(urth) Dorcas (was: The mystery of the image of an astronaut cleaned by Rudesind)

[James Wynn]

On 7/9/2010 1:47 PM, James Wynn wrote:
>
>>> Where are you getting this from? The Dorcas-is-Sev's-grandmother
>>> puzzle was understood by some of us as soon as we read Citadel of the
>>> Autarch back in the 1980s.
>> Yep. In fact, I didn't even realize it was considered a "puzzle."
>
> I don't know how it could have passed your notice that this issue was 
> debated on this list in detail in the late 90s.

I think should elaborate on this. Sure there were people who read tBotNS 
and said "Aha! Dorcas is Severian's grandmother." That Number Five's 
name could be derived from the text was lore from at least the late 70s.

One day perhaps it will revealed in no uncertain terms that Tussah is a 
clone of Typhon and that the narrator of the Book of the Short Sun is 
Neighbor. But if that happens, I'm not going to say "Ho ho! Why it was 
*obvious*! What's the mystery here? I was saying that from the 
beginning!" The issue is whether Dorcas as Sev's grandmother was 
explained in terms that made it convincing to all.

I think simian references to Inire and Rudesind are significant, but I 
never paid them much mind before. Now they *do* appear obvious, don't they?

u+169b