(urth) bsharp's Inire theory

[Dave Tallman]

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes wrote:
> Let's try to make this as simple as possible...
>   
As Einstein once said, "Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler."
> Hierogrammates (whom some here call simply "Hieros") are the human race of the
> previoius cycle of the Universe, or their descendants.
>   
I've made this mistake myself, but Hieros and Hierogrammates are not the 
same. Hieros were human-congates of the last universe cycle who formed 
the Hierogrammates from another race of beings, making them better than 
humans. The Hierogrammates plan to use the humans of Briah to form the 
next iteration of Hieros.
> Hierodules are beings of the same cycle as Severian, bred up to help in the task
> of raising Humanity to Hiero-status.
>
> Their relationship is something like that of the Overlords to the Overmind in
> Clarke's _Childhood's End_.
>   
"Childhood's End" is an interesting reference. I wonder if BotNS was 
partly inspired by it, because it also involves an attempt to raise 
humanity to the next level which is catastrophic to Earth.