From: chris hibbert (chris@pancrit.org)
Date: Sun Dec 15 2002 - 22:53:42 MST
Continuing Spoiler thread...
> But Pham discovers that
> somehow the genius Spider, Sherkaner Underhill, has taken control of
> the Focused humans who are handling communication.
I thought Sherkaner was merely in communication with the Focused. This
allowed him to encourage them in their off-the-books activities. My
interpretation was that the videomancy was a cover story that Sherkaner
used for his communication with the Focused. I didn't see any
indication that he thought it was hocus pocus, or that he thought he
was in communication with supernatural beings. There was no indication
of how the communication moved from the intervention during the code
breaking to a two-way street, but I didn't mind that.
I thought there was an indication that the Focused had some amount of
independence, particularly if they could convince themselves that it
was during a dream-like state. In that state, they could tell
themselves that they weren't violating orders, and could be more free.
I loved the story, even though I was ready to give up on it until I was
more than a third through it. Pham's ignorant old man guise had me
seething, and I didn't see how Vinge was going to get him out if it.
But he did a very convincing job of it. I was expecting a deus ex
machina, but I thought the conversion was a completely fair twist in
the story.
Does anyone see any obvious holes in my interpretation?
Chris
--
C. J. Cherryh, "Invader", on why we visit very old buildings:
"A sense of age, of profound truths. Respect for something hands
made, that's stood through storms and wars and time. It
persuades us that things we do may last and matter."
Chris Hibbert
http://discuss.foresight.org/~hibbert
chris@pancrit.org
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