2.3 KiB
Folding Beijing
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Author: u/Ilverin *
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Score: 23
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Created: 2016-12-16T22:55:13
Post:
Comments:
u/Escapement [+3] Ankh-Morpork City Watch (15 hours later)
I initially read the title and was hoping that it would be about playing poker with cities as stakes, in the vein of Calling Pittsburgh (by Brust). However, the actual story was pretty neat - a story of wealth disparity and socioeconomic unfairness, done in a sci-fi metaphor/motif. I liked a lot of the ideas here. The sci-fi idea of a civilization occupying the same physical space but out out of phase in time is really cool.
However, I feel like the science part was inadequately explored - probably because the author was not really into the science fiction aspect so much as providing a setting as a metaphor for social issues, as far as I can tell. People are at all OK with living 1/3rd as long subjectively? People survive 48h complete fasts with only 24h between them consistently? Etc.
The general idea of a culture out of phase with itself in time was explored in a more interesting way in Card's Worthing Saga collection of short stories, which is one of the better things Card ever wrote.
u/xamueljones [+1] My arch-enemy is entropy (a day later)
People are at all OK with living 1/3rd as long subjectively?
I doubt that's what's going on here. The poor people in the Third Stage get only 8 hours awake at a time (I think? the time's a little unclear), but they aren't having a shorter lifespan. The cocoons appear to be suspended animation technology which explains surviving for 48 hours and allows for a longer life span.
u/None [+1] (14 hours later)
Description?
u/Ilverin [+1] (16 hours later)
Added a comment as a description https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/5iramb/folding_beijing/dbb3hhj/
u/Ilverin [+1] (16 hours later)
"Folding Beijing" is a short story written by a Chinese economist set some decades in the future which explores human dignity and respect in the context of poverty, politics, and the desire for economic growth.
"Folding Beijing" won this year's Hugo Award for best novelette.