Ian "Marvin" Graye’s Reviews > Embassytown > Status Update

Ian "Marvin" Graye
is on page 324 of 405
You see they're all in prime instar? They're not protecting the old or looking after the young.
The young might soon enough be grateful to them. Even uncared for, a few in each Arieken litter must survive, and when they emerged to their adult form, woke into Language, they would find a city purged of us. Without god-drug.
— Mar 16, 2013 04:13PM
The young might soon enough be grateful to them. Even uncared for, a few in each Arieken litter must survive, and when they emerged to their adult form, woke into Language, they would find a city purged of us. Without god-drug.
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Ian "Marvin" Graye
is finished
I’ve been studying navigation and immerology, techniques that I, the floaker, had always avoided. “You’ve never floaked in your life,� Bren told me, brusquely, when I said that to him.
— Mar 16, 2013 05:45PM

Ian "Marvin" Graye
is on page 401 of 405
It’s two cities now—one of the addicts, one of all the others—that intersect politely. The Absurd and the New have much more in common than either do with the oratees. Hearing’s nothing: the Absurd and the New think the same.
402 THE NEW ARIEKEI were astounded to learn that Terre have more than one language. I uploaded French. “I, je. I am, je suis,� I said.
— Mar 16, 2013 05:41PM
402 THE NEW ARIEKEI were astounded to learn that Terre have more than one language. I uploaded French. “I, je. I am, je suis,� I said.

Ian "Marvin" Graye
is on page 399 of 405
Each meeting there are successes: Ariekei staggering out of Language, into language and semes.
They still can’t speak to me, only to Ambassadors. They only understand a dying Language. Now we have the drugs, the voices, to keep them alive, and no more gods.
— Mar 16, 2013 05:36PM
They still can’t speak to me, only to Ambassadors. They only understand a dying Language. Now we have the drugs, the voices, to keep them alive, and no more gods.

Ian "Marvin" Graye
is on page 393 of 405
Spanish Dancer's speech:
see comments below...
— Mar 16, 2013 05:31PM
see comments below...

Ian "Marvin" Graye
is on page 366 of 405
Language was never possible. We never spoke in one voice.
370 He shook his head. Formally, he said, “Language is the continuation of coercion by other means.�
“Bullshit. It’s cooperation.�
Both theories explained what had happened plausibly.
— Mar 16, 2013 05:27PM
370 He shook his head. Formally, he said, “Language is the continuation of coercion by other means.�
“Bullshit. It’s cooperation.�
Both theories explained what had happened plausibly.

Ian "Marvin" Graye
is on page 365 of 405
In the beginning was each word of Language, sound isomorphic with some Real: not a thought, not really, only self-expressed worldness, speaking itself through the Ariekei. Language had always been redundant: it had only ever been the world. Now the Ariekei were learning to speak, and to think, and it hurt.
— Mar 16, 2013 05:24PM

Ian "Marvin" Graye
is on page 363 of 405
We changed Language...There's nothing to...intoxicate them. There only ever had been because it was impossible, a single split, thinkingness of the world: embedded contradiction. If language, thought and world were separated, as they just had been, there was no succulence, no titillating impossible. No mystery. Where Language had been there was only language: signifying sound, to do things with and to.
IG: no drug
— Mar 16, 2013 05:20PM
IG: no drug

Ian "Marvin" Graye
is on page 362 of 405
With the boisterous astonishment of revelation they pressed the similes by which I'd named them on until they were lies, telling a truth they'd never been able to before. They spoke metaphors.
They were signifying now - there, elision, slippage between word and referent, with which they could play. They had room to think new conceptions.
— Mar 16, 2013 05:16PM
They were signifying now - there, elision, slippage between word and referent, with which they could play. They had room to think new conceptions.

Ian "Marvin" Graye
is on page 359 of 405
You are the girl who ate. I'm Spanish Dancer. I'm like you and I am you. I have markings. I'm a Spanish dancer. I'm like you, waiting for change. The Spanish Dancer is the girl who was hurt in darkness.
I'm like the liquid-dripping man, I am him...
— Mar 16, 2013 05:13PM
I'm like the liquid-dripping man, I am him...