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A review by rorikae
Anthropocene Rag by Alexander C. Irvine
3.0
3/5
'Anthropocene Rag' by Alexander C. Irvine is a fascinating commentary on technology and the fables that shape our society. It paints a view of an America that has been taken over by nanotechnology that is obsessed with the folklore and past history of the country. This technology, called the Boom, fashions and refashions the world so that one moment you're standing beside Paul Bunyan and the next you're watching the history of a city's industrial district building itself from the ground up. The commentary on how we infuse our lives with folklore and how this would be confusing to technology grasping at sentience was the best part of the story. It made me think about all of the fables and history turned into folklore that influence the average American existence.
Despite a fascinating premise and some beautiful writing to evoke this America ravaged and being rebuilt by technology, I found the length of the story and the plot a little awkward. The idea of a group of 6 people who are chosen by the sentient technology to trek across America to 'Monument City,' a fabled space where all of the world's monuments are said to have been gathered in one place, is fascinating. And yet, after setting up this city that is supposed to be so fascinating, we never really get to see it. Though the journey across America is interesting as it allows us to experience the different aspects of a world rebuilt on myth, it also fell flat because I didn't care for the characters. I didn't dislike them, I just didn't really care about them. The world was far more interesting than those who were travelling through it.
I'm also conflicted about the form of the story. It's a novella and I honestly think it would have worked better as either a short story or a novel. A short story would have been perfect for exploring this world through the different fables and moments in history that it chose to recreate. A novel would have felt more fitting if the characters, their arcs, and their journey were the part that was set center stage. The current novella feels split between the two with the beauty and evocative nature of the world but without enough time with the characters to feel fully fleshed out.
The writing is gorgeous and I think the concept itself makes it worth it to read the story but I would let anyone know who is delving into this novella that it isn't really about the characters and to instead focus on the world and what is says about how our society works currently. In this it has a lot of fascinating things to say.
'Anthropocene Rag' by Alexander C. Irvine is a fascinating commentary on technology and the fables that shape our society. It paints a view of an America that has been taken over by nanotechnology that is obsessed with the folklore and past history of the country. This technology, called the Boom, fashions and refashions the world so that one moment you're standing beside Paul Bunyan and the next you're watching the history of a city's industrial district building itself from the ground up. The commentary on how we infuse our lives with folklore and how this would be confusing to technology grasping at sentience was the best part of the story. It made me think about all of the fables and history turned into folklore that influence the average American existence.
Despite a fascinating premise and some beautiful writing to evoke this America ravaged and being rebuilt by technology, I found the length of the story and the plot a little awkward. The idea of a group of 6 people who are chosen by the sentient technology to trek across America to 'Monument City,' a fabled space where all of the world's monuments are said to have been gathered in one place, is fascinating. And yet, after setting up this city that is supposed to be so fascinating, we never really get to see it. Though the journey across America is interesting as it allows us to experience the different aspects of a world rebuilt on myth, it also fell flat because I didn't care for the characters. I didn't dislike them, I just didn't really care about them. The world was far more interesting than those who were travelling through it.
I'm also conflicted about the form of the story. It's a novella and I honestly think it would have worked better as either a short story or a novel. A short story would have been perfect for exploring this world through the different fables and moments in history that it chose to recreate. A novel would have felt more fitting if the characters, their arcs, and their journey were the part that was set center stage. The current novella feels split between the two with the beauty and evocative nature of the world but without enough time with the characters to feel fully fleshed out.
The writing is gorgeous and I think the concept itself makes it worth it to read the story but I would let anyone know who is delving into this novella that it isn't really about the characters and to instead focus on the world and what is says about how our society works currently. In this it has a lot of fascinating things to say.