Short Story 67: The Marvelous Brass Chess Playing Automaton

Marc Aramini · 17 Jul 2014, 17:07 · from 2014-July.txt.gz

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From: marcaramini at gmail.com (Marc Aramini)
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 10:07:06 -0700
Subject: (urth) Short Story 67: The Marvelous Brass Chess Playing
	Automaton
In-Reply-To: <CAF1072wyqPCUQ8-cXCba4phJ+AJiUTh=Mo+2cvLVkt3iFaGsxA at mail.gmail.com>
References: <CAF1072wyqPCUQ8-cXCba4phJ+AJiUTh=Mo+2cvLVkt3iFaGsxA at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <CAF1072zMueGC312TCX2sdQLyc3SuS8qJwaFuUn9pQjCaQBAYaw at mail.gmail.com>

>
> Whether the story indicates that our jailer is suffocating, literally
> trapped in the machine, or simply trapped in a restrictive social system
> that effectively makes life an illusory dream, it is difficult to ascribe
> an objective reality to the story in light of the last two paragraphs. For
> this reason, I feel that Wolfe's stories might often parade as postmodern,
> but only in the rarest of instances does thematic closure require a
> complete overthrowing of basic plot and story elements as if they don't
> matter or exist in an objective framework that is ultimately more or less
> discernible.
>
>
>
>
On rereading that last sentence I feel as if I created a mixed
construction.  Perhaps the last word should be "indiscernible", since we
are talking about what Wolfe's stories DON'T require.  Sorry.
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