Listening to my Bach’s Christmas Hits tape while I was wrapping presents this afternoon, it struck me that two songs in a row seem to be about Ehrenrang. Now I don’t understand German, so I don’t know what they were saying, exactly, but I kept hearing Ehrenrang mentioned. I know it’s the capital of Karhide, but I’m not sure of the Christmas significance. I doubt Bach had any problem with it. Bach transcends that kind of problem, worlds, gender, time — if Bach had been born now he’d probably be producing wonderful music about moping about being in love, and if he’d been born in Karhide, he’d have just as happily produced wonderful music about kemmer, and Ehrenrang, and their weird and fascinating religion. Or maybe — it is his Christmas music after all — they’re singing that there was a manger in Ehrenrang, or maybe something even better.
That’s why I love SF and F, while I think of it, it’s the perfect genre for a hopeful person, because it always holds out the possibility of something even better unfurling.
