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Ninefox Gambit Q8: Themes and art-as-mirror
What were the key themes and ideas of the book? What was it about? I've already mention the tension between loyalty and conscience in the question about characters. The military action suggests that, at least in some cases, war (and rebellion) is justified. What other themes are in the book?
The best SF holds a mirror up to our world. What does this book say about our culture? Does the fact that it's a Korean book but still understandable by North Americans and Europeans say something about cultural homogeneity?
Comments
This European failed to understand it, I'm afraid. And I came away with no clear idea what the key themes were or what the book was trying to say
Is it a Korean book? Yoon Ha Lee is a Texan, near as I can figure. Sadly I don't know enough about Korean culture to spot aspects of it in this book, though obviously the asian quality came through in the foods mentioned, and the whole thing felt like it was sloppily translated from another language.
Mathematics seems to be a theme, and I think the author studied mathematics. Many reviews I read mentioned math. But I couldn't solve this particular equation. I'm not sure how Math was involved in the plot or theme.
Conformity seems to be a theme - obviously the 'heretics' and Cheris and Jedao all strained against the systems they were born into.
Lee currently lives in Texas, but (according to his wikipedia page) spent a lot of his childhood in Korea. That said, given his varied cultural experience, I'm surprised that he produced a book that was so difficult to parse by this group of Anglophones.
I think some themes are there about loyalty vs independence, or supporting a regime vs rebellion, but they're far from explored deeply.