(urth) Fringe

[David Stockhoff]

On 4/4/2012 10:22 AM, Lee Berman wrote:
>> At least one was Jewish. Another was Catholic. I don't think Abrams is
>> Jewish. Anyway, what difference would it make?
>
> Abrams is jewish, as his name strongly suggests. I was going for the
> three credited with originating the series, Abrams, Lindelof and Lieber,
> all jewish as far as I can tell. Who is Catholic?  Carlton Cuse? He was
> an important writer but not one of the creators.
Yes. I had read something about Abrams---turns out it was that his wife 
is Catholic.
>
> Anyway, we might hope it wouldn't make a difference but I think it does.
> For whatever reason, one of the smallest nations in the world in size and
> population gets an extraordinarily disproportionate amount of attention in
> the global media and among billions of religious-minded people on earth.
>
> As some here suggest that Gene Wolfe is speaking in a code which can be
> understood by an audience attuned to Catholic and mythological elements,
> so Jewish writers might use a similar code. Not naming Jacob's brother in
> the show automatically brings the name Esau to mind for those familiar with
> the OT. That fraternal conflict (and the associated Isaac/Ishmael schism)
> represents the Biblical rift between Hebrews and Arabs, Jews and Muslims.
> And I think jewish writers might be more likely to present that conflict as
> tied to some primal power at the roots of the earth (or whatever that
> underground glowing cave was supposed to be).

But those characters are in the OT and therefore are Christian ones as 
well---although in an important sense they are not at all.

Anyway, maybe. It makes sense.