The Sword and Laser discussion

It strikes me that this book has a very strong environmental theme running through it.

The bone magic (consuming the bones of ancient creatures to gain their powers) is an obvious analogy for fossil fuels - especially once (view spoiler)[ it's revealed that the bones and the magic are running out, forcing the Hierarch and his osteomancers to (literally) cannibalise their human resources. (hide spoiler)]

Plus we see an-alternate reality LA filled with canals instead of roads (incidentally isn't LA a bit too hilly for that to work effectively irl? oh well suspension of disbelief it is). Then we meet (view spoiler)[ Mulholland the water mage, who talks about how his control of the city's water supply is crucial, and how without him the place would be (pardon the pun) bone dry. (hide spoiler)]

I gather LA has massive problems with water shortages irl (someone who actually lives there can probably fill in more detail here!) plus debates about road infrastructure and use of fossil fuels, so I wonder if Greg Van Eekhout is deliberately satirising the real-life political and environmental situation?

Any thoughts?

I think you're right, Van Eekhout takes a poke at several important figures in LA history and at the city itself, and seems to be enjoying himself too. Some of what I found in the novel intrigues me and now I want to do a little reading about LA history. Do any Sword & Laserites who are Los Angelenos have any recommendations?

Now I'm extra interested in reading this. High fives, smart people!

Hey it turns out there's this place out there on the intertubes with lists of LA history books like this one

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Oh HELLS yeah, that is what Eekhout is going for. And the later riff on sustainability is a definite take on renewable energy.

The sly asides to insiders are for me more funny than the broad strokes. Yeah, we all know Disney and Mulholland. Watanabe? He's a sheriff implicated in a recent scandal where the County sheriff's office moved an informant around so he couldn't be found. He's perfect as the corrupt police chief.

The canals are in exactly the same shape as the real-life roads. The geography is perfectly and exquisitely portrayed. Beverly Hills as a walled off community? Hilarious. The Magic Castle as an actual magic castle? I about fell over on that one. Ship's restaurant? I never ate there but passed it many times on my way to karate practice at La Cienega and Venice. Pink's hot dogs? Mmmm...Pink's...

Yes, I thought that was an interesting take, having the source of magic be an unsustainable resource. Also, having to use magic to maintain the water levels.

The politics of the town was also a nice commentary on the motives of some people in power, wanting only to gain more power and not caring about their responsibilities to the citizens.

John (Taloni) wrote: "Oh HELLS yeah, that is what Eekhout is going for. And the later riff on sustainability is a definite take on renewable energy.

The sly asides to insiders are for me more funny than the broad strok..."

I’m clearly missing some of the satire here through not knowing LA very well! I had no idea Watanabe was based on a real person, and my knowledge of the city’s geography is minimal (I live in England and I have only been to LA once.)

Are the canals more plausible than I’d initially thought, if they are only supposed to cover the less hilly areas of the city?

LA is pretty flat, so canals aren't completely implausible. There are modestly hilly areas as, for instance, Santa Monica Boulevard near Century City, so a little bit of magic would be needed to keep them going. The idea of them being dank and polluted fits with LA and the general disrepair of the roads.

Aren't the canals in the book based on the original LA canals?

I've only just started the book and haven't come across them yet.

But I thought that this is what everyone was talking about.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice_...

Tassie Dave wrote: "Aren't the canals in the book based on the original LA canals?

I've only just started the book and haven't come across them yet.

But I thought that this is what everyone was talking about.
https:..."

Whoa there are real LA canals?! I had no idea.
I realise my view of LA geography has been coloured by the fact that, the one time I went there, I was staying with relatives who live in Sherman Oaks, and their house is built into the side of a hill.

The recent wildfires have only underscored the dangers of dry weather and climate change in the LA area... my relatives in Sherman Oaks were packed up and ready to evacuate!

In addition, the accrual of magic is akin to bioconcentration of toxins in ecosystems: numerous small fish absorb mercury, which gets passed to larger and larger fish. The top end predators take in the most.