The Ascians

[Loredoctor]

I started re-reading the Book of the New Sun for the 3rd time today. I love this series so much - it could be my favourite fantasy. Anyway, that's besides the point. What was it that terrified all the Ascians? In the battle in the last book it describes them all as being terrified of something in their homeland. Perhaps it was one of the giant beings that live in the sea?

[[Syl]]

Are you referring to this bit, Loremaster?

The savages seemed to have vanished. A new force appeared in their place, on the flank that had now become our front. At first I thought they were cavalry on centaurs, creatures whose pictures I had encountered in the brown book. I could see the heads and shoulders of the riders above the human heads of their mounts, and both appeared to bear arms. When they drew nearer, I saw they were nothing so romantic: merely small men--dwarfs, in fact--upon the shoulders of very tall ones.

[Loredoctor]

No, I don't think so. Let me get back to you on that.

[Adept Havelock]

It figures that my 1'st post on the watch would be in a Gene Wolfe thread.

I've been a passionate fan of Wolfe's for a while, and might be able to help.


The Ascians are being manipulated by the giant aquatic beings known as "Megatherians" (i.e. the book "Lives of the Seventeen Megatherians" on the shelves of Ultan's library). We know of a few from Wolfe's text: Abaia, Erebus, Arioch, Scylla, and quite likely Baldanders.

Wolfe reinforces this by naming the rulers of Ascia as "The Group of Seventeen", suggesting an element of alliance or outright control between the Megatherians and Ascians.

The Megatherians oppose the coming of the New Sun which will destroy them, and have enslaved the Ascians in an effort to control humanity, preventing this from occuring.

Their "terror" is likely fear of recrimination from Abaia and Erebus if they fail to defeat the Autarchs' Commonwealth, which has been steadily recapturing territory for some time.

The presence of Men riding on other's shoulders is also briefly referenced in another of Wolfe's novels: The Fifth Head of Cerebus. This may suggest that the Ascians are either returnees from Saint Anne, or possibly part of the Aboriginals of Saint Anne.

I found two works of a great help in understanding Wolfe:

Lexicon Urthus by Michael Andre-Driussi
Solar Labyrinth by Robert Borski

The former is OOP and difficult to find, but copies show up on ebay. Mine ran me about $130. It's invaluable for understanding many of Wolfe's most obscure words.

The latter is orderable from any major bookstore, and is a wonderful analysis of the puzzlebox that is the Book of the New Sun. Borski has some compelling theories, about which I will soon start a thread or two.

[Loredoctor]

Excellent first post, Havelock!! Thanks heaps for that. Makes lots of sense.

[[Syl]]

Great post, Havelock. Welcome to the Watch and welcome to the Wolfe forum. Please post as much as you can.

Those both look like great books, but I've never been able to get my hands on them. There's also a book called Attending Dedalus by Peter Wright which is apparently a bunch of essays on Wolfe.

[Caer Bombadil]

The presence of Men riding on other's shoulders is also briefly referenced in another of Wolfe's novels: The Fifth Head of Cerebus. This may suggest that the Ascians are either returnees from Saint Anne, or possibly part of the Aboriginals of Saint Anne.

I've seen this idea before. IMHO, it's kind of weak. The Ascian dwarves rode the blind giants as steeds into battle; it's evident that they train and operate together as a sort of odd cavalry. The Shadow Children captured and blinded the marshmen that were stalking them, and rode the blinded marshmen as a means of subduing them and herding them to a suitable spot for dinner. Quite a difference here, IMO. I'm inclined to ask instead whether the idea of men (short or stunted?) riding tall blind men is some sort of reference to some other author's work, or some obscure cultural symbol or myth element. So far I've heard of none satisfactory.

I'm kindly disposed generally toward the notion that the New Sun universe might be the far future of the Fifth Head milieu, but I could think of some more direct and possibly convincing arguments. E.g. the ghoul-bear = alzabo theory. Or maybe the ultimate BNS/5HC fusion: the alleged Annese abos and the Hierogrammates are both shape-changers! Chew on that one & see what you come up with!

Lexicon Urthus is OOP? That's a shame! Glad I got mine five yrs ago when it was current. Maybe Michael Andre-Druissi will reissue it in paper. Fascinating little volume (along with its addenda issued separately) with glossaries and many conjectures and explorations of the esoterica Wolfe embedded in BNS.

I had at least an idea what kept the Ascians scared, bt I need to re-read Citadel of the Autarch. IIRC, someone (the Old Autarch?) made some remark to Severian about the Ascians being crazed and deafened by the death of nature (implied: that their predecessors brought about themselves) as a result of their own "progress" to the point they serve and worship the 'Megatherians'. The Ascians always struck me as the people and culture in Orwell's 1984, carried to the ultimate degree, i.e. beyond merely speaking sanitized "Newspeak", they only quote some approved text (the Group of Seventeen's Little Red Book?) to communicate.


If you can't tell, BNS is my favorite Wolfe novel cycle, and 5HC my favorite Wolfe shorter work.

[[Syl]]

They always reminded me of Master Blaster in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.