hierarchy-of-madness

This chapter consists primarily of authorial notes and reflections on the narrative structure and character development within the novel. Vernor Vinge questions whether the hierarchy of madness portrayed is overdone and contemplates the distinctiveness of characters and the number of victims. He also considers integrating explicit mentions of these themes in other parts of the book, such as early commentary by the character Tyra and potential dialogue in the epilogue, while acknowledging time constraints.