u/tylerosaurusrex

Something struck me about this series. And I’m sure I’m not the first person to notice.

Can we start a chat about space and time?

It’s clear that the Carryx and the Deathless use different methods of space travel.

The Carryx go from point A to point B using asymmetric space. Which takes time (a few weeks or months) to travel vast distances. But they come home to their friends at the end of a mission.

In Livesuit leaving your world is the end of your life as you knew it because their time travel is relativistic.

How are these themes/modes/sci-fi elements reconcilable?

Touch seems very meaningful in Carryx culture. What do you all think the shoulder touch meant in TFoB?

Dafyd has a really tense conversation with the librarian about removing the alien guards and then demurred and says he’s just passing on information and Ekur seems… pleased? Then it touches him on the shoulder — maybe like petting a dog or scratching it behind the ears.

It reminded me of the comment that the Sovran was showing the previous librarian honor by touching it (and incidentally killing it).

I just finished livesuit. Can someone give me a full spoiler analysis of what you think livesuit soldiers eventually turn into. I know the authors deliberately left it a little ambiguous.

It’s clear they don’t make you whole again, ever. Kind of reminds me of the ship of Theseus — as your bio parts break they’re replaced until eventually you’re a fully synthetic copy of a once biological person.

My question is basically this. At the end of the Novella, is Piotr still a person who’s cogitating and having his own inner life — or a deathless robot as the Carryx seem to see all of their great enemies? Kirin also seems to be well on his way to the same end.

Anyone have a different read?

Tldr — are you still a person after your seemingly inevitable full replacement? Or an automaton that keeps fighting after you’re dead?