A couple extra tidbits, now more people have finished it...

This is the second topmost goodreads review – warning, they rated it a 2 stars, which I don't agree with – but which discusses a) the worldbuilding and b) the language problem* that expresses my thoughts well enough that I cba to try and put it in my own words.

*starting from roughly "that same creative ethic (or lack thereof)" in the review, about the very modern style of vocab in a book about the importance of words.

Secondly I found a v old interview with the author, pre-Babel (around The Poppy War time) and this is her worldbuilding style in a nutshell, from her:

Quote:None, actually! I treat worldbuilding and lore very instrumentally–I never come up with more than what I strictly need for the story. I’m the complete opposite of writers who create elaborate project “Bibles.” That doesn’t work for me; I get really bored with any aspect of worldbuilding if it’s not serving to move the story along. I’m an ideas writer first–I come up with whatever historical, political, or philosophical theme I want to drive home–and then I come up with plot points to illustrate that theme. Characters come second, and the nitty gritty of the world comes third. So the Trifecta only popped into my imagination when I needed them, and the Chimei might never have appeared on page if I hadn’t needed some monster to drive Rin and Nezha closer together. There are no “untold stories” of Nikan lurking out there in a Scrivener file.

I don't know if it's my favourite type of fiction, her "ideas writer" thing re: getting a message across is probably why I find Babel ~preachy, but to each their own!

(On a personal note I just really want to know if she was in the Les Mis fandom back in the day because I know this about revolution in general, but the V Hugo quote she picked is straight from the Les Amis chapter and it gives me VIBES.)

Also when anyone writes in 3rd person present I assume they got their start in fanfiction for some reason, idk if that's just me or that's where the trend in published literature really came from xD

Also, for Kayte and/or anyone else who has read Yellowface: would you recommend? I know it's v diff in genre, but which did you prefer, Babel or that? (Would I like it? xD)