Monday 11 January 2021

Reviewing The Facts

"Esau."

"He reviewed the facts, as if hoping for some hitherto unnoticed salvation in them." (p. 112)

This is another way of Imparting Information to readers. Instead of telling someone what he already knows, the viewpoint character inwardly reviews the facts. Daniel Holm did this while inadvertently staring at Ferune early in The People Of The Wind. There have been other examples in texts recently reread. How many literary devices are there for telling readers what they need to know? Sometimes the information is implicit. Thus, when Hloch, in his Introduction to the Earth Book, writes:

"The came the Terran War..." (p. 2)

- this is enough to inform readers who did not already know it that there has been a Terran War. Any other necessary information can be filled in later.

Dalmady's thoughts include the information that killing a ruler is unthinkable to Suleimanites. How could that be? It is suggested that it is an effect of pheromones. Rulers eat special foods which it is believed would poison anyone else. Sometimes such facts are disclosed early in a story because they will be important later. This time it is just one more instance of the alienness of Suleimanites.

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I have wondered how Suleimanite thalassocrats can be so DIFFERENT from their peoples that they can't eat ordinary Suleimanite food? A real puzzle!

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

There are rough analogies among social insects. A biochemistry this odd should throw up surprises!

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

And that might explain how the institution of the thalassocrats arose among the Seleimanites. And I have commented as well in the combox to "Don Baltasar Carlos and His Dwarf" on that other institution they had of court dwarfs.

Ad astra! Sean