Urth Net
Political philosophies
1 quoted line
Ryan Dunn- However, the idea of a kingdom living on through successors by way of corpse eating is pretty cool, and maybe it was the seed of the idea for Wolfe when he constructed it in his world.
I think somewhere it is contrasted that the Ascians hope to eventually copy one
individual over and over in the millions in their populatce. The Commonwealth hopes to eventually capture the minds of all members of its populace within one mind (The Autarch's).
Is one of these clearly better than the other?
I'll note that Severian's musings on the mountain and in regard to the green man suggest a sympathy with vegetarianism.
Also on the mountain is the suggestion that the ideal society is one in which all people will treat each other justly if they know they are descended from the same two ancestors. On first readings, this seemed like oddly undisguised racism and xenophobia.
But I now take this passage Biblically, in view of Adam and Eve and mating with demons and fallen angels and nephilim and lamia etc. Perhaps Wolfe is suggesting we would all treat each other with respect if we were all fully human (i.e. without evil alien corruption in our genes).