-Reply-To: <BLU175-W263D0EC041A73BC395D222CFCE0 at phx.gbl>
References: <BLU175-W263D0EC041A73BC395D222CFCE0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <A5D51EA8A6074F388B4149D11815170F@Rover>

From: Lee
> I haven't met him in person but I know he is often described
> as "genial". Still in thetone of some of his answers to direct
> questions, I know he has a sharp side. But these are all
> external judgements anyway.

Yes, he comes across as genial but often suddenly prickly at times.

<Shrug> I love the books, I'm not actually all that concerned about the 
author.

> Moreover, if the role of author may be considered as demiurgical
> creator, as has been discussed in other threads, perhaps the comparison
> of Wolfe himself to giant god-likemonsters is apt. If "black beans"
>  hold the origin of "Abaia, Erebus and the rest", then Scylla must be
>  included and thus, by extension, Typhon/Pas and Echidna (whom I find
> difficult to disconnect from The Cumaean).

I don't believe Typhon had the same origin as the sea monsters.  Typhon is 
relatively human, I think.

I doubt Wolfe would approve, but I do actually imagine the sea monsters in 
terms of 'singularity' concepts - they are creatures that can reconstruct 
themselves on a molecular level, and they have brains or other devices 
capable of powerful computations.  They are gods [or demons] by our 
standards.   I think the 'seeds; were nanofactories that built them.  But 
that is equally true of all the seeds of living organisms.

- Gerry Quinn

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