(urth) Home Fires questions

[David Stockhoff]

Finally!

On 10/17/2011 10:02 PM, Stephen Hoy wrote:
> David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net> asked:
> > Seriously. Has no one read Home Fires?
>
> My thirst for /Home Fires/ got quenched in the first chapter while 
> trying to figure out why yellow FAX paper would be so 
> comforting--apparently this is a 'finding' in color psychology, which 
> presumably foreshadows the overlays of color-named characters.
I forget who was supposed to find it comforting....need to check. Yes, 
there must be other colors than Blue and White; there must be a Yellow 
at least.
>
> > Was Skip once someone else?
>
> Seems like everyone in Home Fires is/was someone else so why not Skip? 
> Question is, who? His initials--S.W.G.--don't help me generate many 
> alternatives, although some sort of "Greene" seems likely. But 
> Skip/overlay might explain why Skip wonders if Chelle will recognize 
> him on her return--despite the Obvious Explanation that Skip will 
> appear different in Chelle's eyes because he has aged. Skip/overlay 
> also fits with Skip's too-easy transformation into agile hero aboard 
> the cruise ship.
Exactly. He doubts it himself. And it's almost as though he is truly a 
wuss who has no idea he was ridden and did not perform those deeds, but 
since he thinks he did, he becomes brave. Wouldn't be the first time.
>
> > At the formal dinner, his family reunites. All three have trouble 
> recognizing one another (except when they don't). Two are known to be 
> not entirely who they think they are. Surely the third is also not 
> entirely who he is.
>
> I do wonder how any of the Blue family can recognize each other to any 
> degree because they're all replacements/overlays. Still, somehow 
> Chelle recognized her replacement mother at the airport while failing 
> to recognize Skip. Clearly an important clue.
Yes. As a person apparently in her own body, she ignored her mom's 
mount's body and saw only her rider, but she didn't see Skip. I don't 
know whether to take that as a sign of how well the technology works or 
something else. Skip was not simply riding a new body, or else there is 
no reason for Chelle to miss (skip?) him. The other alternative is that 
someone was riding him. But he's a lawyer, not a suicide---he wasn't 
wiped, he's ridden by a god if anything.

Does "skip" refer to the practice of effectively time traveling by 
shipping outsystem? Is Skip's cover story for Chelle's mom of doing 
"secret work for the government" (presumably complete with ninja moves) 
derived from his own immediate past?

The voodoo angle doesn't help much---all the big shots are white. But 
there are other color associations that may help. hmm....
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