I hesitate to call this a real post. It's certainly nothing of substance.
I read the Hugo nominated novella "True Names" this evening.
Sigh.
It's the sort of science fiction that I don't like. Far future and laced with technology to the point where competing technologies are the characters with semblances of personality. "True Names" appears to be some sort of war between filters and strategies and policies and some other larger intellectual / technological bodies.
Honestly, I didn't understand a whole lot of what was going on. I mean, I got the basics but it had no meaning for me.
"True Names" felt like one of the overly technical stories of Charles Stross or something. I don't mean that as a compliment. Given the title, the story is probably Vingean as well, but I can't say. I've only read two novels from Vernor Vinge, including the original True Names and don't have a sense of what Vingean means.
Here's the thing - I like Cory Doctorow's work. I haven't read quite enough Rosenbaum to have formed an opinion (nothing has really resonated), but I suspect he's good. Their novella "True Names"? It's not for me. It's overlong with little meaning (for me) and has nothing for me to connect with, to engage with. I was left lost and cold.
Interesting. I listened to the story, rather than read it, but I quite enjoyed it. Hearing this kind of reaction makes me wonder if the joy I derived from the story is just the physic major in me geeking out about a portrayal of the heat death of the universe. Well, that and I always love go getting some time on the page.
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