March Wrap-up

Good afternoon, Members:

Well, I must say that our discussion this past Monday on "The Mimicking of Known Successes" was a very lively and involved one. Moderator notes were barely consulted throughout the 2-hour meeting. We are so pleased that even if feelings were mixed on the book, it inspired a healthy debate on a number of topics & themes within the book.

Members were mostly pleased with the mystery part of the novel, and the development of the characters and their personal relationships (without a focus on them being gay) was another component that struck a chord with attendees. However, a common complaint was that the world-building was lacking in some areas; for example, although the dustjacket stated that the novel took place on rings in orbit around Jupiter, this was never stated within the pages itself, with the characters referring to the planet as "Giant." In addition, many of the world's components, like the rings (what they were made of, where they were in orbit, how they were made, how the rail system worked) and the economic and transportation systems, were never fully explained. Yes, we all realize that this text is closer to a novella than a novel, but still, many readers felt that they lacked adequate world-building, which kept them from fully immersing themselves in the world.

But, the quasi-steam-punk-esque look of the Valdengeld area has a quaint feel of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, especially since, except the Prologue, the entire book is written from the point of view of Pleiti, who plays a fair "Watson" to Mossa's "Sherlock." While the mystery was quite enjoyable, and others felt drawn to the characters and their stories, enjoyment of the novel was once again hindered by the world-building with gaping holes.

Finally, though we disapproved of murder, the product of heavy discussion of the Classical Department and their mission to "someday" perfectly replicate the environment of Old Earth, we found it to be an impossible task to accomplish, especially if they are resorting to using children's literature to help identify plants that rabbits enjoyed eating. This led us to question whether the Rector might not have had a valid point and to also question his role as the "villain" of the novel.

The previous paragraph led one moderator down a conspiracy theory rabbit hole (pun intended) of wondering what the actual state of Earth was. Could it be just fine, and the higher-ups wanted to keep Earth only for a select few? Or could the University and its "mission" merely be make-work to keep many people busy while the desire to live on a planet's surface fades from collective memory as humans become completely used to living on the rings?

In conclusion, while no one hated "The Mimicking of Known Successes" and the steam-punk-Holmsian setting & mystery were praised, most found that the holes and unexplained components of the world-building distracted from their enjoyment. Though the novel had two members who planned to read the sequel, we were all left with more questions than answers.

I hope everyone had fun last Monday, and we look forward to meeting with you all in April to discuss "Appleseed."

Moderators Jess & Beth