Escape Artists

PodCastle => Episode Comments => Topic started by: Heradel on August 24, 2008, 03:34:42 AM

Title: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: Heradel on August 24, 2008, 03:34:42 AM
PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer (http://)

By Dayle A. Dermatis (http://cyvarwydd.com/)
Read by Loupe Savich
First appeared in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Fantasy Magazine

“Dragonslayer,” he greeted, his smile slick beneath his well-oiled mustache. “Thank you for coming to aid us in our time of terror.”

“I prefer ‘Dragonseeker,’” I said politely. “It is not enough to have the skills to slay a dragon–one must learn about him as well. To know one’s enemy is to destroy him.”

And most people knew so little about dragons. I knew, for example, that dragons only fed once every twenty years, and then usually only one human. Is that such a bad thing, really, when wolves kill so many deer in the forest to survive, or humans kill sheep because roast mutton is so tasty? But people panicked if they saw a dragon glide far overhead on the highest currents, or if they caught a faint whiff of its acrid scent when the wind turned just right.


Rated PG. Contains draconic lechery.
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: JoeFitz on August 24, 2008, 08:05:31 PM
Not bad at all.
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: Windup on August 25, 2008, 03:31:59 AM

I hovered right on the edge of writing this one off until I got to the end.  Maybe I'm an easy mark, but I didn't see it coming, and I really liked it. 

Know thyself, know thy enemy, and you may face ten-thousand battles without calamity.  -- Sun Tzu

Yup...
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: eytanz on August 25, 2008, 12:13:10 PM
I knew exactly where this was going from the second the narrator mentioned not liking the mayor, and the story really wasn't subtle about getting there. But it was a piece of harmless fun, so who cares.
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: stePH on August 25, 2008, 01:10:54 PM
I liked this one.

I just felt I had to mention that, since (apart from the last miniature) I've reacted to the others ranging from mild indifference to just short of active hate.
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: MacArthurBug on August 25, 2008, 03:28:50 PM
I saw the punchline coming a mile away. That said, I REALLY REALLY enjoyed this one. For a short everythign was written so strongly. There are so many little side storys that could have happned.  I love it when I spend days in a world spun for me.
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: Listener on August 25, 2008, 03:55:02 PM
Not bad.  Kind of getting tired of the "disinterested-female-as-narrator" voice/character though.
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: Hatton on August 25, 2008, 06:37:55 PM
I saw the punchline coming a mile away. That said, I REALLY REALLY enjoyed this one. For a short everythign was written so strongly. There are so many little side storys that could have happned.  I love it when I spend days in a world spun for me.
+1
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: Roney on August 26, 2008, 08:53:35 PM
Short but perfectly formed.
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: stePH on August 26, 2008, 10:08:26 PM
Short but perfectly formed.

"That's what she said!"  ;D
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: MacArthurBug on August 29, 2008, 10:02:40 PM
Short but perfectly formed.

"That's what she said!"  ;D

Bwahahaha! StePH I got coffee on my counter giggling at that! Thank you!
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: Jhite on September 01, 2008, 06:52:16 PM
There have been two podcastles that I have listened to more than once.  This one, and Goblin Lullaby.  Until now I have not found myself moved enough to comment on the this feed's content. 

Being a young father of large family, diapers are apart of my life, and have been for a long time, so Goblin Lullaby me to tears of laughter.  My wife who will barely read my fantasy even enjoyed it. 

What Dragons Prefer, moved me for some of the same reasons (being a father with little girls mostly.)  I was so angry when I heard about the mayor taking what I prefer to call first night rights (because to call them anything else would me calling them rape, ok so rape)  and obviously abusing them, that I almost stopped listening.  I had a feeling that was coming from the opening line but I really hoped it would not come to that.  My only disappointment, was that the dragon to not first revisit his crime upon him before eating him.  But I guess that is open to interpretation.

Thank you for two good stories.
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: Enigma K on September 01, 2008, 09:09:45 PM
I'll dissent.

This story was written up to the best standards of the Escape Artist podcasts.  I loved the way it was written, very much enjoyed the reading, and felt drawn in very quickly.

The plot and ending were among the less attractive elements of the podcasts.  The gender roles struck me as entirely too typical since the great alternative nineties, and I have always thought of these roles as dangerous.  The ending has never really sat well with me.  Stories like this have also been getting a little too frequent for my tastes as well.  Pseudopod Episodes 81, 85, and the March 13 Flash were very close to each other and this kind of ending or overall action from the protagonist, and in the dates they were put online.

So, my only dissent is a matter of personal taste.  As much as I appreciated the quality of everything else and the imaginative difference in details, I was regretfully affected for those reasons stated above.
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: Coyote on September 01, 2008, 10:50:33 PM
Effective. In hindsight the ending was a tad predictable, the mayor too two-dimensional a character for me to really say any more than "huh." Obviously that's what you get from a 4 minute story, but it still bothered me a bit. But other than that it worked.
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: SandraWickham on September 02, 2008, 02:51:32 AM
Hi, I'm a newbie....but have been listening to several stories on Podcastle lately. 

I really enjoyed this story and found it quite fun!
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: Heradel on September 05, 2008, 05:15:40 PM
I split the discussion on female characters and put it here: http://forum.escapeartists.info/index.php?topic=1919.0
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: Zathras on October 30, 2008, 10:17:22 PM
Fun!
Title: Re: PodCastle Miniature 009: What Dragons Prefer
Post by: Unblinking on November 18, 2009, 05:57:46 PM
I didn't see the twist coming, so that was a plus.  Twas a cool little idea well suited for flash.