PaxAee
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Regarding spirits in the World of the Five Gods: Are spirits more common in areas where the majority of the population follow the Quadrene faith, since they are more likely to reject the Bastard? Or do the other 4 gods "pick up the slack" so to speak?
Lois McMaster Bujold
If by spirits you mean sundered souls, perhaps a little to both. The gods in general prefer to take up all the feasible souls they can, sort of the opposite of the old Calvinist "theory of the Elect", where only a tiny fraction of the absurdly virtuous (by Calvinist standards) go to heaven, all others rejected.
As we have seen, the Quadrene divines find ways to stack the deck against reporting souls gone to the fifth god, er, demon-god, but that's hardly the same thing.
As we've also seen, souls of the dead come with a best-by date, after which their deterioration renders them unable to meaningfully assent. But it does build in a short buyer's-remorse period where one might get over one's first embarrassed rejection of a god or gods. Or not, as may be.
Ta, L.
If by spirits you mean sundered souls, perhaps a little to both. The gods in general prefer to take up all the feasible souls they can, sort of the opposite of the old Calvinist "theory of the Elect", where only a tiny fraction of the absurdly virtuous (by Calvinist standards) go to heaven, all others rejected.
As we have seen, the Quadrene divines find ways to stack the deck against reporting souls gone to the fifth god, er, demon-god, but that's hardly the same thing.
As we've also seen, souls of the dead come with a best-by date, after which their deterioration renders them unable to meaningfully assent. But it does build in a short buyer's-remorse period where one might get over one's first embarrassed rejection of a god or gods. Or not, as may be.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Chun Man
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Another of your imagination coming true, vat meat by the pound. Do you ever tries to keep track of them? http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/biotech-company-growing-meatballs-lab-180958051/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20160205-daily-responsive&spMailingID=24658352&spUserID=NzQwNDU3OTcxODcS1&spJobID=741036112&spReportId=NzQxMDM2MTEyS0
Joseph
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Regarding Barrayar's Time Of Isolation, if I've got the timeline about right: 0-90 years, still had a dwindling tech base; 100-400, Bloody Centuries, regression to Agricultural Age; 400-450, Unification under the Emperor and canonization of the Vor caste; 450-600, Golden Age of the Vor; ~600 years, End of the ToI; ~625, Cetagandan Invasion; ~645, Aral born, ~650, Barrayar freed. Roughly on target?
Anthony Romaniw
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hey Lois. First off, praying that your surgery goes well next month! From all of us I'm sure, please stay safe! My Q is: How do you personally approach poetry? Specifically, how do you translate your experience with poetry into your writing? The 5 Gods stuff is sometimes so stunningly lyrical that I had to wonder. I'm reading Aniara by Harry Martenson and it made me think of the Cetagandans taking art to its limits.
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