(urth) This Week in Google Alerts: more _Land Across_

[Gerry Quinn]

From: Lee
> I haven't met him in person but I know he is often described
> as "genial". Still in thetone of some of his answers to direct
> questions, I know he has a sharp side. But these are all
> external judgements anyway.

Yes, he comes across as genial but often suddenly prickly at times.

<Shrug> I love the books, I'm not actually all that concerned about the 
author.


> Moreover, if the role of author may be considered as demiurgical
> creator, as has been discussed in other threads, perhaps the comparison
> of Wolfe himself to giant god-likemonsters is apt. If "black beans"
>  hold the origin of "Abaia, Erebus and the rest", then Scylla must be
>  included and thus, by extension, Typhon/Pas and Echidna (whom I find
> difficult to disconnect from The Cumaean).

I don't believe Typhon had the same origin as the sea monsters.  Typhon is 
relatively human, I think.

I doubt Wolfe would approve, but I do actually imagine the sea monsters in 
terms of 'singularity' concepts - they are creatures that can reconstruct 
themselves on a molecular level, and they have brains or other devices 
capable of powerful computations.  They are gods [or demons] by our 
standards.   I think the 'seeds; were nanofactories that built them.  But 
that is equally true of all the seeds of living organisms.

- Gerry Quinn