Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 13:29:01 -0500
From: James Jordan 
Subject: Re: (urth) (TBOTN) Utter speculation

At 01:13 PM 6/19/2003, you wrote:

   IIRC it is a feature of the dying
>sun fictions (if not even the gothic before it?) to have gigantism like
>this.
>
>=mantis=

I believe it's Lewis Mumford who points out that the building of huge 
buildings and monuments is an aspect of the last and dying phase of a 
strong culture. An active and growing culture does not take the time to 
build such things to its own glory. Another version of Parkinson's Law: 
"The efficiency of an organization is in inverse proportion to the depth of 
carpet pile in its headquarters' offices."
         But I'm inclined to think the wall is a huge blast shield of some 
sort.

FWIW

Nutria


--