WEEK 10: THE POWER OF LANGUAGE AND COOL FEMALE LEADS

So right off the bat I can firmly say that I had a much better reading experience this week compared to the last. I still can’t say that I’ve been converted to join the sci-fi fandom, but I understand that there is a lot more diversity and substance with the stories. Honestly, I had pretty low expectations going into this novel just because of the genre, but I actually thought it was pretty interesting with a well thought-out story structure. I guess you really can’t judge a book by its cover. And so, let’s talk a bit about Babel 17!

I can’t not talk about this book without mentioning the main character Rydra Wong. What a refreshing character for the time period! It’s not common to see a strong, intelligent Asian female take the lead of a sci-fi novel. I felt that her character added to the uniqueness of the novel’s storytelling. Having her be a linguist and a poet was also something that I thought elevated the idea of language, as Delany made the subject have more meaning to Wong. Also, I just love the idea of a gay man in the 50-60s thinking about diversity in literature, and not just in his spectrum. The idea of language and the power it has was interesting to read about since it still holds up even today. It made me wonder how different life would be if the language we spoke was different, or even if the way we spoke was different. For Rydra, it was such an eye-opening experience to learn about the power of Babel 17 and how it influences people’s thoughts. Being a linguist and a poet, language and words are her specialty. To find this whole new world within it was an interesting turning point in the novel. I especially liked the way Delaney wrote out the way she perceived this epiphany, because I felt like I was experiencing this phenomenal and personal moment alongside Rydra. His style of writing greatly enhanced these story moments, as he writes with such precise and vivid sophistication.

I don’t know if I like sci-fi yet, but I can say that this novel definitely made a positive impression on me.

- ☽Stacy Moon☾