The Problem of Translation

The problem, Maia realized, was one of translation. The new, hyper-individualized languages of the island-stories were so rich, so specific, that they had become mutually unintelligible. A story from one island, broadcast to another, was perceived as meaningless noise. ‘We can’t force them to speak the same language again,’ she said, the very idea anathema to the freedom they had fought for. ‘But maybe,’ she mused, a new idea taking shape, ‘we can build a bridge. A new kind of narrative space, not a common language, but a place where languages can meet and mingle.’ Jester, intrigued, leaned closer. ‘A narrative trading post? A story-bazaar?’ The idea had a certain chaotic, Heretical appeal. ‘Exactly,’ Maia said, her excitement growing. ‘A place where the value of a story is not in its own internal coherence, but in its ability to connect, to resonate, with other, different stories. We’ll create an economy of meaning.’