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"In science fiction one can say a great many things that are unpalatable, … because it's expressed as science fiction you can slip it past their defenses."
- Frederik Pohl
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| Mediaglyphic | ||
| Animated symbols to help those who haven't bothered to learn to read in a multimedia age. |
I liked this little touch a lot. In a polyglot world, it makes sense to use symbols that can be recognized without needing to use language.
| They lived in the L.T., which according to Harv was short for Leased Territories in letters. Nell already knew the mediaglyphics for it. Harv had also taught her the sign for Enchantment, which was the name of the Territory they lived; it was a princess sprinkling golden specks onto some gray houses, which turned yellow and bright were the specs touched them. |
| From The Diamond Age,
by Neal Stephenson. Published by Bantam Books in 1995 Additional resources -
|
The word "mediaglyphic" just means a glyph (a symbol that imparts information nonverbally) created or seen in commercial media. The root word for media means middle; the media stands between us and the events or things it covers.
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'The world ... is drenched in unfamiliar information all the way to the horizon.'
'He saw one hiss by him as he rounded the corner, trailing a short whip antenna...'
'It may be organic damage. It may be permanent. Time'll tell, and only after you are off Substance D for a long while.'
It's the polite thing to do, and has been the polite thing to do for about four generations.
