(urth) FW: May 2014 Wolfe interview in _Technology Review_

[Lee]

>Gerry Quinn: Shadow Children are referenced only in the second novella of the 
>trilogy.  The entire novella takes the form of an SF mystery in which 
>'scenario 2' is slowly elucidated.  In all, quite a number of pages are 
>carefully devoted to elucidating this scenario.  It is stated as a fact 
>several times.

>Where do you find a story that supports 'scenario 1'?


Well, you have already answered that question- in the second novella of the trilogy,

named: "A Story" by John V. Marsch, that being the only place Shadow Children are referenced.


Whether abos have replaced humans is a primary, superficial mystery (one to which even Wolfe has

publicly revealed the answer). But a deeper, more veiled mystery has been embedded in the

story- what is the origin of Abos?


They look human. But they can't use tools very well, presumably because they superficially

can imitate hands but not the deeper coordinating neuro-muscular structures. So what did

Abos look like before they looked human? Are we given any clues?


Shadow Children seem a likely suspect for a first attempt at imitating a human being (much like

"Zak" in UotNS). Are Shadow Children a primitive version of Abos? There are no other ape or monkey

or other proto-human creatures seen on Ste Anne so it is a possibility which can't be ignored.


As was correctly noted previously, if one sentient species has imitated and replaced another, 

a lie must be formulated to explain certain inconsistencies. So are there any lies we can 

identify in the story of Shadow Children?


We are given the story of Shadow Children as degenerate humans. But we are also given the story 

that they are native, shadowy telepathic creatures. Which is the lie and which is the truth? 

Even The Old Wise One says he can't remember anymore.


If the human origin were the truth, we would expect Shadow Children to be more

"handy" than Abos. If the Shadow Children were a more primitive version of Abos we would

expect them to be even less "handy" than Abos, being a step further removed from humans. 


I think it is clear that Shadow Children are even less "handy" than Abos, thus their proto-Abo

status is more likely the truth and their human origin is more likely the lie. Their telepathy 

would seem to further establish the domestic origin as the true story.



I think a similar scenario plays out on Green and Blue in Short Sun. Wolfe is not going to

commit the Star Trek error of making human beings simultaneously, independently evolved on

multiple planets across the galaxy. If there are human shaped beings found on an uncolonized alien 

planet, they have to be an imitative species copying us, such as Shadow Children, Abos and Inhumi.