One of my absolute favorites and I'm hoping folks want to talk about it.
Hands down my most reread book. Me, an atheist, never imagined a twisty/puzzly novel about the life and times of future space jesus would speak to me so deeply.
The prose is multidimensional and layered with meanings that only come into focus once you know where it's going.
Some of my favorite examples:
- The title of chapter 1
- Severian first finding his dog.
- Thecla's story of a fortune teller predicting she would sit on a throne.
- The ending of book 1
- The ending of book 2
Any other trek fans delighted by Group of Seventeen in book four, realizing it was 10 years ahead of the TNG episode "Darmok"?
Hey I’m also behind everyone else too, I’m glad to see a chance to chime in.
I consider this to be the absolute best “red shirt” episode yet. These are my reasons.
Ensign Gamble was introduced in prior episodes; no last-minute-hey-meet-airiam contrivances.
The episode starts with Gamble reading his log, as though he is framing the entire episode and foreshadowing his survival.
The threat was menacing and inscrutable, like an Armos with better presentation. But also sad, Gamble merely picking up that orb shows how fragile life can be even in the space future. He just gets iced for no good reason like Yar, because ultimately space is scary and dangerous.
Dr MBenga suffers more trauma and loss, as he should. Every redshirt was probably somebody’s protege and certainly leaves void we rarely get to see ( eg TNG Lower Decks). Closest runner up is Trip getting all tore up over ENT casualties.
This is how to kill an away team member and have me care about it.