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The Quiet Urth
Jason Voegele · 22 Oct 1997, 02:08
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From: "Jason Voegele" <voegele.6 at osu.edu> Subject: (urth) The Quiet Urth Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997 02:08:51 Message-ID: <urth-v0005-0341 at digest.urth.net> X-Urthmirror-Source: http://www.urth.net/urth/archives/v0005/0341.shtml MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_000D_01BCDE8F.711F5660" [Posted from URTH, a mailing list about Gene Wolfe's New Sun and other works] This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000D_01BCDE8F.711F5660 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable And a silence descended upon the Urth like none that was ever known = before... Well, it's been a while since I've posted here, mostly because we've = been discussing books/stories I haven't yet read. Anyone up for a = dissection of The Fifth Head of Cerberus? It seems, for some reason, = that Christian symbolism is a good place to start off. Of course, there's the obvious Satan imagery--666 Maltimbaque (?) St., = the "black scarf and scarlet dressing gown" that No. 5's "father" wears, = etc. What is it that Wolfe is trying to say here? Is science/knowledge = a great evil in Wolfe's mind, or only the misuse of it? If the latter, = what is the line that the protaganist has crossed which makes his/his = father's actions immoral? Am I being too banal? Aah well, just thought = I'd provide a catalyst. -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ------------------------------------------ As an aside, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Wolfe a couple of weeks = ago. He was here in Columbus, Ohio for the "Context X" convention. By = pure chance, I bumped into him as I was registering for the convention. = I told him that I wouldn't be able to make the "Meet the Authors" = session and he kindly offered to sign a couple of books for me--a copy = of Peace and my leather-bound copy of Shadow. (David Brin was the = other guest of honor and I had brought a copy of Startide Rising for him = to sign. Wolfe offered to sign that one for me as well, claiming that = he knew how to spell "Brin".) He was very friendly and approachable, and chatted with me more for ten = minutes or so. I mentioned our mailing list, although he appeared to = know about it already. I also asked him if he'd had the opportunity to = watch City of Lost Children yet, and he told me that he was waiting for = company to come over and watch it with him--oops, I wasn't supposed to = mention that to mantis :) Anyway, after meeting the man, and hearing his fascinating brand of oral = story-telling, he's very like how I'd imagined him, although with a = lighter-hearted nature and more of a Texas drawl. It's easy to see his = characters within him, even if they are much more extreme (or should I = say Severe) in some fashion. It's an experience that sheds a great deal = of light on his work, and I hope those of you who haven't yet had the = chance to talk to him will soon do so. (And those of you who have met = him will kindly forgive me for rambling :) Jason Voegele--eisegesis -----Original Message----- From: David_Lebling at avid.com <David_Lebling at avid.com> To: urth at lists.best.com <urth at lists.best.com> Date: Monday, October 13, 1997 9:30 AM Subject: (urth) Sinister Westwind > >[Posted from URTH, a mailing list about Gene Wolfe's New Sun and other = works] > >The sinister interpretation of "Westwind" is entirely in keeping with >the religious one. Christianity can be (and has been) called "the >opiate of the people" and "a religion for slaves." > >The error is assuming that because the country (world?) of "Westwind" = is >ruled directly by God, it has to be heaven-like. However, to a >believer, _our_ world is ruled directly by God, and each and every one >of us can have personal communication with him, without even the need = of >a pocket phone. Does that mean that our world is any more heaven-like? > >I actually wonder if the ruler's pocket phones and TV speeches violate >the "ground rules" anyway. If you can know other than through faith >that god exists, then there is no free will, is there? It's like >Pascal's wager with the dice loaded. > > -vizcacha > (david_lebling at avid.com) > works >*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at = http://moonmilk.volcano.org/urth/ ranjit at best.com whorl at lists.best.com > > > ------=_NextPart_000_000D_01BCDE8F.711F5660 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.71.1712.3"' name=3DGENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>And a silence descended upon the Urth like none that was ever known = before... </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Well, it's been a while since I've posted here, mostly because = we've been=20 discussing books/stories I haven't yet read. Anyone up for a = dissection of=20 <EM>The Fifth Head of Cerberus</EM>? It seems, for some reason, = that=20 Christian symbolism is a good place to start off.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Of course, there's the obvious Satan imagery--666 Maltimbaque (?) = St., the=20 "black scarf and scarlet dressing gown" that No. 5's=20 "father" wears, etc. What is it that Wolfe is trying to = say=20 here? Is science/knowledge a great evil in Wolfe's mind, or only = the=20 misuse of it? If the latter, what is the line that the protaganist = has=20 crossed which makes his/his father's actions immoral? Am I being = too=20 banal? Aah well, just thought I'd provide a catalyst.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>--------------------------------------------------------------------= -----------------------------------------------</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>As an aside, I had the opportunity = to meet Mr.=20 Wolfe a couple of weeks ago. He was here in Columbus, Ohio for the = "Context X" convention. By pure chance, I bumped into = him as I=20 was registering for the convention. I told him that I wouldn't be = able to=20 make the "Meet the Authors" session and he kindly offered to = sign a=20 couple of books for me--a copy of <EM>Peace</EM> and my leather-bound = copy=20 of <EM>Shadow</EM>. (David Brin was the other guest of honor = and I=20 had brought a copy of <EM>Startide Rising</EM> for him to sign. = Wolfe=20 offered to sign that one for me as well, claiming that he knew how to = spell=20 "Brin".)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>He was very friendly and approachable, and chatted = with me=20 more for ten minutes or so. I mentioned our mailing list, although = he=20 appeared to know about it already. I also asked him if he'd had = the=20 opportunity to watch <EM>City of Lost Children</EM> yet, and he told me = that he=20 was waiting for company to come over and watch it with him--oops, I = wasn't=20 supposed to mention that to mantis :)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Anyway, after meeting the man, and hearing his = fascinating=20 brand of oral story-telling, he's very like how I'd imagined him, = although with=20 a lighter-hearted nature and more of a Texas <EM>drawl</EM>. It's = easy to=20 see his characters within him, even if they are much more extreme (or = should I=20 say <EM>Severe</EM>) in some fashion. It's an experience that = sheds a=20 great deal of light on his work, and I hope those of you who haven't yet = had the=20 chance to talk to him will soon do so. (And those of you who have = met him=20 will kindly forgive me for rambling :)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Jason Voegele--eisegesis</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: <A=20 href=3D"mailto:David_Lebling at avid.com">David_Lebling at avid.com</A> <<A = href=3D"mailto:David_Lebling at avid.com">David_Lebling at avid.com</A>><BR>= To: <A=20 href=3D"mailto:urth at lists.best.com">urth at lists.best.com</A> <<A=20 href=3D"mailto:urth at lists.best.com">urth at lists.best.com</A>><BR>Date: = Monday,=20 October 13, 1997 9:30 AM<BR>Subject: (urth) Sinister=20 Westwind<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>><BR>>[Posted from URTH, a mailing = list about=20 Gene Wolfe's New Sun and other works]<BR>><BR>>The sinister = interpretation=20 of "Westwind" is entirely in keeping with<BR>>the religious = one. Christianity can be (and has been) called = "the<BR>>opiate of=20 the people" and "a religion for = slaves."<BR>><BR>>The error=20 is assuming that because the country (world?) of "Westwind"=20 is<BR>>ruled directly by God, it has to be heaven-like. = However, to=20 a<BR>>believer, _our_ world is ruled directly by God, and each and = every=20 one<BR>>of us can have personal communication with him, without even = the need=20 of<BR>>a pocket phone. Does that mean that our world is any = more=20 heaven-like?<BR>><BR>>I actually wonder if the ruler's pocket = phones and=20 TV speeches violate<BR>>the "ground rules" anyway. If = you can=20 know other than through faith<BR>>that god exists, then there is no = free=20 will, is there? It's like<BR>>Pascal's wager with the dice=20 loaded.<BR>><BR>> = -vizcacha<BR>> =20 (<A=20 href=3D"mailto:david_lebling at avid.com">david_lebling at avid.com</A>)<BR>>= ;<BR>>*This=20 is URTH: discussion of Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun and other=20 works<BR>>*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at <A=20 href=3D"http://moonmilk.volcano.org/urth/">http://moonmilk.volcano.org/ur= th/</A><BR>>*To=20 leave the list, send "unsubscribe" to <A=20 href=3D"mailto:urth-request at lists.best.com">urth-request at lists.best.com</= A><BR>>*To=20 post to the list, write to <A=20 href=3D"mailto:urth at lists.best.com">urth at lists.best.com</A>. *Trouble? = <A=20 href=3D"mailto:ranjit at best.com">ranjit at best.com</A><BR>>*If it's = about the Book=20 of the Long Sun, use WHORL list: <A=20 href=3D"mailto:whorl at lists.best.com">whorl at lists.best.com</A><BR>><BR>= ><BR>></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_000D_01BCDE8F.711F5660--
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