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When the Galaxy got a modem

I love the Alphabet Squadron series of books, probably among my favorite books of all time, but in the latest book, Victory’s Price, which just came out in paperback, they use a newly rediscovered (after Endor) hyper comm network. Akin to an Ansible in the Hainish books or the internet here on Earth.

It’s not an easily elidable mention, either; among the core themes of the series is propaganda and perspective. Now, I don’t know whether this technology was added to Star Wars by the author on his own or via a larger continuity editorial team. I don’t have any continuity issues with it; it’s handled well.

I just have an aesthetic issue with it. I like Star Wars because I hate the internet. I wanna read about a long time ago when we didn’t have BBSes and gopherholes and apt update, where we had to send couriers, Death Star plans on a floppy as a maguffin.

I’m not saying that Freed made a bad call with the inclusion of this. It’s part of why and how the book works so well. I’m not complaining about the book, just about the internet.♥

Not that the internet doesn’t have pros. I work my day job online, because of online, and found the job online. I keep in touch with my friends with the help of online. It’s just that the grass as greener on the other side and now our own internet grass has grown brown and dry. I spend my entire waking day doing at least one of these things: staring into a screen (internet), listening to podcasts or records (basically ear-internet), or staring into a printed page (basically slower internet), or writing or drawing or tripping. It’s all in the world of symbols. Never my mind on where I am. On what I am doing.