Yes, they have “machines”, but everything they use, eat, and live in is biological, they truly live 100% in harmony with their environment. Everything on the planet has evolved symbiotically, leaving the Ariekei no need to develop machine technology. You know those utterly alien aliens you’ve been looking for in science fiction? This is them. Mieville’s design of the Ariekei planet is his most imaginative world yet. The entirety of Embassytown is an unforgiving metaphor of the risks of getting lost in translation.
The humans believe that since they have figured out a way to communicate with the Hosts, that they understand them. Their methods of verbal communication refer to the literal only. It’s not that The Hosts can’t lie per se, it’s that their language has no method for allusion, or metaphor, or reference in general. Embassytown exists on the sufferance of their Bremen governors and the hospitality of the Ariekei, known colloquially as The Hosts. There have been occasional whispers of a revolution for independence, but the Embassytowners know they depend on the financial support of Bremen, and the bio-tech support of the Ariekei.
Suddenly awkward, Avice is no longer native, but not foreigner either.Ī colony of Bremen, on the planet Arieke, Embassytown in a ghetto on the edge of the Ariekei city. A local Embassytown girl who makes good after her 15 minutes of fame, she leaves her home town to explore the world and returns years later, husband in tow, marriage in shambles. In the far future, humanity has discovered a not-hyperspace and not-lightspeed style travel (I was temped to liken it to how the Spacing Guild pilots of Herbert’s Dune travel) and we’ve started colonizing both empty and alien planets.Īvice is the narrator of our story, and she is the first admit there is nothing special about her life. Embassytown is turning into that kind of book. So stay tuned for a super spoilery part 3 that talks more about Mieville’s worldbuiling and how truly imaginative this novel is, and possibly a part 4 as well.
This article got way too long, way too fast.
0 kommentar(er)
