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Babel-17: A Review

 



Time for some classic science fiction. Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney shared the 1966 Nebula award for best science fiction novel with Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Reading Delaney can often be a mind trip. He is at times poetic (the main character is a poet) and at times experimental (I remember I had trouble making it through his later novel Dahlgren). In Babel-17 he delves deep into psychological mysteries and the nature of consciousness. Despite all that, the story is very readable.

The civilization we are following, “The Alliance,” is at war with the ambiguous and undescribed "Invaders.” The Alliance has discovered an invader code: Babel-17. This code gets broadcast right before  “accidents” that happen on military installations or to people or equipment that are important to the Alliance. The generals feel these accidents are not accidents. The Alliance have asked the brilliant Rydra Wong to break the code, but after a preliminary investigation, she tells them Babel-17 is not a code but a language. To translate it she will need to travel to the site of the next predicted attack. That sets her of on a voyage with her misfit crew to decipher the language and stop the attacks. That misfit crew contains loveable characters, some of whom are technically dead and exist as consciousness only.

The book is not terribly long but it is dense with a lot to unpack: rich characters, worldbuilding and subplots. I enjoyed the premise, the buildup and the ride. The story does have a bit of that 1960’s patina and there are a few anachronisms like the distant future computers using punch-cards, but they are easily overlooked and don’t detract from the story. When Rydra Wong deciphers the language, it leads to an innovative and fascinating plot twist that bends your mind (at least it bent my mind).  It might be a story that I need to reread to grasp the full meaning. The ending was a bit rushed for my taste. That though, is a minor quibble when dealing with a classic work like this. I recommend Babel-17 to all who are unafraid of getting their minds blown.

Star Liner

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