Babel-17
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 Cover of first edition paperback |
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| Author | Samuel R. Delany |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Ace Books |
| Released | 1966 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
Babel-17 is a 1966 science fiction novel by Samuel R. Delany in which the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (that language strongly influences thought and perceived reality) plays an important part. It won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966. It was also nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1967.
Delany hoped to have Babel-17 originally published as a single volume with the novella Empire Star, but this did not happen until the 2001 reprint.
[edit] Plot summary
A political association develops a language, Babel 17, that can be used as a weapon of war. Simply learning it turns one into an unconscious traitor to one's own political association. This fact is discovered by the beautiful starship captain, linguist, poet, and telepath Rydra Wong. She is recruited by her government to go on a mission to discover how traitors are infiltrating and sabotaging strategic sites, however she finds herself becoming a traitor as she learns the language. She is rescued by her dedicated crew, figures out the danger, and neutralizes its effects.
The novel deals with several issues related to the peculiarities of language, how conditions of life shape the formation of words and meaning, and how the words themselves can shape the actions of people.
| Preceded by Dune by Frank Herbert |
Nebula Award for Best Novel 1966 (tied with Flowers for Algernon) |
Succeeded by The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany |
