(urth) Theories

[Ryan Dunn]

I don't think anybody disputes the substance to the visible story, but on its own, Severian's hero quest is not "best sci fi series of all time" material, sorry to say. It is the subverted meanings, the parables within the text, the actual "style" of the novel also (unreliable narrator) that make the story truly special.

As far as Severian as a puppet. No if that were the visible story, it would not be interesting at all. But as a potential hidden story unbeknownst to the narrator telling it to us, it certainly is a crafty, interesting, and potentially genius revelation, no?

...ryan


On Oct 23, 2011, at 6:59 PM, Gerry Quinn wrote:

>  
>  
> From: Craig Brewer
>  
> > I'll stop lurking for a moment to say that these two statements get my vote for the most important point of > this thread.
> 
> > António Pedro Marques <entonio at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > > Andrew Mason wrote (23-10-2011 20:01):
> > >> I think that the visible stories often have real depth, which  theories
> > >> of hidden meaning sometimes detract from.
> >
> > >This is a crucial point, in my view. Let me repeat it: the visible stories
> > >have real depth.
>  
> That’s kind of where I’m coming from too, in fact it crystallises what I feel is so wrong about “boatman as Inire” theories: what do they do to Dorcas?
>  
> Ryan makes the valid point that “Severian is a puppet” is a possible reading.  But is it an interesting reading, especially if it makes everybody a puppet, not just Severian?  Would Wolfe want to write about a load of puppets?  Maybe (he wrote War Beneath The Tree), but I have a feeling that even if he did, he’d have written at shorter length.  And in that story Bear fought his fate even though he could not prevail.
>    
>   - Gerry Quinn
>  
>  
>  
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