TBOTSS as fantasy

William Ansley · 19 Feb 2001, 00:23 · from whorl-v0012.mbox · original

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From: William Ansley <wansley at warwick.net>
Subject: Re: (whorl) TBOTSS as fantasy
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 00:23:40
Message-ID: <whorl-v0012-0290 at digest.urth.net>
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At 10:46 AM -0600 2/18/01, Adam Stephanides wrote:
>on 2/14/01 6:08 AM, William Ansley at wansley at warwick.net wrote:
>
>>  I was also bothered by the impossibly large size of the (big)
>>  godling. Wolfe should make up his mind, is he writing science fiction
>>  or isn't he?
>
>I think he isn't, actually.  I think RTTW, and TBOTSS as a whole, are more
>fantasy than science fiction.
>
>Allan Lloyd already pointed out other fantasy-like aspects of the books: t=
he
>Neighbors, who are more like helpful elves than sfnal aliens, have
>unexplained powers, and can be called up by a magic ring; and the astral
>travel, which can be FTL.  To which I would add the long-distance of Horn's
>spirit into Silk, without the rationalizations supplied in TBOTLS for
>possession via windows; and the inhumi's absorption of human's intelligence
>by drinking their blood.
>

[...]

>In other words, having written two series which were science fiction with a
>fantasy-like veneer, Wolfe has followed them up with a third series of
>fantasy with a science fiction veneer.

But they're all the same series! I assume you mean that NS/UNS* and=20
LS are the SF disguised as fantasy and SS is the fantasy disguised as=20
SF.

No one forced Wolfe to write LS as a series loosely (and, before SS,=20
uncertainly) linked to NS and UNS. Likewise, he did not have to write=20
SS, as a direct continuation of LS and a series that also makes the=20
link between LS/SS and NS/UNS all but certain. Wolfe choose to do so=20
however. If he also choose to make the LS (and NS/UNS) SF and SS=20
fantasy, I think he is being terribly unfair to his readers.

I am certainly not alone in reading SS as SF. All the arguments and=20
discussions about the orbital mechanics of the Blue/Green system=20
become meaningless if SS is fantasy. Robert Borski's reason's for=20
saying he thinks the inhumi are lying when they say they can travel=20
through space from Green to Blue and back are moot. The inhumi can=20
fly through the vacuum just as easily as H. P. Lovecraft's beasties=20
if SS is a fantasy.

Why does Wolfe bother to put in so many SFnal details, if we are=20
supposed to read SS as a fantasy, To pick just one specific example,=20
in OBW on pp. 52 - 53, Horn and Sinew are discussing weapons.

----------------
[Sinew: ] In that book you and Mother wrote, you have one of the=20
soldiers tell somebody his slugs are made of some stuff I never heard=20
of.

[Horn: ] Yes, depleted uranium.
----------------

Why does Wolfe bother with this passage, if all he wants to do is=20
apply a veneer of SF to the book? Why wasn't the stuff Sinew never=20
heard of pixie dust or duralloy or neutronium?

I can't say you are not right, because I don't know what was going on=20
in Wolfe's mind, But, if you are right, I think Wolfe did a grave=20
disservice to his readers and has made it impossible to seriously=20
consider NS/UNS/LS/SS as a cohesive whole, which is surely what he=20
wants; else why did he link the books so strongly?

William Ansley

* NS  =3D TBotNS =3D The Book of the New Sun (series)
   UNS =3D UotNS  =3D Urth of the New Sun (novel)
   LS  =3D TBotLS =3D The Book of the Long Sun (series)
   SS  =3D TBotSS =3D The Book of the Short Sun (series)

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