Ninefox Gambit (5 points)
Out of all the spheres of fantasy, sci-fi was nothing I was ever interested in. The cold and metallic suave of what sci-fi media I did know felt impersonal, that the only exciting things would be exploration and war. Those aspects have never been something that I wanted to experience. I don’t think either are avoidable in the medium, but Ninefox Gamble made them feel at least palatable. From what I can tell, the world that Yoon Ha Lee creates is a fascinating balance between the science of classic sci-fi and the magics of classic fantasy to make something engaging and enigmatic.
I never thought about how people living in space so long would have no need to stick to earth measures of time, but the way the calendar plays a keystone role in the magitech-like computers system is genuinely eye-opening. The fact that the minutes, days, and holidays can be coded into an operating system based on both computing and human belief is the most interesting piece of worldbuilding I have ever heard of. Yoon Ha Lee makes use of the calendar system in everything from the actual telling of time to a template for tactical use makes the calendar feel important and real without having to expose for pages on how it works. There are no safety nets written in to keep readers up to date about what is going on, and I admire that greatly. Like how the book throws you into the world, forcing the readers to learn on the go gives a certain feeling of anxious number-tracking that Charas experiences.
As well, I thought it interesting in the beginning of the book that the confrontation between the Hexarchs and the Heretics would try to argue for the necessity of a more collectivist style of governing. Because Charas was so sure in her serving the Kell, I thought the story would be more simple, with a hard-won battle and moral lessons. It surprised me when Charas started to put the pieces together that she, and everyone else with her, were put to war essentially to get rid of Jdao. The whiplash of the last couple chapters cemented that the Hexarchical system was a danger to everyone living in and outside of it. Although I think the ending for the first in the series loses it’s punch because of the last couple chapters, it definitely makes up for a great set-up for the rest of the books.
(side note: did listen to this as an audiobook so my spellings might be wrong. Forgive me. Also this was a poor choice to listen to as an audiobook…. there were so many names :,,0 )
I never thought about how people living in space so long would have no need to stick to earth measures of time, but the way the calendar plays a keystone role in the magitech-like computers system is genuinely eye-opening. The fact that the minutes, days, and holidays can be coded into an operating system based on both computing and human belief is the most interesting piece of worldbuilding I have ever heard of. Yoon Ha Lee makes use of the calendar system in everything from the actual telling of time to a template for tactical use makes the calendar feel important and real without having to expose for pages on how it works. There are no safety nets written in to keep readers up to date about what is going on, and I admire that greatly. Like how the book throws you into the world, forcing the readers to learn on the go gives a certain feeling of anxious number-tracking that Charas experiences.
As well, I thought it interesting in the beginning of the book that the confrontation between the Hexarchs and the Heretics would try to argue for the necessity of a more collectivist style of governing. Because Charas was so sure in her serving the Kell, I thought the story would be more simple, with a hard-won battle and moral lessons. It surprised me when Charas started to put the pieces together that she, and everyone else with her, were put to war essentially to get rid of Jdao. The whiplash of the last couple chapters cemented that the Hexarchical system was a danger to everyone living in and outside of it. Although I think the ending for the first in the series loses it’s punch because of the last couple chapters, it definitely makes up for a great set-up for the rest of the books.
(side note: did listen to this as an audiobook so my spellings might be wrong. Forgive me. Also this was a poor choice to listen to as an audiobook…. there were so many names :,,0 )
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