The Tower of Babylon

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

Since our September read is Ted Chiang's amazing book of short stories, I will do a seperate post for each story so as to avoid spoilers....I am excited for this one as it is becoming one of my favorites!

I was simply blown away by this story. The sweet build-up, with it's slow but sure travel and expectation, and all of a sudden VOOOMP! What a marvelous set-up!

What did you all think?

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

I had to search for a while but finally found an online version of this story:

http://www.ibooksonline.com/88/Text/t...

[Suzanne]

I really liked this story. The slow travel up the tower, and seeing how people lived on the different levels, and reading about their faith was interesting. I was expecting a kind of tower of babel ending, so he suprised me - in a good way.

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

me too suzanne, something totally different than what I was expecting.
I appreciate how it is a story about faith, and in a way the faith is shattered, yet proven as well.

[Candiss]

This run-through of Chiang's collection is a re-read for me. I loved it the first time, and I'm hoping I'll gain new insight into the stories the second time around.

I loved The Tower of Babylon. I don't have a lot to say about it except to say that I was left with three strong impressions, images and addages:

1. "As above, so below."
2. the sign of infinity
3. a Möbius strip

It also reminded me a bit of Celestial Matters by Richard Garfinkle, in that the story is written from the perspective that scientific/philosophical beliefs of the time and place in question concerning the natural world (the spheres of heaven, the flat earth, the vault of heaven holding back vast flows of water, a literal ceiling of heaven, the sun, moon and stars suspended in strata above the earthly plane, etc.) just as Garfinkle's book is written from the perspective that ancient Greek and Taoist scientific philosophies are true. (In Garfinkle's book, both sets of theories are literal and true, and they are at war.)

I love this sort of broad-thinking what-iffing. Chiang thinks big and strange and deep, and this is a perfect example of his writing, with its many layers and perspectives and shades of meaning.

[Suzanne]

I love your image of the Mobius strip. And thanks for the insights about the sun/moon/stars suspended - I didn't realize that was actually a scientific philosophy at one time (although I probably should have).

[Banner]

Chiang does think big. I am totaly new in reading this guy, but what I like and find extremely talented is his ability to take these deep ideas and relate them in a simple and entertaining way.

[Jessie J]

Loved this story! Wasn't sure where it was going (language difference? disaster? heaven?) and was enthralled the entire time. When the Egyptians came, I definitely thought he was going the Babel route, but I have a Southern Baptist background and went immediately to the Old Testament for my reference point.

[Robert]

This may turn out to be my favorite story in the collection. It reads like a fable, but Chiang carries it a bit further -- allowing time to develop his character a bit and giving great descriptions of what life in the tower is like. Clearly it's all a set up for the ending, but the story kept me interested along the way.

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

I agree Robert-I was trying to think if I had a favorite last night, and was being analytical instead of emotional about it, and decided it was this one. I think just for the whiole 'punch in the gut' effect it had for me at the end....

[LindaJ^]

I liked this story and liked it even more after the author explained how he came to write it. It put a whole new spin on the Old Testament's Tower of Babel story for me.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Regardless of any deeper meaning, I really enjoyed the idea of Chiang showing what an undertaking the Tower of Babel really would have been, where workers live on the tower with their families and some children never live on the ground for their entire life.

[Álvaro]

The description of the Tower is great!