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A review by mamoru
Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky
4.0
Elder Race is the kind of bland book with just enough interesting questions to act as a mirror for the reader — which makes it extremely valuable to me. Almost all elements of fiction exist as a container for what I see as the main theme: the limitations of human language and understanding.
This theme is woven into everything, from the writing to the setting and the relationship between characters. Language, which is more than words, is limited not by grammar comprehension but by the cognitive biases of its users. And because our understanding of the world depends on language, the limits of language are the limits of one's world (Wittgenstein).
The first and most superficial misunderstanding occurs between the Wizard and the natives. Language is essential for communication and connection. It makes and unmakes relationships and even entire civilizations. But language does more than communicate ideas. It lets people know who we are. Once the Princess has decided that Nyr is a Wizard, it doesn't matter how often he denies it. The word "wizard" has created the lens with which she sees him. Just like calling someone "bad" means that whatever they do is bad. Just like the word "Santa" makes you think of a chubby bearded guy dressed in a red suit. Not only do words shape our reality, but we are also hard-wired to believe and reinforce the biases that keep us safe and comfortable. There is a beautiful parallel between the natives seeing the Wizard as magical, and the the Wizard admitting to himself that he understands so little of the Demon that it could very well be magical. Realising his limitations makes room for the first spark of connection between himself and the natives. Admitting that his intelligence and advanced technology have failed him, is what allows him to finally feel at home among the people he deemed "inferior" and "barbaric". He now understands that true ignorance is not seeing your limitations and believing you are better than others because you are more privileged.
The second more profound misunderstanding occurs between the main characters and themselves. Both characters are blind to their inner patterns. The Wizard clings to a false sense of identity by obeying the rules of his old life, even as he questions their morality. The Princess clings to an ideal identity by trying to become a hero to her people.
What the Wizard most desires is a sense of belonging. His depression is (rightly) fueled by being cut off from his people, but the real cause is being cut off from himself. His desire to make good decisions leads to him blocking off all emotions, therefore cutting himself off from his authentic experience. Experiencing emotions, good and bad, contributes to neural highways that mediate language, thoughts and behaviour. The more he uses his emotion-blocking device, the more distance he creates between his outer shell and his true self. The Wizard wishes to be known by others but he doesn't know himself.
The Princess is brave and empathetic but she lacks any sense of self-awareness. She is so busy doing things, that she misses out on the why of her actions. While she genuinely cares about her people, her true desire is to be seen and accepted by her family. Her self-sacrifice comes from a deep sense of unworthiness so why not throw her life away since her life is not valuable? She is part of a family that up to the very end, mirrors back to her the image of an unreliable, undeserving character. Her mother and sister not only misunderstand her courage, but they fail to see her altogether. The Princess wishes to be seen by others but she doesn't see herself.
The message here is simple: our human understanding is limited and we are all at the mercy of each other. Whether now or a thousand years in the future, human beings will always crave connection, safety and belonging. We want to understand and to be understood. We want to belong and we want to have a purpose that is in line with our values.
Elder Race surpassed my initial low expectations not by having a solid plot or good writing, but by resonating with me. At the end of the day, I guess I'm the kind of reader who prefers connection over structure so I'm rounding this up to a 4.
This theme is woven into everything, from the writing to the setting and the relationship between characters. Language, which is more than words, is limited not by grammar comprehension but by the cognitive biases of its users. And because our understanding of the world depends on language, the limits of language are the limits of one's world (Wittgenstein).
The first and most superficial misunderstanding occurs between the Wizard and the natives. Language is essential for communication and connection. It makes and unmakes relationships and even entire civilizations. But language does more than communicate ideas. It lets people know who we are. Once the Princess has decided that Nyr is a Wizard, it doesn't matter how often he denies it. The word "wizard" has created the lens with which she sees him. Just like calling someone "bad" means that whatever they do is bad. Just like the word "Santa" makes you think of a chubby bearded guy dressed in a red suit. Not only do words shape our reality, but we are also hard-wired to believe and reinforce the biases that keep us safe and comfortable. There is a beautiful parallel between the natives seeing the Wizard as magical, and the the Wizard admitting to himself that he understands so little of the Demon that it could very well be magical. Realising his limitations makes room for the first spark of connection between himself and the natives. Admitting that his intelligence and advanced technology have failed him, is what allows him to finally feel at home among the people he deemed "inferior" and "barbaric". He now understands that true ignorance is not seeing your limitations and believing you are better than others because you are more privileged.
The second more profound misunderstanding occurs between the main characters and themselves. Both characters are blind to their inner patterns. The Wizard clings to a false sense of identity by obeying the rules of his old life, even as he questions their morality. The Princess clings to an ideal identity by trying to become a hero to her people.
What the Wizard most desires is a sense of belonging. His depression is (rightly) fueled by being cut off from his people, but the real cause is being cut off from himself. His desire to make good decisions leads to him blocking off all emotions, therefore cutting himself off from his authentic experience. Experiencing emotions, good and bad, contributes to neural highways that mediate language, thoughts and behaviour. The more he uses his emotion-blocking device, the more distance he creates between his outer shell and his true self. The Wizard wishes to be known by others but he doesn't know himself.
The Princess is brave and empathetic but she lacks any sense of self-awareness. She is so busy doing things, that she misses out on the why of her actions. While she genuinely cares about her people, her true desire is to be seen and accepted by her family. Her self-sacrifice comes from a deep sense of unworthiness so why not throw her life away since her life is not valuable? She is part of a family that up to the very end, mirrors back to her the image of an unreliable, undeserving character. Her mother and sister not only misunderstand her courage, but they fail to see her altogether. The Princess wishes to be seen by others but she doesn't see herself.
The message here is simple: our human understanding is limited and we are all at the mercy of each other. Whether now or a thousand years in the future, human beings will always crave connection, safety and belonging. We want to understand and to be understood. We want to belong and we want to have a purpose that is in line with our values.
Elder Race surpassed my initial low expectations not by having a solid plot or good writing, but by resonating with me. At the end of the day, I guess I'm the kind of reader who prefers connection over structure so I'm rounding this up to a 4.