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<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=marcaramini@yahoo.com
href="mailto:marcaramini@yahoo.com">Marc Aramini</A> </DIV>
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Mountains like Mice<BR></DIV>
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style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">The
gyrda as scandinavian gods or fairies without a heart is perhaps interesting
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<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">to
think of, as if all this scientific meddling has brough back nature spirits that
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<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">have
little humanity.</DIV></DIV>
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<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">Fairy-like
races have been a continual thread throughout Wolfe, but the details vary.
They are usually small, they are usually attuned to the natural environment;
they are always distinctly non-human and mysterious, and difficult for humans to
understand. Wolfe’s aliens (or in this case modified humans) more often
than not have at least some fairy-like aspects. The frequent fairy
resonances are probably in part a deliberate strategy for evoking a sense of
mystery, and tilting Wolfe’s SF in the direction of fantasy.</DIV></DIV>
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<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">The
degree to which fairy morality intersects with human morality varies; it looks
like it’s not too high with the Gyrda. </DIV></DIV>
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<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">Carrying
on from this thought, it occured to me that robot races in Wolfe have common
characteristics too. They are often moral exemplars. (Of course, it
is logical that we should construct them according to our ideals, though they
often evolve beyond the plan.)</DIV></DIV>
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<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">It
occurred to me that perhaps (in Wolfe) robots think of humans the same way
humans think of fairies. The more I think about this, though, the more I
am inclined to discard the idea. There may be elements of it there with
chems and similar constructs, but I don’t think the analogy apples
generally.</DIV></DIV>
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<DIV
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Gerry Quinn</DIV></DIV>
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