Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2002 04:21:11 -0500
From: Jeff Wilson 
Subject: Re: (urth) Prehistoric Starcrossers

> From: "Tony Ellis" 

> 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.

	I try to do the same, but since Wolfe brings the archaeological record
into the story, you have to really think about what he's trying say.
There is no mere mention and dismissal of lack of evidence, but a
repeated visitation of the subject, with the character of Marsch
entering all three novellas, and two of the main characters holding
forth on the proper interpretation of the archaeological record,
including what does and does not endure. Or are we supposed to think
grasses and animal tissue formed the structures of the original
starcrossing civilization?

	Rather than that, I think that it may be possible to explain the origin
of the abos and shadow children via the time shifting themes of 5HC, but
that would be another post.

-- 
Jeff Wilson
How Am I Posting? 1-800-555-6789
"If your SecOp can see you, so can the enemy." -Cpt Law


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