From: "Andy Robertson" 
Subject: Re: (urth) Re: The irrigation of Lune
Date: Sat, 2 Mar 2002 08:59:07 -0000

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Wilson" 
> So it makes it pointless to build the moon to the size of Mars when you
> already have a Mars-sized body, namely Mars.


My position is this.

In TBOTNS there are three levels of technology:

1) the "medaeval" or blacksmith level, to which most of the world has been
relegated by resource poverty:

2) the "terran" level, which humanity still has mastery of, but only the
rich have the resources to use

3) the "galactic" level, which has always been beyond human control, nd
corresponds to "magic" in a thematic sense.

This seems pretty sound, because Wolfe actually spells it out.



The problem is that we can not adduce constraints from "real science" in
Wolfe's work even at level 2). Wolfe is very cavalier about such things.



Now, the Whorl is a product, perhaps the ultimate product,  of level 2).
The Ship is a product of level 3).

Therefore the Whorl will not be doing the numinous things the Ship does.  I
can't *prove* it does not move through time, but there is no real hint of it
doing so.



Is Lune a product of level 2) or 3)?

My argument is that it "feels" like a product of level 2).

I freely admit that this is based on the way the characters  in TBOTNS talk
and sspeak about it, not on abstract considerations.

There is no awe addressed to Lune, nothing holy or remarkable about it.   It
is just a place.

"Port of Lune".


    hartshorn





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