This is the premise that makes Iain M Banks’ Culture series of novels so compelling.
Even though it is a massive interstellar Type2 society that is “fully automated luxury communism” many people are going to be problematic, angsty, and childish. The result is an always interesting plot.
A more thorough exploration of someone living in a relative utopia but being a long streak of misery by nature is Delaney’s novel Triton. Main character is a jerk and you get to explore why, while extremely cool things are happening all around.
I love that about the Culture novels: they are socially coherent. Banks is very keen on telling us about the psychology of this utopian society.
I once tried some Delaney but dropped it as psychedelic hippie scifi. I hope I wasn’t unjust in doing that, but afair it was from that time. Maybe it even was Triton. It was all confusion (“tripping”) and exploring a completely desire-based, erm, exploration.
Recently I read (and barely managed to finish) Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination, which seems to fit into a similar category (Beatnik scifi?). It had way too many shortcomings, plus it was an old translation that only managed to make the latent racism/sexism more prominent. But it was also very inventive and captivating.
Yeah the hippy sexy Delaney novel was probably Dhalgren, which I don’t think I have actually finished despite a few attempts, and for reference I enjoyed Finnegan’s Wake in its entirety so it’s not like I don’t have stamina. I like all the other Delaney works, though. Triton might be a slog because the main character is self centred and childish and it’s from their point of view. It has some banger scenes, like the visit to a novelty restaurant with a nostalgic capitalist theme, and the wacko performance art at one point, and details like every candidate who gets any votes is elected and represent those voters, however few they maybe. Also main character gets a sex change to run from their problems but of course they’re still a jerk lol.
Sure, I guess it depends on your style preferences… I prefer science fiction, so can’t remember much about the sword and sorcery novels, but they’re readable, and like anything Delaney does, underpinned with exploration of the power of words, ideas, power, desire.
Stay away from Dhalgren.
Nova is probably the most space opera novel with a standard structure. Good starting place.
Babel-17 is intense and weird and fairly short, about language as a weapon. Sometimes you find a copy doubled up with Empire Star which has a plot and structure that loops back on itself.
Probably my favourite is Stars in my Pocket Like Grains of Sand which is probably the most alien yet approachable family portrayal in SF. Sadly it’s the first half of a duology that didn’t get finished, probably because it stands alone really well.
The short story collections vary but are mostly wins for any reader.
I have long said that even in a Utopia you would have people unhappy about the way things were.
This is the premise that makes Iain M Banks’ Culture series of novels so compelling.
Even though it is a massive interstellar Type2 society that is “fully automated luxury communism” many people are going to be problematic, angsty, and childish. The result is an always interesting plot.
A more thorough exploration of someone living in a relative utopia but being a long streak of misery by nature is Delaney’s novel Triton. Main character is a jerk and you get to explore why, while extremely cool things are happening all around.
I love that about the Culture novels: they are socially coherent. Banks is very keen on telling us about the psychology of this utopian society.
I once tried some Delaney but dropped it as psychedelic hippie scifi. I hope I wasn’t unjust in doing that, but afair it was from that time. Maybe it even was Triton. It was all confusion (“tripping”) and exploring a completely desire-based, erm, exploration.
Recently I read (and barely managed to finish) Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination, which seems to fit into a similar category (Beatnik scifi?). It had way too many shortcomings, plus it was an old translation that only managed to make the latent racism/sexism more prominent. But it was also very inventive and captivating.
Yeah the hippy sexy Delaney novel was probably Dhalgren, which I don’t think I have actually finished despite a few attempts, and for reference I enjoyed Finnegan’s Wake in its entirety so it’s not like I don’t have stamina. I like all the other Delaney works, though. Triton might be a slog because the main character is self centred and childish and it’s from their point of view. It has some banger scenes, like the visit to a novelty restaurant with a nostalgic capitalist theme, and the wacko performance art at one point, and details like every candidate who gets any votes is elected and represent those voters, however few they maybe. Also main character gets a sex change to run from their problems but of course they’re still a jerk lol.
Glad to hear that. Would you recommend an easy entry into Delaney’s opus?
Sure, I guess it depends on your style preferences… I prefer science fiction, so can’t remember much about the sword and sorcery novels, but they’re readable, and like anything Delaney does, underpinned with exploration of the power of words, ideas, power, desire.
Stay away from Dhalgren.
Nova is probably the most space opera novel with a standard structure. Good starting place.
Babel-17 is intense and weird and fairly short, about language as a weapon. Sometimes you find a copy doubled up with Empire Star which has a plot and structure that loops back on itself.
Probably my favourite is Stars in my Pocket Like Grains of Sand which is probably the most alien yet approachable family portrayal in SF. Sadly it’s the first half of a duology that didn’t get finished, probably because it stands alone really well.
The short story collections vary but are mostly wins for any reader.
I forgot to mention that yes, it was definitely Dhalgren.
Anyhow, yes to SciFi. Space Opera sounds most suitable to me, so that’s where I’ll start.
Thanks!