First time poster & thoughts on Scylla

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes · 02 Aug 2001, 09:22 · from whorl-v0012.mbox · original

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From: "Dan'l Danehy-Oakes" <ddanehy at siebel.com>
Subject: RE: (whorl) First time poster & thoughts on Scylla
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 09:22:33
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Welcome Peacefrog.

> Then on page 60 of the hardcover edition of OBW, in the middle of the
first
> paragraph, it describes Horn's prayer to "whatever god might hear" (but
> mostly to the Outsider) that he be given wind for his becalmed sloop. One
of
> the things he promises to the god who grants his wish is that he (Horn)
will
> "do anything in my power to bring them both here if they were not hear
> already." The duo he is referring to are Pas and Scylla.

Thank you. Very well observed; I certainly hadn't noticed the relevance of
this apparently throwaway comment.=20

> The Outsider grants the supplications of the somewhat-faithful, but in
> unexpected ways. Kind of like, "Be careful what you wish for. It might
> come true."

I think it may be time for another pass through the Books of the [Foo] Sun,=20
or at least Short, with the specific goal of observing _everything_ that=20
_anyone_ prays for (at least to the Increate a/k/a the Outsider) ... I=20
should not be at all surprised to discover that people invariably get what=20
they pray for (though generally in an unexpected and perhaps difficult-to-
recognize form). As a side topic, I should also not be surprised to learn=20
that Horn keeps _every_ promise he makes to anyone along the way. (Again,=20
generally in an unexpected etc.)=20

This also adds fuel to my challenge to those too ready to dismiss SHORT as
inferior Wolfe. These are challenging and subtle books, and I believe it=20
will be several years before anyone can make any really useful assessment
of what they are and do (beyond the obvious "it doesn't yield itself very
well to a first reading"). I think they may prove to be the best work Mr.
Wolfe has done to date.

> "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle."

A friend of mine in Berkeley had a bumper sticker with a lovely picture=20
of a fish riding a bicycle. (Far less cartoony than you'd think.) (It=20
may or may not be relevant to know that she was gay.)

--Dan'l

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