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TOP SCHOLAR: Isaac Brown
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| Review Summary |
This book primarily deals with the idea that language can influence the thoughts and actions of the people who speak it. The main character lives on a pastoral world with a very weak language, and basically all the main spacefaring races can push them around. Political intrigue sends the heir to the throne into exile on to a science/tech world with a very technical language. He studies there for years under a tutor who is the same man who rescued him during the political upheaval at home.
He eventually returns home to reclaime his throne, aided by his tutor. However, his tutor, being a science type, has an experiment in mind. He has created new languages and wants to use them on select regions of the planet. One is a very aggresive language to create a warrior caste. The next is a language which views everything in terms of value and transaction used to create a merchant/manufacturer caste. The third is a technical language similar to the one used on the science world mentioned earlier used to create a science class.
The main character thought this was a good idea because it would allow the people of Pao (the name of the planet) to become competitive in all those realms so they won't be getting pushed around anymore. The main character had, in fact, been getting worried about that even before his exile. It should be mentioned that his tutor had one main demand in return for putting this system into place: thousands of Paonese women for him to have children with. It eventually turns out that his tutor has more up his sleeve with the "experiment" than it first appeared, and numerous machinations and plans prepared for the now powerful Pao.
Isaac Brown, Resident Scholar
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| Detailed literary breakdown of The Languages of Pao |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 50%
Tone of book
- cynical or dry-wit
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Cultural problems, alien culture
Yes
Culture clash-
- one culture tries to impose its culture on another group
Intense exploration of society's culture?
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Male Alien
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
Age:
- 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- healthy but a geeky weakling
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- long-lived adults
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body:
- inhabited by friendly aliens
- neutral aliens
- empty, or nearly empty world
- big overbuilt futuristic city
- very controlled society
Planet outside solar system?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- some scientific explanation
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
How much dialogue?
- significantly more descript than dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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