2.3 KiB
[RT] [DC] [RST] [C] The Last Utopians
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Author: u/voxmercati *
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Score: 12
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Created: 2016-04-30T23:04:59
Post:
Comments:
u/Bowbreaker [+4] Solitary Locust (a day later)
This story seems to be rather basic and unoriginal at its face. On the other hand the way I read it Anak seems to be rather tacked on and the name of the story doesn't make much sense to me either. Am I missing something?
u/voxmercati [+1] (a day later)
The story's intended to be a mythologized version of the dawn of the scientific method and a deconstruction of feudalism—conventional fantasy in my view has a tendency to romanticize a period that I don't think deserves to be romanticized. Stories like The Hobbit tend to carry a subtext that industrial civilization ruined some agrarian idyll, and this is essentially a "take that" to that perspective. The characters are deliberately archetypes used for a didactic purpose and the writing is strongly influenced by Ayn Rand with some influence from Eliezer; I can see why that'd be polarizing. "Utopians" is referring to the worldview held by Ada, i.e. that creating a positive society on earth is possible; "last" is being used in the sense of "previous". As a member of a relatively privileged caste, Ada is largely insulated from the full consequences of feudalism—Anak is intended to show the bottom rung of the system.
u/Bowbreaker [+3] Solitary Locust (2 days later)
Eh. It's less that I disagree with it and more that it is too on the nose and preachy without bringing anything new to the table.
Nonconforming Girl = Smart savior scientist & Priest = Irredeemable Insane Guy. Oh, and there's a random irrelevant slave added to show just how shitty The System is and nothing much else.
Well, at least the writing itself was decent and flowed well, even if I didn't like the plot.
u/TennisMaster2 [+3] (3 days later)
The Ghost Map?
u/voxmercati [+2] (3 days later)
Hadn't heard of the book; I based it on the same event though (my source was just https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1854_Broad_Street_cholera_outbreak)