tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484180326012950400.post9035005359014185473..comments2024-03-27T23:55:17.673-07:00Comments on Flogging Babel: My Fast Forward InterviewMichael Swanwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18389836784776252022noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484180326012950400.post-2494086368262203322008-02-03T20:47:00.000-08:002008-02-03T20:47:00.000-08:00I've just finished the book, and it's sitting undi...I've just finished the book, and it's sitting undigested in the pit of my stomach. I expect to hear from it in a couple of months.<BR/><BR/>Early comments:<BR/>- I loved it<BR/>- I thought it was more closely related to Stations of the Tide than to The Iron Dragon's Daughter<BR/><BR/>Three bells it rang:<BR/><BR/>i) I know anyone can talk about liking reading, but when the stone lion on the steps says it, I heard distinct echoes of Heinlein. I looked up the bit I thought it matched in Glory Road, and found no strong resemblance. Maybe something in Have Spacesuit Will Travel?<BR/><BR/>ii) The titan prophesies war, destruction and ruin, then finishes with "- bring it on", as a certain unpopular American president once said on the deck of an aircraft carrier. It was worth reading the book for that line alone - the resonances were brilliant, not only echoing Bush in the titan, but retroactively placing some of the titan's malice on Bush. <BR/><BR/>And while talking of political things, the blatant evocation of the plane crashes of 9/11 in the hallucinatory dream sequence at the end of the book worked brilliantly instead of sounding cheesy. Bonus points for succeeding with something which should have failed.<BR/><BR/>iii) near the end of the book, after young wotsisname has become king, an Umberto Eco-like list of the many denizens of the city, including Ukranians and... Ruthenians. Who the hell talks about Ruthenians? No one but Avram Davidson surely? Looking in the Avram Davidson treasury I find it mentioned in... the introduction by Michael Swanwick. Who is married to one.<BR/><BR/>It's rare that I buy in hardback, rarer still that I don't feel like a fool for having done so afterwards. Thanks.<BR/><BR/><BR/> SteveHANNAH'S DADhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05877455489975811860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484180326012950400.post-46376420780239496532008-02-01T12:10:00.000-08:002008-02-01T12:10:00.000-08:00Subtlety. Not my forte, I'm afraid. Contrarity, ...Subtlety. Not my forte, I'm afraid. Contrarity, on the other hand, I can definitely get behind.Michael Swanwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18389836784776252022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484180326012950400.post-26789192368495400812008-02-01T10:12:00.000-08:002008-02-01T10:12:00.000-08:00You may ask, though being contrary, we won't neces...You may ask, though being contrary, we won't necessarily do it. Being even more contrary than that, I did watch it. I liked the way your blog was referenced every few minutes. Nothing subtle about it. <BR/><BR/>OzOzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11874080106356780982noreply@blogger.com