r/TheCaptivesWar

Fluting!

I had never heard this word before, and I play the damn flute!

What kinds of environment(s)/pressure(s) lead to a species developing a written language that’s 3D. And not just scratches that can be observed with echolocation, but fully 3D structures that are free-floating. All of the main species in the series seem to have eyes and it’s just so strange to me that they, at some point, decided that floating 3D text was the way to go. Any ideas?
Thanks!

I just finished reading AND listening to TFOB, and Jefferson Mays did an amazing job (as always) with the narration. As I was listening to the audiobook after I read, I came to the conclusion that his voice perfectly captures the affectationless, eerie nature of the Carryx' translator half-mind voice. If not for all of the species present in the Carryx empire, I think his voice would lend itself especially well to the Sinen, and of course, Vaudai! What do you all think? Wouldn't this be an amazing little easter egg for fans of The Expanse and The Captive's War audiobooks who watch the upcoming series?

I'm just about done with 'Mercy of Gods,' and looking ahead to 'Livesuit' and 'Faith of Beasts'. But reading about 'Livesuit,' and it's place in the series...... is it really necessary in the trilogy as a whole?

Yes, I'm told it's amazing, and 'Mercy' is my first book from the authors, and it was fabulous. A slow burn, but so much promise!!!

But, given the story, and its place in the Captive Universe..... shouldn't I buy 'Faith,' and keep going?

Many people are beginning to agree that they think the live suit technology is really the “deathless enemy”. But if that’s the case and no actual species is the true Carryx enemy, then why in all this time hasn’t the technology tried to bond with a Carryx? Wouldn’t they want to capture one and put a suit on it? I would think that a live suited Carryx soldier would be valued.
And if it’s akin to a virus wouldn’t you want to spread to the strongest species in the galaxy? Maybe we’ll find out more about what species the technology is compatible with. Maybe the host species has to agree to accept the live suit for bonding to work.

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?

Candidate for best alien in the series so far 🤣

So we know the Carryx are receptive to pheromones, not surprising for bug-like aliens, and we can see the direct reaction they have to them as well (literally changing their physiological shapes and essential nature)...

>!I noticed on my recent re-read in TFoB, 3 separate occasions The Swarm explicitly uses (or mentions using) pheromones, as some mechanism to help it sway other humans' opinions on things. The really peculiar part: The effect of its use is entirely unacknowledged, as if there is none. In TMoG, The swarm mentions twice about pheromones, once for shifting its awareness to them, once contemplating "disabling the host's pheromone receptor sites".!<

>!Well, you see, the thing is... Humans don't respond to pheromones, anyone with a Biology Degree (*cough* Daniel Abraham *cough*) could tell you that. We inherently lack a vomeronasal organ, the primary anatomical structure that processes pheromones in other mammals. For the mentions of the swarm actually using pheromones in TFoB, the closest to even acknowledging is Jessyn's internal remarks that "She [Clae] smelled vaguely of spice".!<

>!I've already been batting around the hypothesis that there might be some link between The Swarm (and by proxy, Livesuits/Deathless/etc) and the private creches, I almost think this might be another clue too. Why would The Swarm be so insistent on using a mechanism of social influence on a species that absolutely doesn't respond to chemical signals, outside of noticing the smell? Pair that with the fact that The Swarm (and Livesuits) literally change the host body's physical structure to suit it's current needs, i.e. its "essential nature". Really intriguing if this is intentional, and/or a clue of a causal link. !<

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).

https://www.reddit.com/user/LittleBrownBookGroup/comments/1smypaa/whats_next_from_james_s_a_corey/om6wsrp/

I want more Carryx. MORE!

Interesting thought. Carryx seem to be THE strongest biggest most violent alien species in their empire. By far. There are no big monstrous aliens in the story. Big angry mantis shrimp are the top. Always.

Lothark and Rak-hund are their enforcers. But not even remotely a match.

Now how much of a coincidence is that? Is there a pattern?

Just started Faith of Beasts, so no spoilers there.

How are the humans not going insane for lack of stimulation? Especially given they have no sense of time.

Sure, there's work to do, but other than that - there's no art, no games, no entertainment. Nothing of the things that are so distinctly human that they're done by POWs and people in prison and even in concentration camps.

Where is it?

It seems like people would run out of steam worning in survival mode for so long, and begin to lose it very quickly.