The Grand Illusion
I’ve noticed that all of the Recluce series are either set outside Recluce or concern someone who leaves Recluce and tends not to come back (even Dorrin kind of founds his own version, rather than returning to Recluce-proper). We therefore tend to see how Recluce functions only through the eyes of exiles or enemies. What’s the reason for not having a novel set inside Recluce itself?
As Lerris observes in The Magic of Recluce, when things are functioning well in Recluce, they tend to be boring. Boring doesn’t make good stories. But, if you read Recluce Tales there are quite a few stories set within Recluce. Also, the last third or more of Towers of the Sunset is most definitely set in Recluce.
Oh gee I thought it was going to be on the blog! I would still like opinions: so —
Secondary question: Why did LEM bring this question to the Blog?
My thinking is that perhaps he realized how much the Recluse of “The Magic of Recluse” reflects our situation in the US and the rest of our 21rst century world today. War started on the “need” of preserving the “status quo” of Recluse by maintaining economic control of the world in which Recluse exists (even to the extent of an “insurrection” attempt).
If so: do the subsequent volumes of the Recluse series offer a potential resolution to our present problem of war for oil to control the world since we super-powers ensured that the UN went the way of the League of Nations. After all, it is inevitable that we will lose our economic clout to the larger consumer group nations; but, if we are in an oligarchic world then we might preserve a section of the world economic pie for ourselves (but not indefinitely ofcourse). The alternative, which people such as S. Miller would consider “OK”, would be Armageddon and the world left to a few “good men” aka anarchists.
So what does our teacher impart in – The Death of Chaos?
Or perhaps, since LEM recommends we read his novels in the order they were printed – in – The Towers of the Sunset August 1993 – The Magic Engineer July 1995 – The Order War February 1996
and then:- The Death of Chaos June 1996 – and – Fall of Angels July 1997.
It’s been a disconcerting week, both politically and personally, and I didn’t realize for a day or so that I’d inadvertently posted the Q&A on the blog, but then I put it on the Q&A, where it belonged.