This week, I read Babel-17, by Samuel R. Delaney, which had
a very interesting and unique concept. It takes place during an interstellar
war in which a language called Babel- 17 is discovered. At first, this language
was thought to be a code used by the enemy, but Rydra learns otherwise. Rydra
is a starship captain that was recruited by her government to discover how the
enemy was infiltrating and destroying strategic sites. It was during this
mission that Rydra discovers that Babel-17 is actually language and using it
can turn the use into a traitor without them even realizing since the way the
brain conceives the language results in changes to its own perception and
thought. It is Rydra’s crew that rescues her and helps her subdue the effects
of Babel-17. This story is meant to show how the peculiarities of language can
come with unexpected side effects and how different experiences and conditions
of life can shape the formation of words and connotation. This unique concept
reminded me of a recent movie I watched called Arrival which I also really
enjoyed and I recommend.
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