<HTML><HEAD></HEAD>
<BODY dir=ltr>
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt tahoma">
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=severiansola@hotmail.com
href="mailto:severiansola@hotmail.com">Lee Berman</A> </DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">
<DIV><BR><BR>> And isn't Apu PUnchau really Severian (one of him, anyway)?
Severian<BR>> is raising the dead, travelling through time, causing storms
and <BR>> earthquakes and all by channelling the energy of a star through
his<BR>> puny human cellular structures. Severian is a god and he is using
magic, <BR>> loathe though Gerry is to admit it. There is no way he can do
what he does <BR>> using what we define as science, i.e. physics, chemistry
etc.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But clearly the physics understood by the Dawn Men is rather limited
compared to that which will be understood by Severian’s time. Urth is full
of clearly technological wonders that a Dawn Man might mistake for magic.
Severian does indeed have almost godlike powers through his psychic connection
to the White Fountain, but the book makes it clear that future super-technology
rather than magic is involved. Even if that super-technology involves
abilities we don’t currently think exist. (Conversely, in the world of the
Wizard Knight, it’s magic, not technology, that lies at the toot of all
things.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>(Also, it may not necessarily be correct to assume Severian ever – during
the time we know him - has a puny human cellular structure. I don’t think
that’s important to the story, it’s just another ‘out’ if you object to the
idea. Wolfe avoids specifics and allows ambiguities in order to allow such
outs. Unfortunately some readers use these ambiguities as an excuse to
write their own book, with new characters and never described
events.)<BR><BR>> Heck, if you believe a human cell can channel stellar level
energies<BR>> without harm, what else would you believe? That inhumi
can travel<BR>> unassisted through the void? ;-
) </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I believe that is exactly how we are intended to understand the
story. As I’ve said before, Wolfe plays fast and loose with what is
actually possible, although he likes to pretend otherwise. If some
technology or phenomenon is not clearly in-your-face logically impossible, and
he needs it, then he’ll use it.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>All but the hardest SF is about technological verisimilitude, not
technological realism.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>- Gerry Quinn</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR> </DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>