World of Null-A
by A. E. van Vogt · first published 2010
53% recommend47% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Science-fiction novel built on the General Semantics idea of training oneself to think clearly and avoid confusing models with reality; readers who like philosophical SF ideas and a lasting classic pick it up.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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I remember encountering several of these at the start of Van Vogt's sci-fi classic World of Null-A. I couldn't figure out if it was deliberate in any way, or just an annoying accident.
on “Garden path sentence” ↗…limitations of language-oriented mental models, e.g. "the map is not the territory," a reminder that a model is just a model and not reality (or what Joel Spolsky would call "a leaky abstraction"). [0] The World of Null-A by A. E. Van Vogt is a science-fiction novel with a world that has largely adopted General Semantics. [1] [0]https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/567189.Language_in_Thoug... [1]https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/951290.The_World_of_Null...
on “Ask HN: Which books teach mental models?” ↗The World of Null-A: A. E. van Vogt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_of_Null-A
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗Best novel: Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen Best Scifi: The World of Null-A A. E. van Vogt Best Childrens: Swallowdale Arthur Ransome
on “Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?” ↗…Babel-17 3. The Stars My Destination 4. The Sheep Look Up 5. More Than Human 6. Lord of Light 7. To Your Scattered Bodies Go 8. Earth Abides 9. Dying Inside 10. City 11. Last and First Men 12. Slan 13. The World of Null-A
on “32 Sci-Fi novels that you should add to your reading list” ↗The first book is actually called “The World of Null-A”. I picked it up at a local used book store last year and enjoyed it. Haven’t read any more of the trilogy yet.
on “The Map Is Not the Territory (2015)” ↗The World of Null-A I found a yellow-paged first edition on my parents' shelves as a young kid, and was heavily shaped by the idea of a character (and society) that trained themselves to think clearly. This included years…
on “Ask HN: Which non-technology book has influenced you the most and why?” ↗…work in fictional form; the interesting question is whether it works in real life, and fiction has a way of obscuring that extremely heavily. The work that really solidified my opinion of this was "The World of Null-A". It is based around the "General Semantics" philosophy (which, if you've never heard of, the name doesn't really help you know what it is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Semantics ). I like to…
on “Tim O'Reilly: Books That Have Shaped How I Think” ↗Stumbled across and started reading A. E. van Vogt's "The World of Null-A" last night. Super trippy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_of_Null-A http://www.amazon.com/World-Null--E-Van-Vogt/dp/0765300974/
on “What are your favourite sci-fi books?” ↗…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_semantics GS also came into the SF world: > During the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, general semantics entered the idiom of science fiction. Notable examples include the works of A. E. van Vogt, The World of Null-A and its sequels. [48] General semantics appear also in Robert A. Heinlein's work, especially Gulf. [49] Bernard Wolfe drew on general semantics in his 1952 science fiction novel Limbo. [50] Frank Herbert's…
on “How Swedes were fooled by the book “Surrounded by Idiots”” ↗…imaginary freedom fighter named 'Sam Hall'. The character is ascribed various revolutionary deeds which gradually become legendary, and thus forms a figurehead around which the rebellion coalesces. 'The World of Null-A', by A E Van Vogt features an amazing battle on Venus in which invading military forces are thwarted by a population that has been trained to think 'super-rationally' (relevant articles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superrationality,…
on “I read HN. I live in Belarus” ↗…world-changing... Aside from making direct democracy such as Swiss-style referenda possible, the most terrifying outcome (to political elites) would be in national defense/offense. A E van Vogt covered this in 'The World of Null-A': an invading army was confronted with a populace that mobilized instantly, utilizing every available implement that could be used as a weapon, and able to make rational decisions regarding local defense…
on “A rational nation ruled by science would be a terrible idea” ↗I don’t see it mentioned yet, so I’ll add van Vogt, A. E., The World of Null-A. 1948 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_of_Null-A https://www.google.com/search?q=world+of+null-a
on “Does Captain Kirk die when he goes through the transporter?” ↗Brings back old memories of Van Vogt's World of Null-A.
on “What’s So Great about Continued Fractions?” ↗Even actuallier, the first book was titled "The World of Ā" but "to reduce printing costs, the 1953 and 1964 Ace Books paperback editions were entitled The World of Null-A, and the symbol Ā was replaced with "null-A" throughout the text." [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_of_Null-A#Publicatio...
on “The Map Is Not the Territory (2015)” ↗