(urth) Short Story 67: The Marvelous Brass Chess Playing Automaton

[Marc Aramini]

>
> Whether the story indicates that our jailer is suffocating, literally
> trapped in the machine, or simply trapped in a restrictive social system
> that effectively makes life an illusory dream, it is difficult to ascribe
> an objective reality to the story in light of the last two paragraphs. For
> this reason, I feel that Wolfe's stories might often parade as postmodern,
> but only in the rarest of instances does thematic closure require a
> complete overthrowing of basic plot and story elements as if they don't
> matter or exist in an objective framework that is ultimately more or less
> discernible.
>
>
>
>
On rereading that last sentence I feel as if I created a mixed
construction.  Perhaps the last word should be "indiscernible", since we
are talking about what Wolfe's stories DON'T require.  Sorry.
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