I have been to the site and seen that it has not been updated since August 18th. There is no news there. Nor have I received any email updates in a while. And, lastly, Chuck has not replied to my emails, either.
I have just been hoping it's something simple.
There was some confusion in the original text. I originally wrote Seeri as Wanda's niece, and then changed it to her being Wanda's great-great-granddaughter. Even with 'find', I apparently missed some instances. If you see any more 'aunts' here, let me know, please.
I see no reason that Seeri and Rier can't come back in the future. Note to self...
I tried to make all the people in Jamie's group interesting. But each brings something to the group, no matter how small. They work together, which is the key to their success.
Any technology's relationship to magic is based entirely upon the level of the culture in which it is deployed. A Model-T car would seem a magical conveyance to someone used to a Roman chariot as a means of getting to the nearest war.
Barry Gehm was interested in gee-whiz marketing to the easily-impressed masses. Clarke was interested in comparing a belief in magic to a lack of understanding of the technologies involved. One statement is basically about creating an impression that sells - fooling people; and the other is about not allowing yourself to BE fooled by your initial impressions.
One of Arthur C. Clarke's Three Laws is, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
What seems incredible to us now may be routine in a mere century of time! 🪄