Group Discussion for April 3 --"The Crime and Glory of Commander Sudzal" by Cordwainer Smith

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
....this was an interesting departure for me cuz my days of reading science fiction regularly, are decades into the landfill of life....when I saw the author’s name I flashed to Harlan Ellison....he used the nom de plume Cordwainer Bird when something of his was adapted and butchered beyond recognition so his true name wasn’t associated with the “product”....but Mr. Smith certainly possesses a unique voice....I’ve always said if cats had thumbs they’d rule world.....echoes of King with the multiverses....the thing I was captivated by was the “holograms” created from host brains in Chiclet size containers....oh, another King feel-no easy bow-tied endings....
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
Some thoughts

the reader is told repeatedly not to believe the story, nothing is true; even at the end-- furthermore it isn't true. Hmmm

The story itself was very detailed. The author touched on some elements that are synchronous with present day life-- mainly the genetic modification of foods, plants and human cells.
...indeed!!.....misdirection and prescient science....
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
My favorite thing about this story was the article about the author. What a fascinating guy!

The story was a bit of a slap on the hands, we need each other and we need to appreciate each other and what we bring to the table. From the manliest man to the most ultra feminine woman and all the attributes in between. We give each other checks and balances. We challenge each other in unique ways. Or at least try. The Yin to a yang. All things in balance.

I loved the addition of the cats. And found it interesting that Commander used his "power" to have cats come save him instead of just going back in time to get away. He changed DNA and by doing that, what changed out there? The butterfly effect.

You know, the Starship Enterprise's job was "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before" -- but not to interfere. Not to put their imprint on another's civilization. Sudzal played God. He made choices alone that should have been discussed. He felt he needed no one from the start as he was a Commander who had gone on these long journeys making decisions on his own.

Not only did he succeed in creating a civilization of cats, they prayed to him.

If he would've taken his "wife" brain with him, do you think he would have been so easily duped? Surely not. Wife brain would've put a kibosh to any sort of friendship with the "a mature, warm happy female—some woman of early middle age with a superb speaking contralto."

And cancer. Arachosia women were likened to cancer --not just that they got it, but they were that -- and thus needed to be changed. For their own good. For the survival of Arachosia and then you had a whole world of really tense men.


And I loved how it ended. They sentenced him to death and then they took that sweet release away. And of course Earth worked really hard to strike that information from historical records. Imagine dealing with a population of terrified chaos when they found out cats were coming! Or a pod of blue-balled, angry men. Whichever won the battle between the two. One big damn group of rape-y pillagers!

Holy hell, I don't know what I'm talking about.
 
Last edited:

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
OR, maybe the cats and the Arachosia men evolved into some weird hybrid: Gan save us!

from-dragons-to-foxes-the-otherkin-community-believes-you-can-be-whatever-you-want-to-be-1435922539.png
 

HollyGolightly

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
9,660
74,320
54
Heart of the South
Holy cow, Tery many thanks to your husband for THAT . Again, without pride, I will attempt to express my thoughts. Maybe way off base, but the elements of Christianity hit me strong. And the undoing of a people being the loss of women - oh my heart! I love this guy (Linebarger/Cordwainer Smith). I thought the cats were a funny touch - of course, in a world with no women, send cat people to reign it in - I'm a believer. I loved sweet Sudzal - he loved his wife, he had his integrity at his side, his good judgement and genius and compassion. Even his judgement which warranted his own judgement was not in vain. He was trying to save the old world (I think?). I certainly need to re-read it.. I can't imagine that I was capable of absorbing all the little nuggets of truth planted in there. Especially after reading the article Dana Jean hooked us up with. It seems Mr. Cordwainer Smith, in all his various pseudonyms is a frightening genius.

So much here to think about. As I tried reading it literally, it had the feel of those really weird cartoons about the evil scientists trying to mastermind the world. Remember those? But between the lines, there's a deep message of humanity and advise to 'ware where we're heading. And all this given to us by a man who died in 1966. Here he is - I like him very much.
1554342764305.png

From the article, this struck me profoundly:
I would like to suggest that the playful poetry and ludic rhymes may have an ulterior purpose. Paul Linebarger, remember, was an expert in psychological warfare, a discipline that involves hiding one message inside another. The poetry and song may be intended to lull the readers into a mild hypnotic trance, so that the message that follows may have greater impact. It’s similar to the incantatory style of Southern preachers, whose rhythmic cadences are intended to produce a similar effect on their parishioners.

Whew - y'all. I think I need a cigarette.