Status Updates From The End of All Things (Old ...

Wahey, was ready w/the real finish of the book, but those alt bits to the first chapter were interesting! And I was reminded that we missed Egan and Rigney and their back and forth as they only appeared in the book in the background really. And an alt-Rafe as spoiled brat/bully - does seem like it would have added in extra complication for Phoenix/the CU - he’s kinda simplistic but I liked his shape in the book

Yes

“And so we learn how simple it is to change the history of the universe…. All you need is for every other thing to have gone so horribly wrong first.”
“Come, Madams Ambassador. Let us announce our new era of peace together. Let us dare anyone to take it from us. And then, let us go to war together.”
I love that this is all females in negotiation and making the decisions for the good - truly - of all

Danielle…got out her PDA
“What are you doing?”
“I’m calling [secty of state] Dad”
“Let me finish brunch first”
“I thought this was a matter of some urgency, Harry”
“It is…. But I fell from the sky today. I could use a couple of waffles”

Scalzi, did you notice you hv Harry Wilson practically quoting Darth Vader interrogating Princess Leia as Harry interrogates the Rraey Tvann? Was that intentional? I mean they’re not blowing up planets but “we’ll blast your ppl back to the Stone Age if you don’t give us another target?” It’s going to be Tattoinne right? but they’ll still blast the Rraey bk to the Stone Age as Harry watches helplessly?

Starting to feel even more sorry that Harry Wilson is still involved in all this. And we’re still in the midst of the human division with another part added

🥹This makes me think of the Minneapolis resistance song to ICE, “it’s not too late to change your mind” telling them they can stop doing this job and rejoin the people instead of being used to abuse them/us

I knew it but I didn’t want to
And I don’t think I’ve ever been so little affected by a major character death as that, but I think Scalzi had already started shuffling him off stage, which was the point really