On the recommendation of a trusted friend, I'm currently reading Renegade by Joel Shepherd. And by "reading," I mean listening to the audiobook - which, as you'll soon see, is an important detail.
The book kicks off the Spiral Wars series. Genre? Sci-fi, though it's hard to pin down precisely. It's mostly military sci-fi mixed with political fiction, and - just to keep things interesting - generously seasoned with space opera. The story takes place in our Galaxy, tens of thousands of years in the future.
Without diving too deep into the plot (I'll probably post a full review once I'm done), today I just want to share one little detail. The story revolves around two main factions that humanity has split into: welders and spacers.
Yes, welders. As in, people who join metal parts together.
I spent twenty three chapters convinced that one of the dominant factions in interstellar politics consisted of highly skilled metalworkers. Maybe they were some kind of interplanetary welding trade union? Why do welders have such a huge influence on galactic diplomacy? Is this an elaborate metaphor for the working class? And if so, why welders and not, say, weavers? Or blacksmiths? Blacksmiths at least sound cool.
It wasn't until chapter 23 that something finally clicked in my brain - specifically, in neuron number four (the last one, the most sophisticated, usually responsible for locating coffee and snacks). A sudden flash of insight struck me, and I realized with horror:
The narrator isn't saying welders. He's saying worlders.
As in, people who live on planets (worlds), as opposed to those who live in space.
Well, that explains a lot.
Suddenly, half the political conflicts and strategic maneuvering in the first 22 chapters made so much more sense.
Of course, I immediately shared my revelation with my trusted pal, who found it absolutely hilarious (and honestly, I don't blame him). But hey, that's what happens when a stubborn brain latches onto a word and refuses to let go.
Jeżeli chcesz do komentarza wstawić kod, użyj składni:
[code]
tutaj wstaw swój kod
[/code]
Jeżeli zrobisz literówkę lub zmienisz zdanie, możesz edytować komentarz po jego zatwierdzeniu.