(urth) Wolfe at Dragon*Con (AEG)

[Allan Anderson]

> And, since there seems to be some confusion, in Wolfe's book it is
> "Woldercan", not "Woldercon".

Yes, I often make that slip, too. When I first read "Woldercan", the image
of a spacestation "tin can" sprung to mind. But then I started reading
"Woldercon", imagining a Wolfe-themed convention. Some of the descriptions
in the book (fierce beasts, deep forests?) led me to wonder if "wolder"
means "wild". But then the most obvious connotation would have to be the
"Circus of Dr. Lao" reference people have pointed out. Still gotta read
that.

To snip a perhaps apropos phrase from Dr. Lao's Wikipedia summary,"..the
mythical city of 'Woldercan', populated by doubles of the townfolk..."

On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 4:34 PM, Roy C. Lackey <rclackey at stic.net> wrote:

> James Wynn quoted and wrote:
>
> > > I really don't care why Reis might have assumed Gideon's identity: I'm
> > > saying that it didn't happen,
> >
> > I know. But you should bother to come up with glaring evidence that it
> > didn't happen or be able explain what *is* going on in the story that
> makes
> > it happening unnecessary. You can't.
>
> You've got me there: I concede that I cannot prove a negative.
>
> > > Reis had ample wealth to get to Woldercan without resorting to bad
> gold,
> > > as
> > > evidenced by the diamonds he gave Cassie, the sale of which gave her
> the
> > > money for the big hopper.
> >
> > What???? You don't KNOW this.
>
> Yes, I do, and so should you.
>
> > Reis's bad gold is repeatedly presented as the
> > foundation of his fortune. I could just as well assume that he was so
> > leveraged that his empire could not survive a month without it.
>
> Reis was a wealthy man before he ever went to Woldercan as President
> Ingstrup's ambassador. He was a contractor: "Become a contractor himself,
> an' was smart enough to see the big money went to them that had friends in
> high places."(14)  "He was a major contributor to President Ingstrup's
> first
> campaign. Also to his second, though that doesn't really come into it.
> Major
> contributors are often given ambassadorships." (15-16)
>
> The added wealth he acquired from bad gold after returning to Earth was
> icing on the cake. Anyway, the bad gold was converted to clean assets, such
> as diamonds and cash. My point stands: Reis did not need to resort to
> somehow taking Gideon's place as the new ambassador. He had the means to
> buy
> a hopper that would get to Woldercan, just as Cassie did -- provided he was
> alive to do it.
>
> > > Besides, he was presumed dead,
> > > which he was, and his body missing, as was the case for many of the
> > > thousands who died in the storm.
> >
> > So what? You don't think the government checks out the background of
> people
> > who go to Woldercon?
>
> Oh, I do believe the government makes such checks, particularly of State
> Department personnel. I am even naive enough to believe that the FBI and
> other government agencies involved were competent enough to distinguish
> between the big bad man they were looking for and the smaller man who was
> sent to find him, with or without an amputated leg.
>
> > However, let me say this flatly: IF Wolfe had Reis go to Woldercon as
> Chase
> > (and if Reis is on Woldercon that *is* a very likely explanation since
> he's
> > the only other character presented as going there), THEN Wolfe did it for
> > one reason -- Good story construction. It was simply more interesting at
> > that point in the story than having Reis create a brand new identity that
> > the reader was not familiar with.
>
> It is the Reis-as-Ambassador Gideon Chase part I balk at. There must be
> another explanation for Wolfe's comment.
>
> And, since there seems to be some confusion, in Wolfe's book it is
> "Woldercan", not "Woldercon".
>
> -Roy
>
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