I enjoyed the setting. I don't know enough about Chinese dynasties and culture to declare that it rings true, or doesn't, but this looks interesting.
The declared premise, that there was an active pursuit of a Taoist alchemy during the Tang dynasty, is fascinating. The history points to an obvious "what if" thought; what if those alchemists had solved the immortality problem? What would our world look like if an empire persisted for many centuries embodied in one person? How would the technology trickle down to the various strata of their society? What would be the consequences of extending the lives of those we love? If resurrection were possible and available to everyone, how would we live our lives?
From this first glimpse of the story, I am interested to read the novel. Premise aside, hearing the stories of a different culture, however modified from actual by the circumstances of the fiction, appeals to me.
It reminds me of an alternate China, perhaps like the one Xiran Jay Zhao created in "Iron Widow."
The declared premise, that there was an active pursuit of a Taoist alchemy during the Tang dynasty, is fascinating. The history points to an obvious "what if" thought; what if those alchemists had solved the immortality problem? What would our world look like if an empire persisted for many centuries embodied in one person? How would the technology trickle down to the various strata of their society? What would be the consequences of extending the lives of those we love? If resurrection were possible and available to everyone, how would we live our lives?
From this first glimpse of the story, I am interested to read the novel. Premise aside, hearing the stories of a different culture, however modified from actual by the circumstances of the fiction, appeals to me.
It reminds me of an alternate China, perhaps like the one Xiran Jay Zhao created in "Iron Widow."