Babel-17

Babel-17 by Samuel Delaney was my second science fiction novel and I was looking forward to it because I enjoyed The Stars My Destination so much, but Babel-17 fell a bit short for me. Similar to Stars, Babel threw you right into the story without out giving much background at all, which is okay. I liked it in Stars so why not here. I knew that it would take a chapter or two to finally realize what was going on, I expected that, but I dont know if I ever really KNEW what was going on. Delaney is a good writer, but when it comes to letting you in on where you are in the story and what is going on, he fails. This was a very confusing read for me. I liked the main character, Rydra (which I started to call her Ryda because Rydra was awkward to say). She was smart, strong, fearless, and she was a poet. So she was a bit artsy. A little famous too. I like that she took it upon herself to figure out the mystery behind the language Babel-17. The fact that she went to a wrestling match to find a pilot was entertaining. Do they just walk around naked in this future though? I kept reading about them having to take their clothes off. Anyway, once the crew go involved I got really confused. Once more than a couple characters started coming into play because it was hard for me to distinguish who was who throughout most of the novel. I guess people get some really bizarre cosmetic surgery done in this world too. It was crazy trying to picture some of the characters. I would be interested in how they would be interpreted in a movie. The world Delaney was creating seemed very visual and interesting. I just wish I could picture it a little better. Maybe it was because I was so determined to understand what was going on. There were a few parts that I really enjoyed and they stuck out in my mind. I really liked the part where they visit with the Baron and Baroness. She was pretty entertaining. She was all about food and alcohol. She just wanted to have a good time. It was crazy because Rydra was telling them that something bad was about to happen but they all just kept on with the party and payed no attention. She was trying to prepare them and the Baroness just handed her a drink. I guess that could help calm the nerves. The scene where Rydra and Butcher start to connect was really deep and opened up a few more ideas for me to figure out what was going on. I figured out he spoke Babel-17 way before Rydra did though. It was pretty obvious in the novel. Especially when you compare what they knew about Babel-17 and the way Butcher talked. He didn't use words like I, me, you. That was a red flag. The whole novel was a bit fuzzy for me. Maybe it was because I read it pretty fast. I bet if I read it again it would make a lot more sense. Maybe Ill read Empire Star. I think that is the sequel or a spin off of some sort. Some writers I like really well, and some are acquired tastes. I think Delaney is going to be an acquired taste for me. I wont give up on him just yet. I wont give up on Sci Fi either.