[TML] Strange societys

[Richard Aiken]

On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 3:24 PM, Jerry W Barrington
<jerry.barrington at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 3/3/08 9:50 AM, "darby eckles" <darbyeckles at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > I've been reading the Vattas War series by Elizebth Moon.  Just finished the
> > 4th book, and in it are these flashy rich guys, who come from a very odd
> > society.  FOr those of you who have read it, of course I'm talking about
> > Ransom's Rangers.

Yeah.  I read it.  Actually, the "Romantics" put me in mind of the
amateur enthusiasts who reputedly created the British Empire.  They
aren't really insane; they know perfectly well the risks they're
taking, putting their little ships up against bigger, more heavily
armed raiders.  They just don't *care.*

> > Anyways, I've been trying to picture how this kind of society could function.
> > I would think that not everyone would be off on a tear in one of these "rings"
> > at once, that they'd have to be intermitent in someone life in order to absorb
> > the goings on when in that state, and to be reflected on.  I mean, you can't
> > have a whole planet going Irrational or Romantic at once, it just wouldn't
> > tick...
>
> I haven't read that one yet (I usually wait for the paperback), but that
> society sounds... bizarre.  I'm not sure it *can* work.  And Romantic
> doesn't seem far from Irrational anyway.  Societies, by there nature, depend
> on structure, expectations of interactions between people.  If a major
> percentage of you populations is insane at a given time, and you know
> everybody will be at some time, it seems kind of hard to set up a society.

The impression I got - and it's just an impression (I thind the
society was invented just to give Moon an excuse for the "enthusiastic
British amateurs" meme) - was that entry into each phase was scheduled
well in advance.  While his parents were Irrational, the character
concerned implied that everyone knew this and made appropriate
allowances.

And I suspect that the entire society was (as someone else mentions)
both very wealthy and highly automated, with no "phone sanitizers"
needed.  Because its main representative in the books is surprised
that Vatta should be concerned about capturing an enemy ship as a
prize, rather than simply blowing it up.

Pouting, the Romantic asks something like: "Well, why do you want it?"
 Vatta, a little exasperated: "I might have a use for it.  I don't
have enough ships to just let you blow it up."  Romantic brightly: "So
if I promise to buy you another just like it, I can blow it up?!"
Vatta, nonplused: "Ummm . . . I suppose."  Romantic, clapping hands
gleefully: "Oh!  Goody!"

> I guess I'll have to get the book as soon as I can.

Do.  I read them as pdfs, all in one go.  Somebody on the list here
sent me copies that he already had.  I can't wait for the next book
(which I'll probably buy in hardback).

-- 
Richard Aiken

"Never insult anyone by accident."  Robert A. Heinlein