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From: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: sf & language
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References: <5e0tlb$igt$1@darla.visi.com> <3317e47b.116822589@nntp.ix.netcom.com> <E6821u.FEr@midway.uchicago.edu> <3319388f.56901892@nntp.ix.netcom.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 14:49:13 GMT
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In article <3319388f.56901892@nntp.ix.netcom.com>,
Harvey White <madyn@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>On Wed, 26 Feb 1997 18:01:06 GMT, deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von
>Brighoff) wrote:
>
>>In article <3317e47b.116822589@nntp.ix.netcom.com>,
>>Harvey White <madyn@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
><snip>
>>
>>>If everything is an allegory, how do you talk about something new?
>>>How do you do it with any facility?  What was the allegorical
>>>expression for "OOOH Look, an alien race that we've never seen
>>>anything like before."
>>
>>Now, this I can actually see being done.  Think of all the allegorical
>>references to space as the "New Frontier".  All you would need is some
>>kind of contact situation (comparable to Columbus' voyage in our history)
>>enshrined in your source material.
>
>Ok, then what about the revolutionary breakthrough.  How do you
>transmit _details_?

	I can't for the life of me figure out; your criticisms in this
respect were right on target.  Handling new information and acquiring the
language in the first place are the two really weak areas and these are
two places where a language can't afford to be weak if it's going to last
any time at all.

-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
