Catherine Nemeth
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
If the Bastard’s Hell isn’t a place, but the process of a soul being stripped of all personal information and being boiled down into pure chaos, and demons are said to have escaped from the Bastard’s Hell, does that mean that demons come from the souls taken in the death miracle that find a host before dissolving into nothingness? If that’s the case, perhaps Quadrenes have some justification against the Bastard?
Lois McMaster Bujold
No.
The demons are a controlled leakage from the Bastard's hell, or hand, to balance the life in the world between the cold death of ice (stasis) and the hot death of fire (chaos.) Too much of either is bad.
The underpinnings of this theology _really_ are not based upon that of our Earth historical religions, and trying to draw 1:1 parallels between them will frequently go awry. (Though given the wild variety of human-devised religions through history, I am willing to be better advised.)
All information being lost, the source of one blob of chaos is not distinguishable from any other blob of chaos -- soul-plasma as it were, or quark soup. Entirely interchangeable.
Ta, L.
No.
The demons are a controlled leakage from the Bastard's hell, or hand, to balance the life in the world between the cold death of ice (stasis) and the hot death of fire (chaos.) Too much of either is bad.
The underpinnings of this theology _really_ are not based upon that of our Earth historical religions, and trying to draw 1:1 parallels between them will frequently go awry. (Though given the wild variety of human-devised religions through history, I am willing to be better advised.)
All information being lost, the source of one blob of chaos is not distinguishable from any other blob of chaos -- soul-plasma as it were, or quark soup. Entirely interchangeable.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Steve
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
*New Scientist* has just put out its writers' list of favorites science fiction novels, and "The Vorkosigan Saga is on the list. A nice blue ribbon for you? The attention is well-deserved, and may attract some new readers. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2433037-our-writers-pick-their-favourite-science-fiction-books-of-all-time/
Michael
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hello! I am doing my first read through of the Vokosigan Saga, and in The Vor Game, there is the Laskowski base. In High School, I had a math teacher/mentor/friend, George Laskowski, who also wrote a sci-fi zone, Lan's Lantern. Is this base named for him? If so, that's quite an honor (and a well deserved one, in my opinion. He was a great person), from such a distinguished author as yourself!
Josh Angel
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I was reading through the questions you've answered on Goodreads, and I was struck by how much your answers read as if written by Desdemona herself. I mean that in the best possible way, as I find her quite funny. I know all the characters are technically "you", but I was wondering if there may be a little more "you" written into Desdemona than other characters?
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