Children of Ruin (2019)
By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins

Tchaikovsky continues the adventure he began in Children of Time and the exploration of communication, natural time travel, and the transcendence of ideas. The characters we are presented with, while familiar are designed to not conform to common human thought processes and conventions. These thought structures that are not easy to adapt to or comprehend. They do feel real, but at the same time without traditional anthropomorphization, they are not naturally compelling as they are outside of my human experience. While this lack of human analog made it difficult for me to get immersed in the story, I eventually found that it was the novel’s greatest benefit to me. After struggling to assimilate and bend my mind to understand what viewpoints were being presented, I was rewarded with perspectives that helped me understand concepts and ideas. I walked away with a better understanding of what it is like to dwell in someone else’s fish tank, not just their shoes.

The plot device that I found most fascinating was based on communication or lack thereof. Much of the novel is composed of interactions where the ability to get a thought or idea from one mind to another is painfully slow and fraught with pitfalls. Thoughts get lost or mutated in translation. This stands in contrast with his anther plot device that he continues to rely upon from his previous book where entire concepts could be transmitted wholesale. This juxtaposition of smooth efficiency with stark inadequacy carries the story with drama and comic relief. I found that the use of these dual plot devices spawned introspective moments in which I contemplated my ability to miscommunicate. Going beyond the importance of good word choice to modeling how those words would be received. Spending time to know your audience will lead to a better understanding of your fellow human beings. Finally, using this understanding to develop trust: the foundation upon which relationships are built.

Enjoy the journey that Tchaikovsky takes you on, but ultimately make sure that you grasp the beauty that I can write these words and generate ideas and concepts in your mind. Use these concepts to build your understandings so that trust grows and your relationships with others are built up.