Typhon's Duality

Seth Lombardi · 15 Aug 2000, 02:05 · from whorl-v0011.mbox · original

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From: "Seth Lombardi" <sethlombardi at hotmail.com>
Subject: (whorl) Typhon's Duality
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2000 21:05:16 CDT
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Okay - longtime lurker here. Must admit that I haven't read IGJ yet, but=20
there was so much in the last few posts that I just couldn't hold back.

Okay, if Typhon was Neighbor-Spawned or related it _would_ help finally=20
explain the whole Why The Whorl Anyway question, but Typhon was such a=20
seemingly sinister and human critter that I have a hard time buying it. His=20
duality is parasitic and completely antithetical to both the Outsider and (=
I=20
think - I've only read OBW) the semi-enlightened noble savage-ness of the=20
Neighbors. Then again, the Neighbors ain't exactly what I'd call easy to=20
relate to, so perhaps Typhon was some sort of proto-neighbor, from back whe=
n=20
they were a bit more barbaric. On the other hand, I've always liked the way=20
Wolfe makes most evil human created - even we seeded Erebus and such.=20
(Uh...right?)
All this talk of duality makes me think this - The vast majority of animal=20
life on Blue has eight legs, instead of our four legged variety. It's no=20
surprise then that the dominant humanoid life form on Blue has four legs=20
instead of our two. It's like the place is bursting with duality. And I,=20
uh...really don't know what to do with that. Anybody?

Oh, and on the subject of Silk's suicide - I really wouldn't be too=20
surprised. Silk contemplating tossing himself from the airship and the=20
ensuing conversation with Horn seemed to me to be the defining moment of th=
e=20
entire book of the long sun. Never trusted that Hyacinth woman or Silk for=20
being so gaga for her. I mean - nice guy but sometimes not too bright,=20
y'know? Then again, how many Wolfe protagonists really need to chill when i=
t=20
comes to the ladies? Severian uses em like kleenex and Silk is a human=20
doormat. Poor dopes.

Seth
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