I'm trying to listen to an audio version of Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer. And some parts are really good, but other parts make me want to scream. Here's one of the parts that makes me want to scream.
Protagonist, Thomas Jericho, a human scientist in his 50s, is talking to Hollus, an alien called a Forhilnor. They've been working together daily for several weeks or months and have become friends.
[Thomas Jericho says] "And how long will you live?"
"Perhaps another 80 years assuming an accident does not befall me."
"So a typical Forhilnor lifespan is 130 years?"
"For females yes. Males live about 10 years longer."
"So, uh, my god, so, you're female?"
"Yes."
I was stunned. "I hadn't been aware of that, your voice -- it's -- rather deep."
"That is just the way Forhilnor voices are, male or female."
"I think I'll go on calling you 'he', if that's OK."
"I am no longer offended by it," said Hollus. "You may continue to do so."
"Anyway," I said...
Protagonist, Thomas Jericho, a human scientist in his 50s, is talking to Hollus, an alien called a Forhilnor. They've been working together daily for several weeks or months and have become friends.
[Thomas Jericho says] "And how long will you live?"
"Perhaps another 80 years assuming an accident does not befall me."
"So a typical Forhilnor lifespan is 130 years?"
"For females yes. Males live about 10 years longer."
"So, uh, my god, so, you're female?"
"Yes."
I was stunned. "I hadn't been aware of that, your voice -- it's -- rather deep."
"That is just the way Forhilnor voices are, male or female."
"I think I'll go on calling you 'he', if that's OK."
"I am no longer offended by it," said Hollus. "You may continue to do so."
"Anyway," I said...
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Comments
That's the kind of "let's talk in a manner so that the dimmest of readers understand that we are really commenting on the contemporary human social and power structures" writing that makes me laugh rather than scream :-P
A bit like a soap character having to say "I'm so mad at her" into the empty room, because 1) he's such a bad actor he can't express it with his face alone, and 2) the audience is supposed to be incapable of reading even the slightest between the lines
That analysis attributes more political savvy to the author than I am willing to attribute.
*rolls eyes*
Or less?
Damn imponderables....
(Yes, I know, lucrative blogging is probably not a worthwhile measure at all, but that just ruins the entire joke.)
(Oh, sure, go ahead, crush my feelings! Tell me the joke was ruined from the getgo! And then I'll go out and become an evil genius and try to destroy the world and it'll be all your fault!)
(Edited to add - okay, being an evil genius isn't as much fun as it looks in the movies. Do you have *any* idea how many hero wannabes want to pound on evil-geniuses *before* they come up with their secret weapons? So forget it; I'll just sit here and sulk instead!)
If I had world enough and time, I would so create the Forhilnor's "Human savage" blog posts.
But not quite.
I like the parts where he describes how the ecology and natural science work and life is possible. As a Atheist this book makes a better pitch for God than any religious text that I have ever read.
William
i wish he'dcollaborate with a writer who can do decent characterizations.