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smranaldi's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
showell's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve never read a book that employed principles of linguistics in this way. My daughter informs me that some of the theories are outdated now (no surprise, the book is from the 1970s), but still a fascinating device for understanding character. In other ways this book felt very seventies, the night out to find the crew in particular, but overall a really interesting listen.
abitofmoxie's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
dreamgalaxies's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. Some really good ideas and worldbuilding here—astonishingly relevant still, given the age of the book—but somewhat lackluster in terms of plot.
humanignorance's review against another edition
1.0
1 star. Unfinished at 60%, page 148 of 248. The characters were uninteresting, the plot went nowhere, and the linguist concept/philosophy underpinning the book was dry.
jonathanpalfrey's review against another edition
5.0
This was a truly remarkable novel to be published in 1966 by a 24-year-old writer (who was 22–23 when he wrote it). It has a style and imagination that wasn't characteristic of most sf of the mid-1960s, and it survives well into the 21st century.
True, if you read it as a book written now, it could seem rather strange and clunky, and there are anachronisms in it. But it's silly to read a book from 1966 as though it were written now; would you treat Jules Verne or H. G. Wells like that?
As with all fiction set in the future, the bizarre and colourful universe it describes is surely not going to be our future. It's an imaginary future, in which the Alliance battles the Invaders, and spaceships have discorporate crew members and pilots reshaped by cosmetisurgery. In this imaginary future, they record sound on tapes and find some use for punched cards, and that's OK, because it's not our future; think of it as the future of some other timeline.
Babel-17 is the name of a language, and this is a story about the effects of language on how we perceive and understand the world around us. What the young Delany had to say about language wasn't necessarily correct in all respects, but it stimulates thought about the subject.
I've been rereading this book since the 1970s, and I still enjoy it: it's quite a trip. I notice now that the story skates glibly over a number of implausibilities, especially at the end, where everything is wrapped up rather quickly. My advice is to sit back and enjoy the trip without worrying about such things.
True, if you read it as a book written now, it could seem rather strange and clunky, and there are anachronisms in it. But it's silly to read a book from 1966 as though it were written now; would you treat Jules Verne or H. G. Wells like that?
As with all fiction set in the future, the bizarre and colourful universe it describes is surely not going to be our future. It's an imaginary future, in which the Alliance battles the Invaders, and spaceships have discorporate crew members and pilots reshaped by cosmetisurgery. In this imaginary future, they record sound on tapes and find some use for punched cards, and that's OK, because it's not our future; think of it as the future of some other timeline.
Babel-17 is the name of a language, and this is a story about the effects of language on how we perceive and understand the world around us. What the young Delany had to say about language wasn't necessarily correct in all respects, but it stimulates thought about the subject.
I've been rereading this book since the 1970s, and I still enjoy it: it's quite a trip. I notice now that the story skates glibly over a number of implausibilities, especially at the end, where everything is wrapped up rather quickly. My advice is to sit back and enjoy the trip without worrying about such things.
liviajelliot's review against another edition
5.0
Babel-17 is an excellent book around the theme of language and how it affects our perception of the world. It is definitely something to read if you want to think beyond the plot -- it is not written under the modern (i.e., 2023-2024) parameters of "every event must push the plot" or "motivation has to be extremely clear". This book will take you on a journey, especially because oftentimes, the characters themselves are not privy to everything that happens -- and thus, some events become clearer after the book has ended.
Something to consider is that I wouldn't classify this as science fiction only, but more as sci-fantasy. Let me elaborate.
There is a large component of space travel, but it is not your usual, navy-inspired, highly-tactical travel either -- it is completely unique and fantastical. For example, pilots are plugged into the piloting seat (the most comparable thing is how pilots are plugged into the gundams in Gundams:Orphans), and the sensors of a ship are used only by "discorporate" people. "Discorporate" are people who lost their bodies (dead? Unclear, who cares!), and part of the machinery is operated/cleaned by a platoon of under 17yo. You will not get much of the space-travelling mechanics spelled out; the "science" is on the language, not on the mechanics.
Moreover, people can undergo some cosmetic surgery that alters the body (but there is no body horror), which is akin to going for a walk-in tattoo... so there are humans with paws and fangs, dragons inserted in their joints, etc. It's quite curious, and you won't find any terribly descriptive scenes about someone undergoing a mod. The only remark here is that some of the modifications are unique and original, but the narrator (most of the time, Rydra) presents it as common... leading to fleeting descriptions that leave you to imagine these people as best as you can.
Likewise, something to note is that it is classical SF, but you will not find sexism nor racism, albeit some people look modded-people as odd -- but nothing too jarring. However, some words are a bit outdated (e.g., a character is described as "Oriental" once); there is quite a positive outlook on mental health, and on polyamorous relationships. Then again, neither of these topics is the point of the book, and mentions are very scarce and quick. The main character is a woman, a linguist, and she is very interesting to follow.
The writing is outright amazing, but something to be aware of is how the writing is used. Without giving much away from the plot, Babel-17 is a language that has very unconventional rules and allowances. Therefore, when the protagonist (Rydra) thinks in Babel-17 the text is written very differently (e.g., the punctuation is different).
More interesting is when Rydra is thinking in Babel-17 and translates her thoughts to English speach... the words are weird. If you are bilingual or polyglot, you know what I mean -- some words do not have a "perfect match" across languages, and then you end up with "good enough" approximations. This happens quite a lot in the book, so be flexible and keep that in mind, especially if you only speak a single language.
Overall, it is honestly a refreshing read, even if it is old. It is different, it is nuanced, and in many parts you'll need to re-read them and give yourself time to reflect on them. You shouldn't be reading this as much for the plot or the characters (this is definitely not character-driven), but more to see how the theme (language) creates a conflict and solves it.
Overall, I'd say it is a comfortable read, in the sense that nothing too terrible will happen, nothing too dark or grim. But it is definitely a story worth mulling over.
Something to consider is that I wouldn't classify this as science fiction only, but more as sci-fantasy. Let me elaborate.
There is a large component of space travel, but it is not your usual, navy-inspired, highly-tactical travel either -- it is completely unique and fantastical. For example, pilots are plugged into the piloting seat (the most comparable thing is how pilots are plugged into the gundams in Gundams:Orphans), and the sensors of a ship are used only by "discorporate" people. "Discorporate" are people who lost their bodies (dead? Unclear, who cares!), and part of the machinery is operated/cleaned by a platoon of under 17yo. You will not get much of the space-travelling mechanics spelled out; the "science" is on the language, not on the mechanics.
Moreover, people can undergo some cosmetic surgery that alters the body (but there is no body horror), which is akin to going for a walk-in tattoo... so there are humans with paws and fangs, dragons inserted in their joints, etc. It's quite curious, and you won't find any terribly descriptive scenes about someone undergoing a mod. The only remark here is that some of the modifications are unique and original, but the narrator (most of the time, Rydra) presents it as common... leading to fleeting descriptions that leave you to imagine these people as best as you can.
Likewise, something to note is that it is classical SF, but you will not find sexism nor racism, albeit some people look modded-people as odd -- but nothing too jarring. However, some words are a bit outdated (e.g., a character is described as "Oriental" once); there is quite a positive outlook on mental health, and on polyamorous relationships. Then again, neither of these topics is the point of the book, and mentions are very scarce and quick. The main character is a woman, a linguist, and she is very interesting to follow.
The writing is outright amazing, but something to be aware of is how the writing is used. Without giving much away from the plot, Babel-17 is a language that has very unconventional rules and allowances. Therefore, when the protagonist (Rydra) thinks in Babel-17 the text is written very differently (e.g., the punctuation is different).
More interesting is when Rydra is thinking in Babel-17 and translates her thoughts to English speach... the words are weird. If you are bilingual or polyglot, you know what I mean -- some words do not have a "perfect match" across languages, and then you end up with "good enough" approximations. This happens quite a lot in the book, so be flexible and keep that in mind, especially if you only speak a single language.
Overall, it is honestly a refreshing read, even if it is old. It is different, it is nuanced, and in many parts you'll need to re-read them and give yourself time to reflect on them. You shouldn't be reading this as much for the plot or the characters (this is definitely not character-driven), but more to see how the theme (language) creates a conflict and solves it.
Overall, I'd say it is a comfortable read, in the sense that nothing too terrible will happen, nothing too dark or grim. But it is definitely a story worth mulling over.
piamoomin's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
floriancraft's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75