(urth) [BGSpam] Urth-Earth links

[Gerry Quinn]

From: Lee Berman 
> Gerry Quinn: 
> > There is certainly one analogical element, as in the autarchial process, 
> >the memory donor voluntarily offers himself as a sacrifice, which is not the case in 
> >the “diabolical Eucharist” of Vodalus and his followers.

> The process with the old Autarch does, superficially, seem more benign than the Vodalus
> banquet and the voluntary aspect is probably part of it. 

More than that.  One can argue that it symbolises a real Eucharist, as distinct from the diabolical one of the Vodalarii.

> But in my view, the old Autarch
> is a somewhat ineffectual figurehead in front of the true power of of his vizier and he
> is a sacrificial lamb for the hiero-types. He seems like a very sad and unfulfilled
> human being. The alzabo-like potion did him no favors (nor Severian, really). Without it
> he (Apian?) would have remained a honey steward and probably ended up like the rather 
> happier character of Odilo.

One could make a similar argument regarding the life of Jesus Christ.  Doing one’s duty for the people of Urth is not necessarily pleasant or comfortable, nor does it make one a dupe.
 
> >That also seems in accord with the other works of Wolfe, who does not, I think, consider 
> >any form of technology intrinsically evil, but only the uses of it.

> Given a purely literary reading of the text this might be so. But I am not only interested 
> in the text but also the mental processes in the individual who created the text. I suppose
> Biology is an inherently "ickier" science than physics but I am just saying I detect an
> extra "ewww" factor in Wolfe's thinking about biology which goes back to 5HoC. (just had a 
> thoughtflash of Jonas being disgusted with his meat parts; Sidero also. Perhaps WOlfe does
> sympathize with them a bit).

I think you’re projecting.  Sure Wolfe’s robots are sometimes a bit disgusted by flesh, or feel themselves superior, like the narrator of Eyebem.   In All the Hues of Hell, by contrast, the robot feels like an equal, and hopes to have a relationship with a human woman.  In Long Sun, the chems are superior in some ways and inferior in others.  In Fifth Head, Mr. Million is not a perfect copy.


> >> Yes, but I think the question is whether these aliens are entirely a product
> >> of evolution on other planets or whether they are humans who left Urth in
> >> earlier waves, mutated, evolved and are now returned.
 
> >You suggested earlier that Wolfe indicated this somewhere in _Urth_.  Have you a link to this?
 
> I find it inherent in the story. We are first introduced to cacogens as weird, ugly aliens. Later 
> the text reveals that some of them (hierodules) are of human origin. Why not all of them?

Uh... the tentacles and stuff?

There’s also the point that in Wolfe, Earth itself is more often than not the native home of non-human intelligent races.


> >in many of his stories (certainly including the Urth cycle) he indicates that robots and androids 
> >as pretty much equivalent to people. A robot Jesus is not part of the Solar Cycle, obviously, but the 
> >concept would sit better with it than with most SF novels.
 
> Perhaps. But it still doesn't happen. I think Long Sun would have been the perfect place for Wolfe to
> create a non-human savior. Could have been a chem or a god in the mainframe. But nope. Once again,
> a human gets the role.      

Is Silk a saviour?  He seems more of a Moses.  In Short Sun he may be more, but in this case he actually HAS melded with one of the digital gods of Mainframe.

La Befana might be a better example, in that the titular character seems to expect Jesus to be born again as a human on a planet where humans live along with an alien species.  But then again, she could be wrong.  She is alarmed by Zozz – could that be a subtle hint that the child she seeks will actually be born to one of Zozz’s people?

- Gerry Quinn


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