From: Adam Stephanides <adamsteph@earthlink.net>
Subject: RE: (whorl) Horn ain't dead
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 20:59:23 

alga wrote:

>It seems more and more repetitive to say so, but you just can't ignore
>the computer model that GW has been enamoured with from the start of LS.
[snip]
>So I will argue
>for the Horn Lives viewpoint--quite vehemently, actually. You could say
>that Horn's spirit was a very successful virus taking over the Silk
>functional operating system (body). Or some other metaphor. But it seems
>to me completely clear that whoever this person thinks he is at the end
>of the book, Horn is *still there*. He will not, cannot, be erased from
>the system completely.

It's not clear to me why you regard the computer model as conclusive
evidence that Horn lives.  It's quite possible to completely purge an
invading virus (or operating system, or whatever) from a computer it's
infected.

> It might be like Sev being able to access Thecla
>or the Autarch or whomever. Or not. Somewhere in LS there is an
>explanation of how, after a god has possessed someone, the god is never
>completely erased, and this is similar.

While it's not a direct refutation of your point, I don't believe that the
Silk-Horn situation is equivalent to possession or to the Severian-Thecla
situation (or to the Windows-Linux metaphor you used later).  There's no
evidence that two separate personalities coexist in Silk's body which can
manifest themselves independently.  Rather, what seems to be going on is
that Silk and Horn's personalities have merged into the single entity I, and
others, have been calling Silkhorn.

As to your main point, I think we should draw a distinction between memory
and spirit (simplifying Dan'l's excellent post).  I am quite willing to
accept that Silk retains Horn's memories, although I there's no direct
evidence for this.   But as for spirit, while I am far from having a clear
understanding of what's going on, I am going to take the appearance of
Silkhorn's astral body as a definitive indicator, unless somebody has a
better alternative.  And, going by that, Horn's spirit does depart at some
point before the astral trip to "bring Scylla home."

--Adam


 


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