Secrets & Denial

David Lebling · 20 Apr 2001, 13:08 · from whorl-v0012.mbox · original

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From: "David Lebling" <dlebling at ucentric.com>
Subject: (whorl) Secrets & Denial
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 13:08:22
Message-ID: <whorl-v0012-0673 at digest.urth.net>
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> From: Nicholas Gevers <vermoulian at yahoo.com>
> The resolution to the problem, I now argue, is another
> much-questioned feature of TBSS's plot: astral travel.

If the inhumi reach Blue by astral travel, wouldn't the human-inhumi appear
on Blue as humans, as Jahlee does on Urth?  However, as a version of the
secret that provides an offensive weapon, astral travel is very good, for
those who are travelling are comatose. If you find their bodies, you can
kill them easily. This isn't a "weapon too heavy to wield," though.

> From: James Jordan <jbjordan4 at home.com>
> I think the inhumi are capable of teleportation.

This solves my objection above (i.e., they aren't travelling astrally, they
are teleporting), except that I see no evidence whatsoever for it in the
book.

> From: "Patrick O'Leary" <poleary at cecom.com>
> What we take to be a story of a sinner who has reincarnated a Saint
> and cannot bear the contrast between his soul's knowledge of goodness
> and his failure to live up to that model--is actually a sleight of hand,
> a narrative trick , a portrait of denial.

Thank you Patrick! A post which for me captures the strengths of the series,
and probably gets very close to Wolfe's intent.

So many things in Wolfe's novels happen offscreen, and we learn about them
only through allusions elsewhere, or must infer them ourselves. Capturing
the importance of Silk's denial as the engine behind this in _Short Sun_ is
excellent.

    Dave Lebling
    aka vizcacha

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