Lexicon
by Max Barry · first published 2013
60% recommend40% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A science fiction thriller about language and persuasion, where words can control people. It is a fun, fast read built on a strong core idea and suits fans of speculative fiction.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
At an exclusive school somewhere outside of Arlington, Virginia, students aren’t taught history, geography, or mathematics—they are taught to persuade. Students learn to use language to manipulate minds, wielding words as weapons. The very best graduate as “poets,” and enter a nameless organization of unknown purpose. Whip-smart runaway Emily Ruff is making a living from three-card Monte on the streets of San Francisco when she attracts the attention of the organization’s recruiters. Drawn in to their strage world, which is populated by people named Brontë and Eliot, she learns their key r
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Another fun one is the Lexicon by Max Barry, except it exploits the auditory language processing. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16158596-lexicon
on “RAMBleed Attack – Reading Bits in Memory Without Accessing Them” ↗Lexicon - Max Barry. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman. Channel Skin - Jeff Noon. The Long Earth - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter. The Difference Engine - William Gibson.
on “Ask HN: Sci-Fi novels?” ↗Just read Lexicon by Max Barry (2013) - great sci-fi thriller that actually has a strong anti-memetic component. I wonder if it was an influence on qntm's book.
on “Sci-Fi Short Film "There Is No Antimemetics Division" [video]” ↗“Lexicon” by Max Barry is another good novel that plays with this premise.
on “No, DALL-E doesn’t have a secret language” ↗Lexicon by Max Barry. Excellent sci-fi novel. In fact I heard of the book from an HN comment (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28199207), checked it out, and loved it.
on “Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021?” ↗I'd say Lexicon by Max Barry is even more applicable
on “You can't reach the brain through the ears” ↗The idea that words have enormous power over human minds is taken to fantasical extremes in a (sf? f?) thriller "Lexicon", by Max Barry[1]. My own view is that "truth" means something different to some people. For example, a charismatic narcissistic leader might mean "confident belief" when he says "truth". This definition…
on “Scissor Statements: Sort by Controversial” ↗Sci-fi novel "Lexicon" by Max Barry explores the idea of words used for persuasion to the extent of actually hacking the brain via spoken word to take control of the subject's thoughts and actions.
on “Why is it so hard to be rational?” ↗Is the data old? Lexicon by Max Barry is missing and its hardly an unknown novel: A New York Times Summer Beach Read An Amazon Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Pick June 2013 A Best of June iBookstore Pick A Time Magazine "What…
on “Show HN: Find good SciFi books based on their score (AngularJS project)” ↗…of this social media explosion will be terrifying. Couldn't help but think of: "People resist a census, but give them a profile page and they'll spend all day telling you who they are." ― Max Barry, Lexicon
on “Facebook Gets it. Google Doesn’t. ” ↗