textual support for Silk suicide hypothesis

Kevin J. Maroney · 29 Mar 2001, 11:43 · from whorl-v0012.mbox · original

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From: "Kevin J. Maroney" <kmaroney at ungames.com>
Subject: RE: (whorl) textual support for Silk suicide hypothesis
Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2001 11:43:50
Message-ID: <whorl-v0012-0510 at digest.urth.net>
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At 11:26 PM 3/28/01 -0500, you wrote:
>It is an easy mistake to make in the SS books. I felt that Horn or=20
>Horn/Silk or Silk or whatever you want to call him bore a very close=20
>resemblance to the Heinleinian omnicompetent man, especially in IGJ=20
>and RttW. He can beat up men half his age, armed only with a rotten=20
>stick, plan, fight in and win battles and give advice to lovesick=20
>teenage girls. And that's not the half of it!

It's true in _Long Sun_, too. Silk-as-detective, Silk-as-warrior (he
defeats an entire Trivigaunte airship with his bare hands!),
Silk-as-genetic-superhero. It's easy to overlook because Silk is so
self-effacing, but he really is an overman.=20

>The only thing I can see that sets him apart from a Heinlein hero is=20
>his is his raging self doubt and feelings of inadequacy, which I will=20
>admit is a big difference,

Oh yes. I was talking with Patrick O'Leary at the ICFA about what sets
_Short Sun_ apart from most of Wolfe's ouvre. It's the raw emotionality of
the work. Wolfe's work always carries a significant emotional charge, but
_Blue_ and _Green_ are unprecedented in their sheer emotional weight.

--=20
   Kevin Maroney | Unplugged Games=20
   kmaroney at ungames.com | (212) 777-1190

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