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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Hmm. This was a really interesting book
I am a sucker for sci-fi that delves into language and the general premise was fascinating.
Some of the math concepts fried my brain a bit, as did some of the later events of the story, but overall I quite enjoyed it. This future involves a lot of body modification and many types of relationships, and people who can hold down a job even when they have become "discorporate" - or ghosts, basically. Others can also be frozenqnd brought back. A lot of interesting concepts thrown in here. I'd definitely read more Delaney.
I am a sucker for sci-fi that delves into language and the general premise was fascinating.
Some of the math concepts fried my brain a bit, as did some of the later events of the story, but overall I quite enjoyed it. This future involves a lot of body modification and many types of relationships, and people who can hold down a job even when they have become "discorporate" - or ghosts, basically. Others can also be frozenqnd brought back. A lot of interesting concepts thrown in here. I'd definitely read more Delaney.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Babel-17 is a classic science fiction novel about a secret language used in an interplanetary war by the Invaders who are the enemy of the good guys, the Earth Alliance. The Earth Alliance general hires a young lady poet / linguist to crack Babel-17 and she ends up with her own ship and hires a diverse, interesting crew to head out and track down the saboteurs after some analysis of the mystery language.
I got this for free from Audible and it was narrated by Stefan Rudnicki whose voice is as smooth as butter and is very pleasing to the ears. He's done a number of science fiction books I've listened to.
I thought the book started out strong. The central mystery was interesting and so was the protagonist, Rydra Wong. As it went on I gradually lost interest and felt like I was drowning in word salad. The last two-thirds of the book I found to be boring and had a hard time with the long stretches of dialog which felt like mumbo jumbo after a time. I couldn't wait for the ending and mystery reveal, which was OK.
This book won the Nebula Award in 1967 (tying one of my favorite books of all-time, Flowers for Algernon, for crying out loud) so my take is certainly of the minority opinion.
I got this for free from Audible and it was narrated by Stefan Rudnicki whose voice is as smooth as butter and is very pleasing to the ears. He's done a number of science fiction books I've listened to.
I thought the book started out strong. The central mystery was interesting and so was the protagonist, Rydra Wong. As it went on I gradually lost interest and felt like I was drowning in word salad. The last two-thirds of the book I found to be boring and had a hard time with the long stretches of dialog which felt like mumbo jumbo after a time. I couldn't wait for the ending and mystery reveal, which was OK.
This book won the Nebula Award in 1967 (tying one of my favorite books of all-time, Flowers for Algernon, for crying out loud) so my take is certainly of the minority opinion.
medium-paced
So me and classics/books published in the 19th century and beyond are not usually a good mix. I often don't feel I have the time or energy to understand what's going and to content myself with outdated language and plot points - but I was interested in this book and I am so glad I waited to read it until I felt ready.
Babel-17 is an ambitious scifi novel that explores human connection and understanding through languages and politics whilst creating an interesting futuristic world and memorable characters.
It's weakest points are that there are no transition scenes to connects the five parts together, making for a clunky listening experience and those random POV switches you get that were not necessary and just added confusion.
I find it most interesting when Rydra was solving problems and helping others with their communication issues but least satisfying when trying to navigate the poliitical/military landscape she was working under.
It still feels in conversation with media today: Arrival/The Story Of Your Life (film/short story) which also deal with a woman translated an alien species and being changed by it, Pacific Rim and the concept of sharing navigational powers and needed a profound bound to do so (the Drift aka a Triple), and how language shapes identity (Teixcalaan duology).
Babel-17 is an ambitious scifi novel that explores human connection and understanding through languages and politics whilst creating an interesting futuristic world and memorable characters.
It's weakest points are that there are no transition scenes to connects the five parts together, making for a clunky listening experience and those random POV switches you get that were not necessary and just added confusion.
I find it most interesting when Rydra was solving problems and helping others with their communication issues but least satisfying when trying to navigate the poliitical/military landscape she was working under.
It still feels in conversation with media today: Arrival/The Story Of Your Life (film/short story) which also deal with a woman translated an alien species and being changed by it, Pacific Rim and the concept of sharing navigational powers and needed a profound bound to do so (the Drift aka a Triple), and how language shapes identity (Teixcalaan duology).
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Some aspects of this book really didn't age well- "Your family is Indian, right? Yes, Seminole. Okay, this text is Mayan, same difference." The actual plot of the story was really difficult to follow- I often lost track of what location we were in, and why, and who was there with us. But overall I'm glad I read it for the really interesting thought experiment about how languages affect our thought patterns. Plus, gay space polyamory.
- No começo achei super legal, a Wong explicando pro general sobre a diferença de língua e criptografia e tal, mas foi só piorando.
- Perdeu a vibe quando ficou um tempão mostrando ela indo atrás de montar a tripulação dela, tipo pra quê? O livro é sobre linguagem mas passou um monte sem falar um piu disso. Eu até achei legal a construção de mundo, falando da cirurgias cosméticas, os incorporados e tal, mas não curti o desvio desnecessário.
- Ficou bem óbvio que ela era a própria traidora quando ela falou que ninguém conseguiria entrar na sala dela e tal, paia
- Achei bem fraca a explicação do "eu" no Babel-17
- Na vdd achei fraca toda explicação do final. Que putaria foi aquela.
- Perdeu a vibe quando ficou um tempão mostrando ela indo atrás de montar a tripulação dela, tipo pra quê? O livro é sobre linguagem mas passou um monte sem falar um piu disso. Eu até achei legal a construção de mundo, falando da cirurgias cosméticas, os incorporados e tal, mas não curti o desvio desnecessário.
- Ficou bem óbvio que ela era a própria traidora quando ela falou que ninguém conseguiria entrar na sala dela e tal, paia
- Achei bem fraca a explicação do "eu" no Babel-17
- Na vdd achei fraca toda explicação do final. Que putaria foi aquela.
A classic science fiction story regarding language and how it shapes us and the world around us. Unlike older sci-fi stories, this one even now did not seem dated in the slightest to me. I hope to read more of Delaney's work in the future.
As with most Sapir-Whorf influenced SF, the linguistics is more fantasy than science, but it's audacious and fun nonetheless.
Even more intriguing is the queer content he managed to smuggle into a mainstream release in 1966!
But it was Rydra Wong and her colorful misfit pals that kept me engaged.
Even more intriguing is the queer content he managed to smuggle into a mainstream release in 1966!
But it was Rydra Wong and her colorful misfit pals that kept me engaged.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes