Immersion by Aliette de Bodard
Jan. 6th, 2021 20:53![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
superborbhttp://clarkesworldmagazine.com/debodard_06_12/
I enjoyed this short story (5k words), but the beginning made me think of a phenomenon that I'm not quite sure how to put in words. It's this kind of-- self-conscious way of setting up a story so that you know it's set in pseudo Asia. For example, the specifying of lotus in the line "opening up the universe like a lotus flower" and having similar such phrasing to make sure It's Really Asian. IDK, I think it's less common now than it was back in 2013, so maybe that's part of why it feels off? Because I'm looking at some trope that has evolved with time. I did really enjoy it by the end, after it got over those scene setting descriptions! It has some interesting things to say about assimilation and imperialism. And it won a lot of awards haha.
I enjoyed this short story (5k words), but the beginning made me think of a phenomenon that I'm not quite sure how to put in words. It's this kind of-- self-conscious way of setting up a story so that you know it's set in pseudo Asia. For example, the specifying of lotus in the line "opening up the universe like a lotus flower" and having similar such phrasing to make sure It's Really Asian. IDK, I think it's less common now than it was back in 2013, so maybe that's part of why it feels off? Because I'm looking at some trope that has evolved with time. I did really enjoy it by the end, after it got over those scene setting descriptions! It has some interesting things to say about assimilation and imperialism. And it won a lot of awards haha.
no subject
Date: 2021-01-07 18:38 (UTC)But of course since I did read it so long ago I can't really comment on the phenomenon you are mentioning here.
no subject
Date: 2021-01-07 20:37 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-01-08 00:07 (UTC)