FOREIGNER: Discussion Post #3

[krait]

I hope you all enjoyed chapters 3 and 4!

Let the discussing commence!

Comments

Re: First impressions

[blnchflr]

Bren seems really isolated from human society
He does, and it's one of the reason I find it hard to relate to him, the more so when we learn towards the end of the story how little interest he has in spending time with his family or semi-girlfriend/fuckbuddy - he really just wants to be all by himself :o/

So the Phoenix was humanity's FIRST colony ship!
Unless I misunderstand you, I disagree - c.f. e.g.:

Humans explored and intruded against [the silence of the universe], and built their stations […]

[…] the first-built trading station to develop down this chain of stars, Earths latest and most confident colonial commitment, with all the expertise of past successes.

(Emphasis mine)

Re: First impressions

[cheyinka]

So it seems more like Earth's "colonial commitments" were one at a time, and with (much)FTL travel not generation ships, either - but it doesn't seem like there's FTL communication, so Earth must not expect to hear back from its colonies right away. (Cherryh's FTL seems to be "cross a fold in space" FTL rather than "go really, really fast" FTL, so it's not a matter of a hundred years passing for Earth between sending and arriving, at least.) Still, you have to wonder if Earth is wondering what happened to the Phoenix!

Re: First impressions

[krait]

Ah, that's very interesting!

As cheyinka notes, it must be that the proposition is still expensive/difficult enough that they only mount one colonial expedition at a time.

I bet they're wondering, back wherever-the-heck-Earth-is, where their ship full of expensive specialists went! :D