2.2 KiB
Discussion of rationalist fiction with lots of great recommendations
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Author: u/tvcgrid *
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Score: 9
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Created: 2013-12-31T16:36:22
Post:
Comments:
u/tvcgrid [+2] (18 minutes later)
I read the World of Null-A and David's Sling based on this post, and both were great experiences. David's Sling was excellent and it really does meet all of the major criteria for rational fiction written on the right.
EDIT:
The linked article covers both of these books.
The World of Null-A: you see exactly what thoughts pass through Gosseyn's mind as he is faced with challenges. The characters behave believably and sometimes genuinely surprise you. The story doesn't feel like a puzzle though, or perhaps I just didn't have an intuitive grasp for what was possible in-world; I was surprised by one of the later developments and found some descriptions confusing. The story is very much driven by characters with differing values coming into conflict and sometimes cooperative situations; no "good v bad".
David's Sling: likewise, you get a peek at the actual rational reasoning of characters. Characters feel doubt, anxiety, anger, confusion, etc like you would expect yourself to feel, and it's very real. It helps that this book was written in the 80s, because I was very much in tune with the world and had no trouble diving into it and modeling all the characters believably. Also, the premise is highly engaging (US v USSR), and there's ample opportunity to reason about decisions, with some actual decision theory thrown in. And there's some rationality gems at the head of many chapters, like:
The Sophisticate: "The world isn't black and white. No one does pure good or pure bad. It's all gray. Therefore, no one is better than anyone else."
The Zetet: "Knowing only gray, you conclude that all grays are the same shade. You mock the simplicity of the two-color view, yet you replace it with a one-color view..."
u/AmeteurOpinions [+2] Finally, everyone was working together. (9 hours later)
Make those actual threads for prosperity.