What is _Urth of the New Sun_ about?

William December Starr · 19 Jan 2004, 20:58 · from rec.arts.sf.written.2004.mbox

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From: wdstarr at panix.com (William December Starr)
Subject: Re: What is _Urth of the New Sun_ about?
Date: 19 Jan 2004 15:58:15 -0500
Message-ID: <buhgd7$oj3$1 at panix2.panix.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
References: <bss663$593$1 at panix1.panix.com> <Xns946188F9C4513mss2mediaonenet at 130.133.1.4> <qemIb.1404$Is5.488 at bignews4.bellsouth.net> <bteo4e$30n$1 at news01.cit.cornell.edu>

In article <bteo4e$30n$1 at news01.cit.cornell.edu>,
"Ron Henry" <ronhenry at blahblahblah.clarityconnectcom> said:

> No, really, It's pretty clear from references in both the New Sun
> and Long Sun series that Severian and the people of the Whorl who
> come from the same Commonwealth as Severian, were South Americans.
> (One off the cuff reference I can think of is that they drink
> mat�.)

How likely is it, though, that the equation "they drink mate' in that
culture" == "that culture is located in South America" is going to
remain continuously true for tens of thousands of years?

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