Ms Oswald translates Homer's similes literally, but paraphrases the rest, creating a modernised version that delights in the unexpected.

ECONOMIST: Homer��s ��Iliad��

Avice is cut off from her old contacts and the similes have disbanded.

FORBES: SciFi Book Club: Embassytown And The Invention Of Lies

Similes and images abounding, Mr Sullivan spins tales out of a few details.

ECONOMIST: American essays

Meanwhile, we learn a bit about why Avice and the similes drift apart, what Avice did to cross CalVin, her doppel-lovers.

FORBES: SciFi Book Club: Embassytown And The Invention Of Lies

Before they can convey meaning they have to craft the similes.

FORBES: SciFi Book Club: Embassytown - Latterday, Formerly and the Ambassadors

Ms. PROSE: Oh yeah, they were all - you know, vision and blindness and metaphors for eyes and similes for eyes and verbs that had something to do with sight.

NPR: Could You Be the Great American Novelist?

Beehive, as he is coloquially referred to by the similes (Avice and her fellow Language-d humans) or Surl Tesh-echer as his name is translated into Anglo-Ubiq, is becoming a somewhat frightening figure.

FORBES: SciFi Book Club: Embassytown And The Invention Of Lies

Hosts create similes to explain everything they speak.

FORBES: SciFi Book Club: Embassytown - Latterday, Formerly and the Ambassadors