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0 pointsthrowanem8y ago0 comments

> it's far from rationalist fiction

Is that bad? Like any didactic subtype of the genre, rationalist fiction often struggles to succeed in both of the goals set for it; the only example I've as yet found enjoyable - and extremely so! I strongly recommend it - is Unsong by Scott Alexander, also of Slate Star Codex.

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arkh8y ago

Not purely rational you have parahumans where most protagonists' acts have some logic behind it. Not a lot of evil people just because they're evil, and not a lot of pure heroes either.

https://parahumans.wordpress.com/ if you want something to read for next month(s).

btown8y ago

And in case anyone isn’t aware, the sequel started yesterday at https://www.parahumans.net !

pavel_lishin8y ago

Seconding Unsong. The end felt kind of cheap to me, but the journey was absolutely worth it.

marvy8y ago

Agree on both counts.

throwanemOP8y ago

How else would you have it end?

marvy8y ago

Fair question. I could not have done better. But still.

randomstudent8y ago

Unsong is not exactly rational fiction. The author itself claims it isn't (some people claim it is despite this fact, though).

throwanemOP8y ago

I can see both sides of that argument, and I'd be lying to say I didn't consider Unsong rationalist fiction at least partly as an attempt to redeem the genre in my own estimation.

moron4hire8y ago

Authors aren't reliable narrators of their work.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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arkh8y ago

Not purely rational you have parahumans where most protagonists' acts have some logic behind it. Not a lot of evil people just because they're evil, and not a lot of pure heroes either.

https://parahumans.wordpress.com/ if you want something to read for next month(s).

btown8y ago

And in case anyone isn’t aware, the sequel started yesterday at https://www.parahumans.net !

pavel_lishin8y ago

Seconding Unsong. The end felt kind of cheap to me, but the journey was absolutely worth it.

marvy8y ago

Agree on both counts.

throwanemOP8y ago

How else would you have it end?

marvy8y ago

Fair question. I could not have done better. But still.

randomstudent8y ago

Unsong is not exactly rational fiction. The author itself claims it isn't (some people claim it is despite this fact, though).

throwanemOP8y ago

I can see both sides of that argument, and I'd be lying to say I didn't consider Unsong rationalist fiction at least partly as an attempt to redeem the genre in my own estimation.

moron4hire8y ago

Authors aren't reliable narrators of their work.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse