The usual hallmarks of a great Delany story are all here: an idea/theme that draws you in, eerie poetic interludes, and trangressive sexual relationships. The problem with Babel-17, which is at first thought by the military to be only a complex code, is that this language can turn people into traitors and weapons. The General looked from the silhouetted loading-towers that jutted behind the rickety monorail to the grimy buildings.

It is briefly mentioned in "Babel-17" as a series of books the characters are familiar with, making it part of that interesting genre of fictional works within fictional works. I recently rediscovered this book hiding in a crate in my home library, waiting several years to be read. They manifest strongly in Babel-17, where Delany suggests that language might in fact be enough to shape or split someone’s personality, to effectively disembody oneself within one’s body. This one was dated, riddled with anachronisms and some retro slightly offensive views on race and gender. A security dossier had been handed him that morning, but he had passed it to his aide and merely noted, later, that it had been marked "approved.This is the story of her and her crew as they travel through the galaxy investigating the sabotage and coming to an understanding about the saboteurs language that may help them solve the problem affecting the whole of humanity and its allies.

I loved this book when I first read it as a teenager, funnily enough, translated into a different language than it was written in. The pervasiveness of 20th century culture in a story purporting to be set in humanity's far future was also an annoyance. In 2007, Delany was the subject of a documentary film, The Polymath, or, The Life and Opinions of Samuel R.We’re far in the future, and an interstellar war is raging between the human Alliance and alien invaders we know only as the Invaders. Beyond the scientific speculations, I have to comment on the narrative style of Delany - beautiful and haunting images, understated but powerful emotional content. It's a very nicely written science fiction story set during an interstellar war that examines how language influences thought and perception, and how words can be used as weapons. There are some absurdities, especially concerning the oh-so-strange cast of characters, which I rather enjoyed.

The novel is not only about linguistics but also a great space opera - with interstellar fighting, space pirates, telepathy, body modification and future family constructs like triple marriage. The only clues humanity has to go on are strange alien messages that have been intercepted in space. I thought Rydra Wong, the poetess/linguist heroine, was so amazingly cool that I must have unconsciously internalized some of her valuations. I can’t work out if this book should be 5 stars and in my favourites folder, or if it was just quite good. After arriving at the Alliance weapons center, Rydra and crew are entertained by the Baron ver Dorco.retrospective review by Jo Walton: "Babel 17 was published in 1966, the year in which I learned to talk. Com tanta misturada ao mesmo tempo, não é exatamente um livro fácil e tem algumas coisas que até podem ser incômodas.