On: Permutation City (1994)

[zeekaran]

Make sure to read Ra as well. One of my favorite webfics. https://qntm.org/ra

[LeifCarrotson → zeekaran]

It's one of my favorite webfics too, so I got a hardcover:

https://www.amazon.com/Ra-qntm/dp/B096TRWRWX

Have this in my personal library as well as a (paperback) of Permutation City. I think it's awesome they're published online but there's something special about having it in print too.

[ajmurmann → zeekaran]

I just read the Antimemetics division and qntm's short story collection. I loved the short stories and first ~40-60% of the Antimemetics Division and felt it then got too crazy and abstract. The "magic is real" thing has new worried as I usually avoid fantasy. Do you think I'll still like Ra?

[lxgr → ajmurmann]

It’s as far away from fantasy as magic can probably be. I think you might like it!

In some ways, it’s even less fantastical than antimemetics, think magic as a sub-branch of advanced physics and in no way mystical.

[AceJohnny2 → ajmurmann]

I read Ra and I loved it, but it's imperfect. It could use an editor.

Antimemetics, being SCP-related, comes with a hefty dollop of magical realism.

Ra, to me, felt like a rocket ride as new ideas, twists, and exponentially escalating stakes get thrown at you. The pacing is very jerky, and I can very much understand if people just nope halfway through.

In particular, the characters... suck (my apologies, Sam)

[ajmurmann → AceJohnny2]

Characters sucking is a common complaint about hard scifi which I can very much live with and am used to. Thank you!

[lukifer → zeekaran]

While if didn’t hook me as quickly as Antimemetics or Ra, I also thoroughly enjoyed Fine Structure: https://qntm.org/structure

[grfhtsdfvv → zeekaran]

Thank you for this link, I’m really enjoying it.