Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks and a 'Revolver' (SciFi and Mixology 4)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- Allen Lab Vlog 318, 11/14/2021
Let's fix a Revolver (Cocktail) and talk about Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks. I'll leave out spoilers. A revolver is a variant on an Old Fashioned. We're going to replace the simple syrup with Kahlua, a sweet coffee liqueur. Garnish with lemon zest if you like. Quick and easy, very accessible, spirit forward but balanced. The revolver reflects the theme of the book: Use of Weapons. Everything is a weapon, if you're smart and have a certain moral flexibility.
My recipe for a Revolver:
2 ounces Irish Whiskey (or substitute bourbon)
0.5 ounces Kahlua
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir
Pour over ice
Garnish with lemon zest
Use of Weapons is my favorite book of all time, and it was really fun to go through it again with this video. Thank you!
IMB fan here. I thoroughly enjoyed the review, unusual format and all. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I discovered this book by pure chance, in Italy from the cover. And since then, I am fond of Cheradenine Zakalwe/Elethiomel. Then thanks to audiobook and epub a must-read-hear-again once a year such as Solaris by S. Lem. A hint: "Reservoir dogs" (movie by a kind Tarantino) moves back and forth. Thanks for the recipe.
While I agree that it is probably unfilmable, I would love to see Nolan taking a shot at it. It's almost as if he was designed to be the perfect director for it.
I love the culture novels. The culture novels are pretty much the only sci-fi that shows a positive and plausible future that shows how superintelligence COULD be. Minds that genuinely enjoy interacting with people and being a real friend to millions of people at the same time. I've often imagined the future and never found a setting that portrays this possibility and desirable outcome.
So most people can't even imagine this.
PS: I do think this makes it harder to come up with interesting plots and challenges haha. Similar to how superman became too powerful in the comics.
Absolutely. I like the idea of Minds keeping people basically as pets.
I think your right about power drift, too. I think it's one reason the novels mostly take place on the edge of the Culture. Contact gets into dramatic situations. The great mass of people have happy lives (albeit with inevitable human drama), but low stakes. The stories there would feel a lot like billionaire wish fulfillment and would not have been very interesting to Iain M Banks, I think.
I've read em all but I may go back and do em all again. Ahh but I have tried Pratchet not so funny second time round or th Dune series
I think the dream game shame thing i think has several implications. Especially upon reading the book a second time.
1. He feels guilty and hates himself for his past. He is on this eternal self imposed redemption/attonement crusade. He had a blast (also literally) in that simulation and if you know anything about self loathing people, they do not tend to allow themselve to enjoy themselves. They are out to punish themselves. He is also ashamed of loosing himself so much in it.
2.Upon learning the people were real (mind you, right after it is mentioned he was astounded to not have ejaculated) he is ashamed. These weren't simulations, but real people. He had let his bullwark of self isolation, his fortress of solitude, down and innocently opened up to real people in a way he never does elsewhere in the book. He met people and had sexual adventures with some of them. He formed friendships. He never would have allowed real people that close. He suddenly felt exposed and since he hates himself, loathes and is ashamed of himself so much, he can't take it and wants to block it all off.
3.He seemed to be really, really good at that game. What we know about him is his neurotic drive to win and his talent in doing so. In fighting smart and fighting dirty with all possible means. Inspiring people to follow him. The use of weapons, when everything can be a weapon. It's the only thing he knows. And all these people saw that side of him. For them it was playful. They didn't know he was capable of that in reality, no, it was inconceivable he was capable of that in reality and had done so. They liked it as a game. He was traumatized and haunted by it.
Zakalwe pushes everyone away. And he had accidentally had a good time with real people, let them close and probably had been as ruthless and devious as he was in war. He had shown them his worst side. The one he hated. He could not recontextualize it to be a game. He could not deal with their affection. He could see himself getting addicted to that if he allowed it. So, as always, he blocked, isolated and ran away to loathe himself and seek attonement.
Great analysis
Oddly, simulation theory and religion do not preclude one another from being correct... This simula... I mean world is strange 😂
Fair enough. I see simulation theory as an unfalsifiable claim, so it's sort-of just brain candy, haha
@@PeterAllenLab That's true... isn't religion the same technically? (Sounds almost blashphemous to say though 😆)
Wasn't simulation theory been disproved from first ethical principles? :D
@@dejayrezme8617 My interest is piqued. How so?
@@evolutionglitch4739 Not sure in which book it was but there is a scene in the culture novels where they discuss it. Someone is part of an endless and senseless war and he brings it up that because it's so horrible it's the best argument against simulation theory. Who would simulate such a universe?
Basically simulating living beings is ethically quite a monstrous idea.