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caitcoy's review
1.0
In The Rule of Three, an alien traveling in a pearl lands in rural China where he catches the attention of the locals. When the narrator of the story hears from his mother about the strange visitor in the village (which happens to be where his grandmother lives), he travels back to China to check it out.
The base concept is interesting but the Rule of Three is borderline Luddite. While I appreciate that the author enjoyed getting to travel to a rural province in China and learn ancient techniques, I had difficulty swallowing the idea of anything not made by hand as "dark, unlife." Too preachy and too oblivious of the advantages we've gained from technology for me. Not all technology advances are good but we don't exactly need to return to pre-industrialization either.
The base concept is interesting but the Rule of Three is borderline Luddite. While I appreciate that the author enjoyed getting to travel to a rural province in China and learn ancient techniques, I had difficulty swallowing the idea of anything not made by hand as "dark, unlife." Too preachy and too oblivious of the advantages we've gained from technology for me. Not all technology advances are good but we don't exactly need to return to pre-industrialization either.
bookaneer's review
3.0
Rating and review only for "The Rule of Three" by Lawrence M. Schoen
It is a highly interesting first contact story with obvious environmental message.
Yep, it want to show the bad side of manufactured goods. There were some interesting dialogues, which somehow feels familiar especially if you are used to the philosophical discourse of environmental protection, sustainability, carbon footprints and whatnots.
Yet, the story also raises a questionable plot point: if a State Department employee was officially sent to investigate an alien in rural China, when he failed to provide any update or communicate for months, wouldn't the government send a team there to find out why? Especially since they know about the alien? Unless somehow the alien erased his existence somehow or other subterfuge. It was not clear in the story and it really bugged me.
It is a highly interesting first contact story with obvious environmental message.
"If I make a thing, I am one and the thing is full of the life that I gave it. If I pass that thing to you, you are two, and the thing still feels its connection to me and so retains that life. If you give the thing to another, that person is three. The thing still holds the link to me, my life still resonates within it. The distance does not matter, but the number does. Three is the limit. Pass the thing I made on to a fourth person and it can no longer detect me. The connection is broken. Unlife rushes in to fill the void. As a result it cannot be easily perceived. It is dark, inert.”
Yep, it want to show the bad side of manufactured goods. There were some interesting dialogues, which somehow feels familiar especially if you are used to the philosophical discourse of environmental protection, sustainability, carbon footprints and whatnots.
Yet, the story also raises a questionable plot point: if a State Department employee was officially sent to investigate an alien in rural China, when he failed to provide any update or communicate for months, wouldn't the government send a team there to find out why? Especially since they know about the alien? Unless somehow the alien erased his existence somehow or other subterfuge. It was not clear in the story and it really bugged me.
allen's review
4.0
Future Tripping
Some very interesting, inspired, and ingenious ideas and stories collected in this little digest. I'll be looking for longer pieces of some of these writers.
Some very interesting, inspired, and ingenious ideas and stories collected in this little digest. I'll be looking for longer pieces of some of these writers.
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