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That Game We Played During the War
The people of Gaant are telepaths. The people of Enith are not. The two countries have been at war for decades, but now peace has fallen, and Calla of Enith seeks to renew an unlikely friendship with Gaantish officer Valk over an even more unlikely game of chess, in Carrie Vaughn's novella That Game We Played During The War.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
16 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2016
11 people are currently reading
1019 people want to read
About the author
Carrie Vaughn
280 books4,543 followersCarrie Vaughn is the author more than twenty novels and over a hundred short stories. She's best known for her New York Times bestselling series of novels about a werewolf named Kitty who hosts a talk radio advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. In 2018, she won the Philip K. Dick Award for Bannerless, a post-apocalyptic murder mystery. She's published over 20 novels and 100 short stories, two of which have been finalists for the Hugo Award. She's a contributor to the Wild Cards series of shared world superhero books edited by George R. R. Martin and a graduate of the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop.
An Air Force brat, she survived her nomadic childhood and managed to put down roots in Boulder, Colorado, where she collects hobbies.
Visit her at www.carrievaughn.com
For writing advice and essays, check out her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carrievaughn
An Air Force brat, she survived her nomadic childhood and managed to put down roots in Boulder, Colorado, where she collects hobbies.
Visit her at www.carrievaughn.com
For writing advice and essays, check out her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carrievaughn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
July 13, 2017
Wow! Wonderful, poignant short story of finding kindness and friendship in wartime. We have two fantasy/alien nations at war, and one is a community of telepaths. Major Valk, one of the telepath people, ends up as a prisoner of war. While in military hospital, he notices two of his nurses play chess.
He’s never seen anything like it before. You see, chess wouldn’t make any sense for his people, who can read each others’ thoughts, and so they only play games of chance. But he’s fascinated, and when Calla, one of the two nurses, becomes his prisoner in turn, he asks her to teach him. The two come up with their own way to play chess, semi-random, semi-planned, that would make sense to them both, and that would teach Valk the connection between winning and not losing.
So much humanity in this story, so much hope.
He’s never seen anything like it before. You see, chess wouldn’t make any sense for his people, who can read each others’ thoughts, and so they only play games of chance. But he’s fascinated, and when Calla, one of the two nurses, becomes his prisoner in turn, he asks her to teach him. The two come up with their own way to play chess, semi-random, semi-planned, that would make sense to them both, and that would teach Valk the connection between winning and not losing.
So much humanity in this story, so much hope.
August 7, 2017
One of the 2017 Hugo nominees and incidentally, my personal favorite.
Two nations were at war. They fought, they killed, they captured personals and sometimes, exchanged prisoners. It was during this lengthy duet of war, Calla and Valk met each other.
Calla is a nurse and Valk is a soldier, Calla is from Enith and Valk is from Gaant, and...
Wait a sec, haven't we heard epic love stories like these already?
Valk is a telepath and Calla is not.
What?!
Valk's nation is a nation of telepaths and Calla's nation is a nation of...well, regular people! And they were at war, but the journey towards peace has started for them.
Naturally, it was the premise that initially captured my attention. Then it was the characters and the delightful prose. But at the end of the day, I loved this story because it integrates characters who seem like taken out of a classic war time love story to a fascinating sci-fi premise.
Read it here ------------> http://www.tor.com/2016/03/16/that-ga...
“This is how you won,” one of them said
“No, This is how we failed to lose."
Two nations were at war. They fought, they killed, they captured personals and sometimes, exchanged prisoners. It was during this lengthy duet of war, Calla and Valk met each other.
Calla is a nurse and Valk is a soldier, Calla is from Enith and Valk is from Gaant, and...
Wait a sec, haven't we heard epic love stories like these already?
Valk is a telepath and Calla is not.
What?!
Valk's nation is a nation of telepaths and Calla's nation is a nation of...well, regular people! And they were at war, but the journey towards peace has started for them.
Naturally, it was the premise that initially captured my attention. Then it was the characters and the delightful prose. But at the end of the day, I loved this story because it integrates characters who seem like taken out of a classic war time love story to a fascinating sci-fi premise.
Read it here ------------> http://www.tor.com/2016/03/16/that-ga...
December 21, 2017
“You’re very weird, Cal. “They’re Gaantish. You pity them?”By far the shortest thing I have ever read. And the sweetest. It came as a suggestion from one of the sweetest people I know. So no surprise there! Thanks, oh Savage Queen!
“I just think it must be hard, being so far from home in a place like this.”
Here’s the layout. Two nations at war. People killed, personnel taken prisoner and then prisoners exchanged. War stuff. It is during this war that Calla of Enith meets Valk Larn of Gaant. They form a bond.
That’s pretty clichéd, right? So what’s different about this one?
Here’s what’s different.
Gaant, is a nation of telepaths. Enith, a nation of regular people. At war for decades, they finally reach ceasefire. And Calla pays a visit to Major Valk Larn, a war hero of Gaant. Her thoughts for one and all. Fair game.
Telepathy. Have you given it a thought? Thoughts. Your thoughts. Your feelings. Everything that goes on in your head. Visible to someone! How would you feel? Naked? I know I would! Imagine then, walking into a nation of telepaths! And why? Only to meet someone! To play a game of chess! With a telepath!
“You won’t win, playing like that”I loved the concept and the small flip it had. It was a smart one from the author. The story flows pretty nice and keeps you hooked. I just loved it! The way Calla and Valk were shaped up and their bond. It’s beautiful!
“No, but I may not lose” Calla said
“I’m still not sure what the point of this game is” said a nurse.
“This game, right now? The point is to annoy Major Larn” Calla said.
“The point,” Larn said, addressing the nurse, “is to fight little wars without hurting anyone.”
“You were one of the nurses at the hospital. I remember you.” Valk said
“Not many remember their stays there.” Calla answered.
“I remember you. You were kind.”
I am in LOVE guys! This year, admittedly I wrote more rant reviews than ever but I have found a new thing! Short stories! Gosh, I was so oblivious to them, stubbornly convincing myself that short stories are lackluster. I have never been more wrong! And I have never been more glad to have been wrong. I have read quite a few amazing short stories this year, mostly published and a couple from a future author (they’re already my fav author of all time and I am probably their first fan! More’s the glory!).
This story in particular is very well written, capturing all the right things and leaving all the clutter out and I especially loved how it ended. I suggest you take out half an hour to read this 16 paged freebie!
That dark place that she barely remembered opened up, and she started crying. She had thought to pretend that none of it ever happened, and so carried around this blackness that no one could see, and it would have swallowed her up if Valk hadn’t sent that telegram. She got that message and knew it was all true, knew it had all happened, and he would be able to see her.
April 26, 2017
2016 Hugo nominee in the short story category, and a very worthy nominee. Free online at Tor.com. Final review, first posted at www.FantasyLiterature.com:
A decades-long, debilitating war between the countries of Gaant and Enith has ended. Calla Belan of Enith travels to Gaant to visit Major Valk Larn, an injured Gaantish officer she had once befriended while serving as a military nurse, and to play a few more games of chess with him. Playing chess with someone from Gaant is nearly impossible because everyone from this country is a telepath, while those from Enith are not.
It’s a bit of an iffy premise, particularly where no attempt is made to explain how or why everyone in one country is a telepath while no one in the neighboring country is, but Carrie Vaughn takes the idea and runs with it. She does a great job of exploring what it would be like to fight a war with telepaths (for one thing, it’s difficult to keep them as prisoners of war), to visit a land of telepaths … and to try to play chess with one. Yet Calla does figure out a way to play a chess game of sorts with Valk, who can read all of her conscious thoughts. Chess becomes an iconic symbol of the relationship between Calla and Valk, and of the fraught international relations between Gaant and Enith.
The background of two war-weary societies, trying to find a way to co-exist in peace, and the flashbacks to earlier encounters of Valk and Calla, reveal the physical and psychological costs of their war and add depth to this moving and thoughtful tale.
A decades-long, debilitating war between the countries of Gaant and Enith has ended. Calla Belan of Enith travels to Gaant to visit Major Valk Larn, an injured Gaantish officer she had once befriended while serving as a military nurse, and to play a few more games of chess with him. Playing chess with someone from Gaant is nearly impossible because everyone from this country is a telepath, while those from Enith are not.
It’s a bit of an iffy premise, particularly where no attempt is made to explain how or why everyone in one country is a telepath while no one in the neighboring country is, but Carrie Vaughn takes the idea and runs with it. She does a great job of exploring what it would be like to fight a war with telepaths (for one thing, it’s difficult to keep them as prisoners of war), to visit a land of telepaths … and to try to play chess with one. Yet Calla does figure out a way to play a chess game of sorts with Valk, who can read all of her conscious thoughts. Chess becomes an iconic symbol of the relationship between Calla and Valk, and of the fraught international relations between Gaant and Enith.
The background of two war-weary societies, trying to find a way to co-exist in peace, and the flashbacks to earlier encounters of Valk and Calla, reveal the physical and psychological costs of their war and add depth to this moving and thoughtful tale.
March 17, 2017
One of my Hugo nominees, short story, 2016.
____
Loved this one!
The countries of Enith and Gaant are long-time rivals, and the tides of war have meant that at different times, different sides have been ascendant.
Military nurse Calla was once assigned to care for captured enemy soldiers. Once of those soldiers, Valk, was later her captor, when her unit became POW's.
Now, an uneasy truce has been hammered out. And Calla goes to visit Valk in the hospital...
The 'twist' to the story is that the Gaant are telepaths. No one in Enith has this ability. The differences this has made in the two cultures is a linchpin of the story. How can you strategize when your opponent knows your every thought? Nevertheless, Calla and Galt have learned how to play chess with each other.
This game, and the cautious but warm relationship between the two players, becomes a delicate and effective metaphor for the war between the two adversaries, and the fragile potential for a larger peace.
____
Loved this one!
The countries of Enith and Gaant are long-time rivals, and the tides of war have meant that at different times, different sides have been ascendant.
Military nurse Calla was once assigned to care for captured enemy soldiers. Once of those soldiers, Valk, was later her captor, when her unit became POW's.
Now, an uneasy truce has been hammered out. And Calla goes to visit Valk in the hospital...
The 'twist' to the story is that the Gaant are telepaths. No one in Enith has this ability. The differences this has made in the two cultures is a linchpin of the story. How can you strategize when your opponent knows your every thought? Nevertheless, Calla and Galt have learned how to play chess with each other.
This game, and the cautious but warm relationship between the two players, becomes a delicate and effective metaphor for the war between the two adversaries, and the fragile potential for a larger peace.
April 26, 2017
How we failed to lose. :)
This is a simple yet very warm tale and it comes laden with a ton of emotional baggage that doesn't overwhelm us, the readers... Rather, it leads us to a place where there is understanding and actual hope. It's like an inoculation against greater tragedy.
What? In a simple game of chess?
Well, yeah, made a lot more difficult when it's a metaphor for two whole countries fighting when one is made up of telepaths and the other isn't. :)
Pretty cool. We just have to roll with the premise, but hell, it's short and worthy to be a nom for '17 Hugos. Which, in fact, it is. :)
This is a simple yet very warm tale and it comes laden with a ton of emotional baggage that doesn't overwhelm us, the readers... Rather, it leads us to a place where there is understanding and actual hope. It's like an inoculation against greater tragedy.
What? In a simple game of chess?
Well, yeah, made a lot more difficult when it's a metaphor for two whole countries fighting when one is made up of telepaths and the other isn't. :)
Pretty cool. We just have to roll with the premise, but hell, it's short and worthy to be a nom for '17 Hugos. Which, in fact, it is. :)
July 7, 2020
That left them studying each other; he who could see everything, and she who could only muddle through, being herself, proudly and unabashedly.
I was RIGHT this felt like SAGA and my heartstrings were TUGGED
May 23, 2022
That Game We Played During the War by Carrie Vaughn - 3+/5★
A nice story about kindness and hope during and after war.
Can also be read on Tor.com.
A nice story about kindness and hope during and after war.
Can also be read on Tor.com.
February 6, 2017
“The point is to fight little wars without hurting anyone.”
At a far far away land, there are two countries: the telepath people of Gaant and the normal people of Enith. These countries have been on a constant war. Now the war is over, but Calla of Enith and Gaantish officer Valk have still not finished their game of chess.
A game of chess between a telepath injured soldier, Val and a non-telepath nurse, Calla. How can they play chess when one of them knows beforehand all the moves of the other?
Calla will teach Valk how they will fail to lose. Winning is not everything after all…
I really hope that this short story will be expanded to a long length book. There are so many questions.
What was the story of Calla and Valk? They seem that they used to be more than friends, but we never find out.
What happened during the war between Gaant and Enith? How they reached peace?
Who are these people? Especially people from Gaant seem fascinating beings.
This small sample is excellent. I need more!
The first story I read by this author and I will definitely try her other books.
(Free short story: http://www.tor.com/2016/03/16/that-ga...)
At a far far away land, there are two countries: the telepath people of Gaant and the normal people of Enith. These countries have been on a constant war. Now the war is over, but Calla of Enith and Gaantish officer Valk have still not finished their game of chess.
A game of chess between a telepath injured soldier, Val and a non-telepath nurse, Calla. How can they play chess when one of them knows beforehand all the moves of the other?
Calla will teach Valk how they will fail to lose. Winning is not everything after all…
I really hope that this short story will be expanded to a long length book. There are so many questions.
What was the story of Calla and Valk? They seem that they used to be more than friends, but we never find out.
What happened during the war between Gaant and Enith? How they reached peace?
Who are these people? Especially people from Gaant seem fascinating beings.
This small sample is excellent. I need more!
The first story I read by this author and I will definitely try her other books.
(Free short story: http://www.tor.com/2016/03/16/that-ga...)
November 19, 2018
3.5
This book’s got an interesting plot. The narration takes place in the present and cuts back to the past where we get to know more about the relationship between the main characters.
The game of chess is used as a metaphor for the war between the two nations. The game is more fun as one of the opponents is telepathic.
I loved the writing and how the fantasy element was introduced in the post-war story. It’s a little jarring to know that people around you can read all of your thoughts!
The book makes you think about the uselessness of the war and wonder about the different possibilities. The emotions are portrayed beautifully and make you connect with the characters.
The downside was that it was too short and a little underwhelming for me. I know ‘short stories’ are supposed to be short but they should be self-sufficient.
There was no proper world building and the concept of telepathy wasn’t explored. It made me curious and raised all the questions about their unusual situation and the reason behind the feud, only to leave them unanswered.
I felt like I was reading a little snippet from a larger book. It’s an intriguing concept and I wouldn’t mind reading a full book about it.
Otherwise, it’s a good short story about friendship and moving on after the war.
This book’s got an interesting plot. The narration takes place in the present and cuts back to the past where we get to know more about the relationship between the main characters.
The game of chess is used as a metaphor for the war between the two nations. The game is more fun as one of the opponents is telepathic.
I loved the writing and how the fantasy element was introduced in the post-war story. It’s a little jarring to know that people around you can read all of your thoughts!
The book makes you think about the uselessness of the war and wonder about the different possibilities. The emotions are portrayed beautifully and make you connect with the characters.
The downside was that it was too short and a little underwhelming for me. I know ‘short stories’ are supposed to be short but they should be self-sufficient.
There was no proper world building and the concept of telepathy wasn’t explored. It made me curious and raised all the questions about their unusual situation and the reason behind the feud, only to leave them unanswered.
I felt like I was reading a little snippet from a larger book. It’s an intriguing concept and I wouldn’t mind reading a full book about it.
Otherwise, it’s a good short story about friendship and moving on after the war.
April 27, 2021
A fascinating short story about how a friendship between two individuals of opposing warring parties develops and how being a telepath is not always an advantage.
January 1, 2018
Interesting premise but too short ! :)
RTC
RTC
February 4, 2017
A nice SF story from Vaughn, in which a POW teaches her captor to play chess, then later both resume the game during a ceasefire. The hitch is that her former captor, like all his people, is telepathic, while her race is not. The game becomes a metaphor for how the war was fought and eventually "not lost" despite one race being able to literally read the minds of the other.
Maybe a little too gentile for a war story, but there are some nice details about the various psychological costs of war.
Maybe a little too gentile for a war story, but there are some nice details about the various psychological costs of war.
December 21, 2017
A big shoutout to YoYoKohli for this recommendation <- See what I did there ;)
Like dude, you are on a ROLL here...first Revenge now this and I have high hopes for Salt ^_^
SO yeaa, thank you, yo!
It all starts with one request from Valk
“You were playing a game. I remember—two people. A board. You enjoyed it very much. You had the most interesting thoughts.”
“Chess. It was chess.”
“Can you teach me to play?”
Some said Enith and Gaant were two sides of the same coin; they would never see eye to eye and would always fight over the same spit of land between their two continents. But their differences were simple, one might say: only in their minds.
The very short story is set in a fictional world with a division between the telepathic (Gaant) and the non-telepathic people (Enith)
Calla, our heroine, an Enithi, enters the Gaant world after peace has been established following a harrowing war. She is there after receiving a telegram (which can be interpreted as a love confession) from Valk, our hero, a Gaantish. It's a new chance for them to finish a Chess game they once started.
He had been her prisoner, then she had been his, and they had made a promise that if peace ever came they would finish the game they had started. If they finished the game it meant the peace would last.
The story is pretty short; making it difficult to review it without giving away spoilers.
You do, however, learn a lot about Calla and Valk from the story. It was visible that Calla is a strong heroine with an iron will, Valk a perfect compliment with his rugged handsomeness and brave spirit.
There is also something intriguing about two people from two entirely different places finding a way to love each other; despite there having been a war and constant turmoil.
Where there are books with half as much talent glittering among the pages, this short story is packed with talent, and the notion that a lot of thought has been put into the characters. You learn about Valk's kindness, Calla's depression, the Gaantish's miscommunicated demeanor and the Enithi's will to survive no matter what. And while you can argue the story could be better, I'd say the story only needs to be longer to satiate my inner reader.
That dark place that she barely remembered opened up, and she started crying. She had thought to pretend that none of it ever happened, and so carried around this blackness that no one could see, and it would have swallowed her up if Valk hadn’t sent that telegram. She got that message and knew it was all true, knew it had all happened, and he would be able to see her.
“Are you sorry you came?”
“Oh, no. It’s just . . .” She put her hand in his and tried to explain. Discovered she couldn’t speak. She had no words. And it didn’t matter.
July 6, 2020
Some said Enith and Gaant were two sides of the same coin; they would never see eye to eye and would always fight over the same spit of land between their two continents. But their differences were simple, one might say: only in their minds.
Calla is a nurse. Valk a militar. Once time prisioners of war in the other camp.
Chess is a strategy game. Except when is not.
This is a wistful short story about two peoples at war for a long time and who have now ceased fire pending a treaty. It is a story about how compassion is essential to open paths of understanding and how many times it is much better to look for a strategy where you don't exactly win, but nobody loses.
“This is how you won,” one of them said, amazed. He wasn’t talking about the game.
“No,” Calla said. “This is how we failed to lose.”
And that when you want, you can find a common ground despite our differences.
But... The part that satisfies no one in this story is not knowing how both races exist here disputing that continent, some being telepaths and others not. And speaking different languages. (Hmm, maybe an invasion or colonization that went wrong as a LeGuin story?)
-------------------------
Calla es una enfermera. Valk un militar. Una vez fueron prisioneros de guerra del otro bando.
Ajedrez es un juego de estrategia. Salvo cuando no lo es.
Esta es un historia corta acerca de dos pueblos en guerra por mucho tiempo y que ahora han cesado el fuego en espera de un tratado. Es una historia acerca de como la compasión es fundamental para abrir caminos de entendimiento y como muchas veces es mucho mejor buscar una estrategia donde no precisamente se gane, sino que nadie pierda. Y que cuando se quiere, se puede encontrar un campo común a pesar de nuestras diferencias.
La parte que a nadie satisface en este relato es el desconocer como ambas razas existen aqui disputando dicho continente, siendo unos telépatas y otros no. Y hablando distintos idiomas. (Hmm, ¿quizas una invasión o colonización que salio mal como una historia de LeGuin?)
La pueden encontrar aqui:
https://www.tor.com/2016/03/16/that-g...
Calla is a nurse. Valk a militar. Once time prisioners of war in the other camp.
Chess is a strategy game. Except when is not.
This is a wistful short story about two peoples at war for a long time and who have now ceased fire pending a treaty. It is a story about how compassion is essential to open paths of understanding and how many times it is much better to look for a strategy where you don't exactly win, but nobody loses.
“This is how you won,” one of them said, amazed. He wasn’t talking about the game.
“No,” Calla said. “This is how we failed to lose.”
And that when you want, you can find a common ground despite our differences.
But... The part that satisfies no one in this story is not knowing how both races exist here disputing that continent, some being telepaths and others not. And speaking different languages. (Hmm, maybe an invasion or colonization that went wrong as a LeGuin story?)
-------------------------
Calla es una enfermera. Valk un militar. Una vez fueron prisioneros de guerra del otro bando.
Ajedrez es un juego de estrategia. Salvo cuando no lo es.
Esta es un historia corta acerca de dos pueblos en guerra por mucho tiempo y que ahora han cesado el fuego en espera de un tratado. Es una historia acerca de como la compasión es fundamental para abrir caminos de entendimiento y como muchas veces es mucho mejor buscar una estrategia donde no precisamente se gane, sino que nadie pierda. Y que cuando se quiere, se puede encontrar un campo común a pesar de nuestras diferencias.
La parte que a nadie satisface en este relato es el desconocer como ambas razas existen aqui disputando dicho continente, siendo unos telépatas y otros no. Y hablando distintos idiomas. (Hmm, ¿quizas una invasión o colonización que salio mal como una historia de LeGuin?)
La pueden encontrar aqui:
https://www.tor.com/2016/03/16/that-g...
December 17, 2017
4.75 stars.
I think short fiction as a whole is underrated. And that's why small gems like this one go relatively unnoticed. And it's also free, so.
At the moment, I can't think of another story I've read that is set after a war, not before or during it (no, That Game We Played During the War is not actually set during the war, but there are flashbacks). Maybe Strange the Dreamer? And I can't think of a story about war that was so hopeful, either.
As the main character notices many times, after the war both sides had stories like that- stories of loss and suffering - and everyone is now standing on a fragile peace.
It's a story about a war between Gaanth (telepaths) and Enith (not telepaths), and two people who met when they where war prisoners.
Two people that now, after the war, want to finish the game of chess they had started.
It was interesting to see how a society of telepaths would work, and I liked seeing how the protagonist felt as the only Enith between the Gaanth. Some aspects were underdeveloped - we do not know anything about the conflict, or about the differences between the two cultures that are not about telepathy - but it's an enjoyable short story anyway.
I think short fiction as a whole is underrated. And that's why small gems like this one go relatively unnoticed. And it's also free, so.
At the moment, I can't think of another story I've read that is set after a war, not before or during it (no, That Game We Played During the War is not actually set during the war, but there are flashbacks). Maybe Strange the Dreamer? And I can't think of a story about war that was so hopeful, either.
As the main character notices many times, after the war both sides had stories like that- stories of loss and suffering - and everyone is now standing on a fragile peace.
It's a story about a war between Gaanth (telepaths) and Enith (not telepaths), and two people who met when they where war prisoners.
Two people that now, after the war, want to finish the game of chess they had started.
It was interesting to see how a society of telepaths would work, and I liked seeing how the protagonist felt as the only Enith between the Gaanth. Some aspects were underdeveloped - we do not know anything about the conflict, or about the differences between the two cultures that are not about telepathy - but it's an enjoyable short story anyway.
April 13, 2020
This short story was actually one of the best I've read at Tor.com. I only wish there was more, like a book where the whole universe will be able to be unveiled and the character will have time to have a proper introduction and character development. Nevertheless, the story was pretty entertaining and emotional with a compelling story and interesting characters. The writing was pretty good too.
February 7, 2017
Every now and then, Tor throws up these enjoyable shorts.
The story here is about a game of chess between a telepathic soldier and non-telepathic nurse, belonging to two countries who have just concluded an armistice. The people of Gaant are telepaths, while the folk of Enith are not. So while playing with Major Valk Larn, Calla Belan must not think of any move in advance - only total randomness can give her a chance of at least avoiding a loss.
While this game progresses, the author deftly cuts in flashbacks of the previous encounters of the opponents; when they were the prisoners of one another in succession. The physical attraction between the two are implied, rather than plainly stated. The chess game stands as a metaphor for the meaningless war.
Even though the premise is intriguing, the story had a lot of loose ends which rankled for me. For example, how would a race of telepaths have a language? They could communicate without speaking, and they wouldn't need it even for communication with other races, because they would be wizards at learning others' languages.
Also, a little more effort should have been spent in world-building. It seems that the author was so enthused with the premise of telepath to non-telepath interaction, that every other requirement of creating a credible fictitious world was thrown overboard.
However, three stars for character- and premise-driven SF.
The story here is about a game of chess between a telepathic soldier and non-telepathic nurse, belonging to two countries who have just concluded an armistice. The people of Gaant are telepaths, while the folk of Enith are not. So while playing with Major Valk Larn, Calla Belan must not think of any move in advance - only total randomness can give her a chance of at least avoiding a loss.
While this game progresses, the author deftly cuts in flashbacks of the previous encounters of the opponents; when they were the prisoners of one another in succession. The physical attraction between the two are implied, rather than plainly stated. The chess game stands as a metaphor for the meaningless war.
Even though the premise is intriguing, the story had a lot of loose ends which rankled for me. For example, how would a race of telepaths have a language? They could communicate without speaking, and they wouldn't need it even for communication with other races, because they would be wizards at learning others' languages.
Also, a little more effort should have been spent in world-building. It seems that the author was so enthused with the premise of telepath to non-telepath interaction, that every other requirement of creating a credible fictitious world was thrown overboard.
However, three stars for character- and premise-driven SF.
January 3, 2021
This was a short, lovely story about the aftermath of a war between two peoples. I enjoyed the humanization of both sides and the recognition that war is fought between humans, not just between sides.
February 11, 2022
Another wonderful read.
http://www.tor.com/2016/03/16/that-ga...
http://www.tor.com/2016/03/16/that-ga...
January 11, 2020
Brief and beautiful. It's really interesting to find out that one can counter telepaths by sheer randomness. Order is predictable, which makes chaos all the more dangerous(talk about rampaging hordes). I'd always felt that the safest way out of any situation was "not to lose"(nice to see that someone else feels the same). Winning is something else altogether, since it requires the acceptance of the vanquished as much as the efforts of the victor. Somewhere down the line, I'm sure we can expand this wonderful one-off story into a really nice series. Though it feels so complete, that you would rather leave it at that. After all, when you're at a loss for words..you really need not say any more
After the re-read, I would say, this is the line which appeals to me still -
“This is how you won,” one of them said
“No, This is how we failed to lose."
After the re-read, I would say, this is the line which appeals to me still -
“This is how you won,” one of them said
“No, This is how we failed to lose."
July 16, 2022
The opening of the book gives enough introduction to the story.
This is a dazzling science fiction written by Carrie Vaughn and a nominee for Hugo Award for Short Stories in 2017. The fantasy element adds more empathy to the story, and emotions are exquisitely portrayed while narrating the relationship between two people. It gives a glimpse to how the world can be different if people can read minds.
The people of Gaant are telepaths. The people of Enith are not. The two countries have been at war for decades, but now peace has fallen, and Calla of Enith seeks to renew an unlikely friendship with Gaantish officer Valk over an even more unlikely game of chess.
This is a dazzling science fiction written by Carrie Vaughn and a nominee for Hugo Award for Short Stories in 2017. The fantasy element adds more empathy to the story, and emotions are exquisitely portrayed while narrating the relationship between two people. It gives a glimpse to how the world can be different if people can read minds.
February 22, 2017
Ah, this was such a lovely read. I saw someone saying this reminded them of Lois Bujold’s early Vorkosigan stories; I loved the characters here. My only criticism is that it’s too short - I really want more!
http://www.tor.com/2016/03/16/that-ga...
http://www.tor.com/2016/03/16/that-ga...
May 21, 2021
I made this selection for the cover photo because of a "book challenge" I'm doing. I wasn't disappointed by the story. Two people after a war, working through peace time that have forged a friendship. It was very well written, great story and characters. I wish it had been longer.
April 14, 2017
I really admire the economy with which the author drew a whole world, characters with implied complexity and a complicated relationship and a straightforward yet interesting plot.
June 9, 2019
A wonderful short story about the aftermath of war. While the peace holds after a long war, Calla, a military nurse from Enith visits Valk, an officer from the enemy side recuperating from his injuries in hospital. His people, the Gaantish, are telepaths and the two had become friends - first, while she nursed him in an Enithi facility and later when she was captured by Gaant, and she has visited him to complete an unfinished game of chess.
Despite a couple of fairly cliched turns of phrase at the beginning, this quickly becomes a beautiful take that hints at the horrors of war both sides have experienced, and shows the slow, painful process of building trust between those who have long been enemies. "We each have our stories," is repeated in some form throughout.
Due to their telepathy, the Gaant don't play strategy games, so Calla has to teach Valk the rules, and teach herself a new way to play. Their game becomes a focus of fascination for the other Gaant in the hospital, following the moves and the thoughts of the players. When one asks the point of the game, Valk answers "The point is the fight little wars without hurting anyone."
There was silence then, because yes, they all had stories.
Despite a couple of fairly cliched turns of phrase at the beginning, this quickly becomes a beautiful take that hints at the horrors of war both sides have experienced, and shows the slow, painful process of building trust between those who have long been enemies. "We each have our stories," is repeated in some form throughout.
Due to their telepathy, the Gaant don't play strategy games, so Calla has to teach Valk the rules, and teach herself a new way to play. Their game becomes a focus of fascination for the other Gaant in the hospital, following the moves and the thoughts of the players. When one asks the point of the game, Valk answers "The point is the fight little wars without hurting anyone."
There was silence then, because yes, they all had stories.
July 25, 2021
That Game We Played During the War (Trò chơi thời chiến): Người Gaant có khả năng đọc suy nghĩ, còn người Enith thì không. Cuộc chiến tranh kéo dài nhiều thập kỷ giữa hai quốc gia mới chấm dứt. Đây là cơ hội để Calla của Enith nối lại tình bạn kỳ lạ của cô với vị sĩ quan người Gaant Valk thông qua một ván cờ thậm chí còn kỳ lạ hơn.
*Đề cử cho những ai hứng thú với: cờ vua, sự kết nối, một câu chuyện chiến tranh mang tinh thần lạc quan.
Một câu chuyện thú vị, nhân bản và dễ chịu. Khi nói về hai con người thấu hiểu nhau qua bàn cờ, mọi người nên đọc 'That Game We Played During the War' chứ không phải 'Thiếu nữ đánh cờ vây'. Trong TNĐCV, hai kỳ thủ liên tục dựng nên những ảo tưởng về đối phương. Trong 'That Game', hai kỳ thủ thực sự mở lòng để vượt lên sự khác biệt và tạo ra một trò chơi mà cả hai bên đều không thua. Truyện mang không khí lạc quan nhưng không hề lược bỏ dấu ấn nghiệt ngã của chiến tranh lên các nhân vật.
P/S: Mình đọc được một bài bình luận là bạn hoàn toàn có thể chơi cờ vua với một nhà ngoại cảm, thậm chí là giành chiến thắng. Vì khả năng đọc suy nghĩ sẽ đem lại lợi thế, nhưng không thể đảm bảo chiến thắng cho kỳ thủ.
"Giờ thì mọi người trong phòng đều chia sẻ những kỷ niệm tươi đẹp về mẹ cô, và cả sự thật là bà đã chết trong một nạn đói khi việc sản xuất lương thực bị đình trệ do chiến tranh. Mọi người ở hai bên chiến tuyến đều có những câu chuyện như vậy. Hãy để chúng ta chia sẻ câu chuyện của mình, cô nghĩ."
*Đề cử cho những ai hứng thú với: cờ vua, sự kết nối, một câu chuyện chiến tranh mang tinh thần lạc quan.
Một câu chuyện thú vị, nhân bản và dễ chịu. Khi nói về hai con người thấu hiểu nhau qua bàn cờ, mọi người nên đọc 'That Game We Played During the War' chứ không phải 'Thiếu nữ đánh cờ vây'. Trong TNĐCV, hai kỳ thủ liên tục dựng nên những ảo tưởng về đối phương. Trong 'That Game', hai kỳ thủ thực sự mở lòng để vượt lên sự khác biệt và tạo ra một trò chơi mà cả hai bên đều không thua. Truyện mang không khí lạc quan nhưng không hề lược bỏ dấu ấn nghiệt ngã của chiến tranh lên các nhân vật.
P/S: Mình đọc được một bài bình luận là bạn hoàn toàn có thể chơi cờ vua với một nhà ngoại cảm, thậm chí là giành chiến thắng. Vì khả năng đọc suy nghĩ sẽ đem lại lợi thế, nhưng không thể đảm bảo chiến thắng cho kỳ thủ.
"Giờ thì mọi người trong phòng đều chia sẻ những kỷ niệm tươi đẹp về mẹ cô, và cả sự thật là bà đã chết trong một nạn đói khi việc sản xuất lương thực bị đình trệ do chiến tranh. Mọi người ở hai bên chiến tuyến đều có những câu chuyện như vậy. Hãy để chúng ta chia sẻ câu chuyện của mình, cô nghĩ."
June 13, 2017
“Since they were telepaths, they’d know the answer to that.”
How do you war against telepaths, or play chess for that matter? Or fall in love? A well-told short story about a logical conundrum. Well-plotted. Good point of view character.
“… took off their uniforms, they would look the same: naked.”
Short and to the point. One of the best of the 2017 finalist for Hugo Award short story.
“We are all of us wounded.”
No, I’m not going to tell you. Read it for yourself.
“This is how you won the war.” “No, this is how we failed to lose.”
How do you war against telepaths, or play chess for that matter? Or fall in love? A well-told short story about a logical conundrum. Well-plotted. Good point of view character.
“… took off their uniforms, they would look the same: naked.”
Short and to the point. One of the best of the 2017 finalist for Hugo Award short story.
“We are all of us wounded.”
No, I’m not going to tell you. Read it for yourself.
“This is how you won the war.” “No, this is how we failed to lose.”
December 21, 2017
This is a lot too short for my tastes. I want a full-length novel. This is a novel that focuses on war aftermath, and the way two people from opposite sides met and developed a weird relationship, despite everything. It's sweet but not overly so, and there are tiny traces of bitterness about a war [spoiler]no one really seems to know the causes of[/spoiler]. It's also about chess.
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