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> I couldn’t stand the first book of this series. Interminable, I never built any empathy for any of the characters. I didn't entirely have this problem (thoug

> I couldn’t stand the first book of this series. Interminable, I never built any empathy for any of the characters. I didn't entirely have this problem (though it was more difficult), but I had a problem with some of the plot points. Namely, (minor spoiler) scientists killing themselves when science did something they couldn't explain. I just couldn't buy that people who dedicate their lives to discovery would do that. I mean, the double slit experiment didn't cause such problems. It was just too unbelievable to me.

TeMPOraL 8y ago
> Namely, (minor spoiler) scientists killing themselves when science did something they couldn't explain. This was more of "science turned into magic", experiments started to produce arbitrary nonsense, though I don't remember if they realized the cause at the time. That said, I found it weak and weird too; I'd expect those scientists to try much harder before giving up.
- tabtab 8y ago
  Re: experiments started to produce arbitrary nonsense [leading to scientist suicides] That would normally stimulate scientists into trying to find the pattern of "arbitrary". If it's completely random, that's a discovery in itself. If it has a pattern, then the pattern becomes a subject of experiments and speculative models, even if "weird". It's roughly comparable to the observer seemingly affecting the results of quantum experiments. Scientists rarely quit or get bored just because they have no clear-cut explanation. Most of them like puzzles, even tricky ones more. Maybe the culture in China is different and perhaps filters out the genuinely curious for those who produce definitive results? I'm only asking, not claiming.
- jandrese 8y ago
  All of human society is treated pretty poorly in those books. People make fundamental society level decisions once and never ever re-examine those decisions, even when the circumstances are wildly different. For the most part everybody who isn't a named character is a total sheep and a total idiot. Many of the name characters (even the protagonist in some cases) aren't much better.
  - tabtab 8y ago
    In Chinese culture, rocking the boat is generally heavily discouraged and decisions by family heads and/or leaders are not to be questioned or second-guessed. It's again another hint there may be some cultural differences that readers in the USA and other democracies find odd. (Yes, I know the USA is arguably not a democracy, but I don't want to get into a vocabulary or political debate here.)

TeMPOraL 8y ago

> Namely, (minor spoiler) scientists killing themselves when science did something they couldn't explain. This was more of "science turned into magic", experiments started to produce arbitrary nonsense, though I don't remember if they realized the cause at the time. That said, I found it weak and weird too; I'd expect those scientists to try much harder before giving up.

tabtab 8y ago
Re: experiments started to produce arbitrary nonsense [leading to scientist suicides] That would normally stimulate scientists into trying to find the pattern of "arbitrary". If it's completely random, that's a discovery in itself. If it has a pattern, then the pattern becomes a subject of experiments and speculative models, even if "weird". It's roughly comparable to the observer seemingly affecting the results of quantum experiments. Scientists rarely quit or get bored just because they have no clear-cut explanation. Most of them like puzzles, even tricky ones more. Maybe the culture in China is different and perhaps filters out the genuinely curious for those who produce definitive results? I'm only asking, not claiming.
jandrese 8y ago
All of human society is treated pretty poorly in those books. People make fundamental society level decisions once and never ever re-examine those decisions, even when the circumstances are wildly different. For the most part everybody who isn't a named character is a total sheep and a total idiot. Many of the name characters (even the protagonist in some cases) aren't much better.
- tabtab 8y ago
  In Chinese culture, rocking the boat is generally heavily discouraged and decisions by family heads and/or leaders are not to be questioned or second-guessed. It's again another hint there may be some cultural differences that readers in the USA and other democracies find odd. (Yes, I know the USA is arguably not a democracy, but I don't want to get into a vocabulary or political debate here.)