I was tempted to knock this one down a notch due to the narrator's voice, but I stuck with an 8. This is a reread from one I read a long time ago. Somebody finds himself in the land of King Arthur. He is able to utilize some of his knowledge of events (such as an eclipse) as well as technology to his advantage. However, it is a struggle for the people to adopt what is good for them. He sees people convicted on supposition without a chance of defence. Nobles see nobility as more important than qualification. The yankee uses some subterfuge to work around people's ingrown behaviors for what he sees as their good. He eventually becomes involved in a duel with nights. He uses his lasso to capture a few knights. Then after it is taken, he shoots others with his gun. This leads towards the people to more willingly adopt his technology. However, a few years later, the church has come in to assert its power.
The book is part a time travel tale of "modern" technology in the past. However, it is primarily a cultural critique. Even if societies have access to knowledge and technology that can improve them, they still have cultural inertia. This inertia can lead to them clinging to past behaviors that impede them from living in a modern society that would benefit them.
No comments:
Post a Comment