[wwarner]

When the solarians, who have a totalitarian society of necessity, devote 100% of several decades their planet's energy and creativity to creating a subatomic weapon, and in the first demonstration it doesn't work and the president turns to to glare at the lead scientist, who says something like "oops", I thought that was written to be funny. To me the book is basically about the folly of human affairs, especially placing too much trust in science and scientists.

[lupire]

A lot of writing that is very funny on stage or screen doesn't work on the page. This is because delivery matters in dialogue, and actors study the scene to prepare their delivery, but a reader only gets one chance sight read it with no prep.

[wwarner]

yes, possible in my case here as i listened to the audiobook for book 1.

[kstrauser]

Huh, interesting. I confess I didn't get that at all, but perhaps it just bounced off me. It wouldn't be the first time.