roaming_ro's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide
booksthatburn's review
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A lot of cool stuff with regards to thinking about language and polyamory, neat bit of sci-fi.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Fatphobia
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicide, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Murder, Mental illness, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Animal death, Vomit, Death of parent, Ableism, Racial slurs, Torture, and Child death
Older book which uses some outdated/racist terminology (frequent use of "Spoiler
Orientaltalonsontypewriters's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Medical content, and Gore
Moderate: Alcohol, Gun violence, Suicide, Fatphobia, Ableism, Death, Murder, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy and Animal death
Body horror refers mostly to cosmetic surgery taken on by many characters to grant them various physical attributes. Passing use of "oriental" and other dated derogatory terms/beliefs. Mild discrimination against polyamory early on. Nonsexual nudity.morebedsidebooks's review
3.0
Rydra Wong is a poet, polyglot and linguist famous to both sides of an intergalactic war, and now also the leading expert on a remarkable language dubbed Babel-17. A language the understanding of may prove vital in the conflict between the Alliance and Invaders. With verve and an imaginative, sundry universe plus a penchant for nerdy linguistics Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany is considered a sci-fi classic in American literature.
From 1966 many aspects of the novel can carry forward not only in the sci-fi genre but, all the way to now in 2020. Characters are of various racial, social and economic backgrounds, queer. Among the futuristic, humanity at heart on display. Maybe not surprising coming from a gay writer counted in the New Wave movement and with relatives involved previously in the Harlem Renaissance. Even so the book hasn’t aged best. The main bit of thought explored, linguistic relativity, likewise continues on in academia to the present in subtler means. The diversity of tongues and ideas about how language is related to culture, identity and effects on interpretation and the mind is fascinating. Babel-17 however can be puzzling if not a bit off putting as the novel leans hard into insinuating so powerful a determination on thought. Yet, linguists Sapir and Whorf were not so caught up in the notion language equates thought and the number or lack thereof of terms to express a referent in a language as has been held, as a whole way of speaking and the influence. So, while reproducing fallacies and showing bias, difficulties can arise mediating veracity and assumption in Babel-17. And Delany, ironically before even realizing there was a named hypothesis, enamored with the concept, eventually recognised the flaws too.
For better or worse a number of sci-fi titles roll off from similar linguistic inspirations and are known today. Despite winning a Nebula Award, Babel-17 over the decades as the US publishing industry underwent change is a book dipping out of print and back in. Sales likely not helped in the 1980s by the once largest bookseller in the country blacklisting authors of books with gay content. Too only after the turn of the millennium was Babel-17 published in an edition coupled with the novella Empire Star as Delany intended. Fortunately, fandom seems inclined with Delany to a long memory. Introducing new readers, Babel-17 is often remarked upon with wishes for an adaptation. What might the experience be like to see Wong and crew on the starship Rimbaud (yes Delany paying homage to the French poet) in a different format, in front of a new generation? Even if the question is ever answered, there is importantly still the words strung to order on the page, conjuring in the mind.
From 1966 many aspects of the novel can carry forward not only in the sci-fi genre but, all the way to now in 2020. Characters are of various racial, social and economic backgrounds, queer. Among the futuristic, humanity at heart on display. Maybe not surprising coming from a gay writer counted in the New Wave movement and with relatives involved previously in the Harlem Renaissance. Even so the book hasn’t aged best. The main bit of thought explored, linguistic relativity, likewise continues on in academia to the present in subtler means. The diversity of tongues and ideas about how language is related to culture, identity and effects on interpretation and the mind is fascinating. Babel-17 however can be puzzling if not a bit off putting as the novel leans hard into insinuating so powerful a determination on thought. Yet, linguists Sapir and Whorf were not so caught up in the notion language equates thought and the number or lack thereof of terms to express a referent in a language as has been held, as a whole way of speaking and the influence. So, while reproducing fallacies and showing bias, difficulties can arise mediating veracity and assumption in Babel-17. And Delany, ironically before even realizing there was a named hypothesis, enamored with the concept, eventually recognised the flaws too.
For better or worse a number of sci-fi titles roll off from similar linguistic inspirations and are known today. Despite winning a Nebula Award, Babel-17 over the decades as the US publishing industry underwent change is a book dipping out of print and back in. Sales likely not helped in the 1980s by the once largest bookseller in the country blacklisting authors of books with gay content. Too only after the turn of the millennium was Babel-17 published in an edition coupled with the novella Empire Star as Delany intended. Fortunately, fandom seems inclined with Delany to a long memory. Introducing new readers, Babel-17 is often remarked upon with wishes for an adaptation. What might the experience be like to see Wong and crew on the starship Rimbaud (yes Delany paying homage to the French poet) in a different format, in front of a new generation? Even if the question is ever answered, there is importantly still the words strung to order on the page, conjuring in the mind.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Fatphobia and Suicide
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