miracle of Apu-punchau, past

Jeff Wilson · 04 Jul 2003, 04:25 · from urth-v0307.mbox · original

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From: Jeff Wilson <jwilson at io.com>
Subject: Re:(urth) miracle of Apu-punchau, past
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 2003 23:25:44 -0500
Message-ID: <urth-v0307-3560 at digest.urth.net>
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> From:
> maa32 <maa32 at dana.ucc.nau.edu>

> The miracle of Apu-punchau.  What does he do at the end of Claw of the=20
> Conciliator?  He calls the future Severian and the whole city back in tim=
e. =20
> He doesn't go forward: Severian goes back.  That's the miracle of Apu-Pun=
chau.
> To hide the sun, he creates a huge eclipse.  He swaps the moon ... for th=
e=20
> future Urth.  He calls the Urth back in time, and instead of bringing a N=
ew=20
> Sun, Severian has simply called the whole Urth back to the past where the=
 Sun=20
> is still New. =20


> Well, I don't know if I believe this at all. But there is that weird scen=
e in=20
> Citadel of the Autarch where Severian feels like he is being doubled and=20
> leaves from his own ear into an alternate universe when he is praying to =
the=20
> Pelerines, and the idea that the future of Urth is our past that is broug=
ht up=20
> by Wolfe in an interview, which I always thought was entirely contrary to=
 the=20
> book.  I don't know.  It places a lot of importance on Apu-Punchau's "Mir=
acle"=20
> as the solution to everything instead of the white fountain, but I don't =
think=20
> it jives with the hierodules' explanations at all.

Perhaps the White Fountain is bright-era sun seen through the time=20
tunnel sent by Apu Punchau to fetch the other-era earth. I like the=20
idea, and it validates my time-twisted journey theory also, without=20
making it a hackneyed Planet of the Apes riff.


--=20
Jeff Wilson - http://www.io.com/~jwilson




--=20

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