So you take hard s.f. to be a philosophical position (committed to some form of naturalism, if not physicalism)?  I've heard Michael Flynn is a theistic hard <a href="http://s.f.er">s.f.er</a>, but I don't know if his worldview affects the writing of his fiction at a sort of methodological level.  I've not read any.  At any rate, I don't think Wolfe's fiction reaches full 'hard' status for various reasons - regardless of whether we say hard s.f. by definition must remain mechanically non-theistic or non-magical or whatever.  But you describe well the tensions Wolfe manfully holds together.  It's part of what makes his work have a widespread, diverse audience.<div>
<br></div><div>-DOJP<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 10:55 PM, David Stockhoff <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:dstockhoff@verizon.net" target="_blank">dstockhoff@verizon.net</a>></span> wrote:<br>
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    That is, the "medium" of physics-driven fiction is not the message,
    which is the case with true hard SF. Wolfe works hard to reconcile
    myth with physical plausibility to make a story "work." You can see
    the tension between them, but he never abandons one for the other.<br>
    <br>
    <div>On 11/28/2012 12:04 PM, DAVID STOCKHOFF
      wrote:<br>
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        <div><span>I agree with him too. But Urth is still not "hard
            SF."<br>
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                    <hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">From:</span></b>
                    Daniel Petersen
                    <a href="mailto:danielottojackpetersen@gmail.com" target="_blank"><danielottojackpetersen@gmail.com></a><br>
                    <b><span style="font-weight:bold">To:</span></b>
                    The Urth Mailing List <a href="mailto:urth@lists.urth.net" target="_blank"><urth@lists.urth.net></a> <br>
                    <b><span style="font-weight:bold">Sent:</span></b>
                    Wednesday, November 28, 2012 11:03 AM<br>
                    <b><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject:</span></b>
                    Re: (urth) Hard SF<br>
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                <div>I'd tend to agree with Lee here.
                  -DOJP<br>
                  <br>
                  <div><div class="im">On Wed, Nov 28,
                    2012 at 3:51 PM, Lee Berman <span dir="ltr"><<a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:severiansola@hotmail.com" target="_blank">severiansola@hotmail.com</a>></span>
                    wrote:<br>
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                      >David Stockhoff: We're not talking about hard
                      SF here.<br>
                      <br>
                      Just for the sake of discussion, I'll disagree.
                      Perhaps Wolfe isn't diamond-hard<br>
                      but I'd give him ruby- or sapphire- on the MOhs
                      scale. I think he makes a<br>
                      sincere attempt in most of his work, as the quote
                      below illustrates.<br>
                      <br>
                      Where fantasy writers are content to give us shape
                      changers without explanation,<br>
                      Wolfe provides us with a sponge cellular analogy
                      for Tzadkiel and flexible bones<br>
                      and muscles, make-up and hypnotic abilities for
                      Inhumi.<br>
                      <br>
                      If the Inhumi really fly through space I'd want
                      more than the skimpy evidence we<br>
                      are provided (and less evidence for their lying
                      nature).<br>
                      <br>
                      >Nick Gevers: Speaking as an engineer, how
                      might the godling be constructed so as to<br>
                      >walk as a giant on land, where the undines
                      [submarine giantesses] cannot?<br>
                      <br>
                      >Gene Wolfe: There are a number of ways you
                      could go. First, get rid of the notion that<br>
                      >the godling is going to be proportioned like a
                      human being. Changes in size always mean<br>
                      >changes in build. (Dr. Crane touches on that.)
                      A man fifty feet tall, proportioned like<br>
                      >you or me, would sink into the ground a lot --
                      had you thought of that? Take a look at<br>
                      >the really big dinosaurs. Bone density could
                      be increased, and the legs and pelvis made<br>
                      >more massive, and so on<br>
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                  <br>
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                  <div><br>
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                  -- <br>
                  Daniel Otto Jack Petersen<br>
                </div></div><div class="im">
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              </div></div>
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      <br>
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      <br>
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    <br>
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Subscription/information: <a href="http://www.urth.net" target="_blank">http://www.urth.net</a><br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br>Daniel Otto Jack Petersen<br>
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