From: "Tony Ellis" 
Subject: Re: (urth) Prehistoric Starcrossers
Date: Sat, 27 Apr 2002 10:04:50 +0100

Jerry Friedman:
> I think Jeff is talking about the archeological record on Earth.

Ooh now I see. Sorry Jeff.

> Anyway, that's my question.  How could you make a spaceship without
> a very large industrial society?  I think archeologists or
> geologists would have found some remnants.

Well, Gondwanaland broke up a pretty long time ago, and Atlantis and Mu both
sank. But I see a long and slippery slope here, at the bottom of which I see
myself, arguing like a latter-day Von Daniken. Let me just say this instead:
I don't believe that in real life there was ever a prehistoric
super-civilisation on Earth. I also don't believe in travel by mirrors,
genetic memory, or a compassionate god. But when I come across these things
in a story, especially a story by Gene Wolfe, I'm happy to suspend my
disbelief for a while.


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