So just what the heck is a Habble?

[kdx7214]

Okay, I've read my ARC and enjoyed it.  My ONLY question throughout the whole thing is wtf is a habble?  Google was no help, neither was an OED.  I'm assuming it's just a made-up word for a place to live, but it seems odd that JB would do something like that without reason.

[Mith]

Is it a typo for "hovel" then?

[Second Aristh]

I would guess that habble is more than just a place to live.  The prologue takes place in Habble Morning, but the characters give it political weight as well.  Perhaps a habble is a major subsection of a Spire?

[KevinSig]

I want to say it's a play on habitat.  That's what I assumed in my reading of my own ARC.

[Second Aristh]

I want to say it's a play on habitat.  That's what I assumed in my reading of my own ARC.

I wouldn't doubt that it has some roots in that general vicinity.  Perhaps a portmanteau of habitat and rabble = place for the people to live?

[Yeratel]

I want to say it's a play on habitat.  That's what I assumed in my reading of my own ARC.

Like the Gretna Green housing project in Chicago, from the Dresden novels?

[Eami]

Halfway through the book I'm resonably a certain a habble is what they call a level (or floor, if it was a building) of the spire

[Serack]

I would guess that habble is more than just a place to live.  The prologue takes place in Habble Morning, but the characters give it political weight as well.  Perhaps a habble is a major subsection of a Spire?

Yah, I think this is correct.  I believe it's a unit of the spire's population, and if I remember correctly, it's the population living on one level of the spire.

I think it's a municipal/political unit as well.

[cass]

They're physically (and probably culturally and economically) separated political entities.  More like cities or greek polises than countries.  Maybe the closest analogue is the early days of the US (or current EU) where there is, technically, centralized leadership but in practice each unit governs itself mostly-independently.

Spoilering to be safe, but it's not anything beyond Serack's level of info.  No plot stuff.

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Definitely not a typo, though-- the use of the verb 'habbled' to describe someone who was put off an airship (either because of wrongdoing or lack of need) is enough to confirm that the noun habble is a deliberate choice.

[Mith]

I was going in context of the original post.  Having actually read the sample chapters, I would never have thought of it as a typo.

[Serack]

They're physically (and probably culturally and economically) separated political entities.  More like cities or greek polises than countries.  Maybe the closest analogue is the early days of the US (or current EU) where there is, technically, centralized leadership but in practice each unit governs itself mostly-independently.

Spoilering to be safe, but it's not anything beyond Serack's level of info.  No plot stuff.

(click to show/hide)

Definitely not a typo, though-- the use of the verb 'habbled' to describe someone who was put off an airship (either because of wrongdoing or lack of need) is enough to confirm that the noun habble is a deliberate choice.

Fun formatting tip:  If in the first part of the spoiler code you put "spoiler=not anything beyond Serack's level of info.  No plot stuff." the stuff after the "=" shows up in the spoiler button

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Like this.  There is a similar function for the quote code, although a lot more parameters that I am aware of.

[Josh_W]

Habitat + Bubble ?

[Quantus]

OK, found a good reference.  A Habble is indeed a political distinction in the sense that it has a semi-autonomous government, and representation on the Spire Council and whatnot, but they are also geographic.  Each Habble is also a single layer of the Epire.  Each layer is a circular slice, with a square contained within.  Each square is where the living space is, while the leftover bits on the cardinal directions contain the tunnels and support machinery that makes the whole spire operate and support it's inhabitants.  There is also mention of a central spiraling stairs/ramp/walkway that each habble has rights an allotted percentage of the space/traffic, and that they charge a premium for any who use it. 

[MX]

Per Jim at the signing tonight, a hobble is a level of a Spire.  Go up a ramp and get to the next hobble.  I recorded it this evening, but need to compress and upload.

[Quantus]

Per Jim at the signing tonight, a hobble is a level of a Spire.  Go up a ramp and get to the next hobble.  I recorded it this evening, but need to compress and upload.

yup.  Well, except the one that was divided into two layers after the fact.