Escape Artists
PodCastle => Episode Comments => Topic started by: Ocicat on February 15, 2011, 06:55:53 PM
-
PodCastle 144: To Ride Beyond The Wide World’s End (http://podcastle.org/2011/02/15/podcastle-144-to-ride-beyond-the-wide-worlds-end/)
by Caitlin Brennan (http://www.sff.net/people/cait-brennan/).
Read by Steve Anderson (http://www.sgacreative.com/).
Originally appeared at BookView Cafe (http://www.bookviewcafe.com/). This story is a prequel to a novel: House of the Star (http://www.amazon.com/House-Star-Caitlin-Brennan/dp/0765320371) (Tor, November 2010).
“Those verses of yours,” old Coel said as the fire died and the hall subsided into a sort of rollicking quiet, “they’re clever. Especially your description of that son of a swine down the valley–how did you know he’s wall-eyed and has a distinct left hook to his private member?”
“Well,” said Madog, “the eye’s easy to see when you’re singing in front of him. As to the other — let’s say it’s a trade secret.”
Old Coel’s bushy white brow arched; he laughed. “Caught him in the jakes, did you?”
Madog shrugged and smiled. Sometimes it was safer to let the patron decide how the story went.
Coel thumped him on the shoulder, and grinned when he barely swayed. Madog was light and wiry as horsemen often are, but he was strong as they often are, too. “Gofannwy won’t thank you for the things you sang of him, but I’ll be warming my evil old heart for days with the thought of them. I owe you a debt for that; I’d like to pay it, for my honor and your pleasure. You’re a horseman, you say? And yet you walked through my gate.”
Madog nodded. His throat still tightened when he thought of his beautiful mare down and gasping in the snow, so far gone with pain that she could not even will to move. He had cut her throat for mercy, and wept for hours after.
Old Coel saw the tears that brimmed in his eyes, and nodded. He was a horseman, too. “In the morning,” he said, “we’ll go out to the fields and see what’s minded to follow you on your travels.”
Rated G
-
I am the king under the mountain, and this is the first post on this thread.
Overall, I really liked this one. I remember when that bard came to my kingdom under the mountain. He was such a nice young man - full of impertinent questions - and so talented! We were all sad to see him go.
But seriously, this story was very well written. I enjoyed the slow build, as Madog gradually became aware of the magic that had fallen into his life and how the possibilities it opened to him changed him. The way the horse gradually acquired a name, a voice, and magical powers was subtle, clever, and, once I tripped on to it, really fun to watch. What I loved best, was how Madog was transformed forever by the mere possibility of extraordinary action. In an instant he went form an ordinary bard to a bard who would traverse faerie and learn its secrets... or suffer the consequences of failure.
Or possibly both - I haven't read the novel yet.
The only thing that didn't appeal to me about the story was the distance. I tend to prefer my narratives a little closer to the meat and blood than To Ride Beyond the Wide World's End cut it. I like dialogue and detail. I don't want the narrator to tell me what happened in a conversation, I want to read the conversation itself, in all its glory. I understand, however, that this is a matter of style, not an absolute. In this story, it worked, lending a folkloric bend to the narration. For a tale that was more distant than I usually prefer it, To Ride Beyond the Wide World's End was still quite enjoyable.
To end on a strong note, I also really liked the relationship between Madog and his horse. I thought talking (kinda) horse tales were played out for me; I guess I was wrong. Madog and whats-her-bucket had an interesting rapport. I enjoyed how the horse never developed a fully human perspective, despite her clear intelligence. And yet, the author didn't fall back on any boring stereotypes and shortcuts on animal characterization. If the novel is about the two of them, there's a good chance I'll pick it up.
-
To me, this was only a beginning of a story, not a story proper. Just when I thought it was about to really get going, it ended. Boo.
-
To me, this was only a beginning of a story, not a story proper. Just when I thought it was about to really get going, it ended. Boo.
Good thing it's the prequel to a novel then, right? I'm ready to read the rest of it myself!
I liked it! This story could have been straight out of the Mabinogion. I'm not usually keen on horse stories, but the horse in this story was more like Destiny on hooves. I got the feeling that Madog was fated to be in that field that day and fated to find that particular horse because he was fated to be the bard that went to Fairie and learned all the songs. I only wish I could bribe my own destiny with oats and barley.
-
I really enjoyed the story, both stylistically and because the bard was a fun character to follow. I do wish I hadn't known in advance that it was a prequel - I don't think I would have thought it incomplete if I hadn't known that, but with that colouring my expectations as I came in, I definitely ended up sharing some of Steph's response.
-
To me, this was only a beginning of a story, not a story proper. Just when I thought it was about to really get going, it ended. Boo.
Good thing it's the prequel to a novel then, right? I'm ready to read the rest of it myself!
Ah, okay. I missed that part. I kind of thought Escape Artists was in the practice of publishing complete stories, not fragments (PC miniatures notwithstanding :P). So yes, I would be interested in reading the continuation.
Well played, Podcastle... well played.
-
this was delightful! I loved it and am looking forward to reading the novel, seeing what adventures Madog and Kind One will have :D
-
For those of you interested in checking out Caitlin Brennan's House of the Star (http://www.amazon.com/House-Star-Caitlin-Brennan/dp/0765320371), well, there you go :)
-
I was just starting to think 'this is really good, I love where this is going'
then it ended. I was sadface. :( <-- see?
It felt, frankly, like a prologue, and act one, an introduction. Good thing it is then. It left me wanting more, and I intend to go get more!
I didn't like this story because it wasn't a story at all. I plan on actually reading the story at some point.
That being said, it was a really awesome prologue. Very well written, established some very interesting characters and started to build a very interesting world. I though the horse was very well characterized - it was interesting and very human, while still retaining some uniquely horse-like aspects that made it very different from the usual. I though the story could have benefited from less tell and a bit more show, but I guess that's a stylistic point - I don't like my PoV's to get too far inside the character's head. I understand the desire for it in longer works, but I like my short stories to be vaguer and more allusive.
in short: who put a prologue in my short story podcast?
-
Well, The Hobbit is a prologue, isn't it? Doesn't subtract from its appeal. "Want to see more by this author" is a better praise than, say, "That was fun, now on to the next author".
-
I’m with iamafish
I was just starting to think 'this is really good, I love where this is going'
then it ended.
This felt like a great first chapter to a novel, but it doesn’t seem like a story to me.
Well, The Hobbit is a prologue, isn't it? Doesn't subtract from its appeal.
For me, the difference between this story and The Hobbit is that one could (if one were, like me, a bad geek) read and enjoy The Hobbit and never read the Lord of the Rings without feeling like Bilbo’s story is incomplete. I was just starting to really get into the character of Madog when this story ended, and it feels to me that his story had just begun when this tale ended.
Again, I think this sounds like a great first chapter of a novel (one I’m probably going to have to pick up now) or an interesting back story to a great character in a novel, but as a short story, this just didn’t work for me.
-
I’m with iamafish
I was just starting to think 'this is really good, I love where this is going'
then it ended.
This felt like a great first chapter to a novel, but it doesn’t seem like a story to me.
Well, The Hobbit is a prologue, isn't it? Doesn't subtract from its appeal.
For me, the difference between this story and The Hobbit is that one could (if one were, like me, a bad geek) read and enjoy The Hobbit and never read the Lord of the Rings without feeling like Bilbo’s story is incomplete. I was just starting to really get into the character of Madog when this story ended, and it feels to me that his story had just begun when this tale ended.
Again, I think this sounds like a great first chapter of a novel (one I’m probably going to have to pick up now) or an interesting back story to a great character in a novel, but as a short story, this just didn’t work for me.
In defense of this story... how is this different from any good short story? I've never read a short story that had time to really - really - complete a character's story arc. Short stories are too, well, short. You get it, mess around, and do stuff, the character grows, and life goes on. The best short stories evoke a sense of a larger narrative, but they don't get around to it. If they did, they wouldn't be short stories, they'd be novels.
Consider Before the Uprising, The Bear in the Cable-Knit Sweater, Terrible Ones, To Follow the Waves, and Balfour and Meriweather In the Adventure of the Emperor's Vengeance (just to name the stories on the front page), all stories that evoke a larger narrative but only tell the story they set out to. Not everything is going to be The Beautiful Coalwoman (SPOILER: He dies at the end).
I'm challenging you (and not just you - everyone else, too) on this, simply, because I don't understand how any short story would be good if "fun story, but left me wanting more" was a qualification for being bad. That's not to say there might not be things wrong with this story or ways it didn't appeal to you... but this flaw doesn't make sense to me.
Would you feel the same way if Dave hadn't mentioned that the story was a prequel?
Or, how's this: I followed the link to Amazon, and I have returned to report that the novel is not about Madog and his horse. It's (If I Recall Correctly, Sir) about two girls and their horses, one in our world and one a fantasy princess. Do you feel the same way now?
I know I feel differently - sad. I liked Madog. I would probably go pick up a book about him; I'm not so inclined to pick up an only tangentially related book by the same author. As I wrote above, I didn't so much dig her style as her characters and setting.
It's probably for the best. I have too many books, anyway.
-
I was just starting to think 'this is really good, I love where this is going'
then it ended. I was sadface. :( <-- see?
It felt, frankly, like a prologue, and act one, an introduction. Good thing it is then. It left me wanting more, and I intend to go get more!
I didn't like this story because it wasn't a story at all. I plan on actually reading the story at some point.
That being said, it was a really awesome prologue. Very well written, established some very interesting characters and started to build a very interesting world. I though the horse was very well characterized - it was interesting and very human, while still retaining some uniquely horse-like aspects that made it very different from the usual. I though the story could have benefited from less tell and a bit more show, but I guess that's a stylistic point - I don't like my PoV's to get too far inside the character's head. I understand the desire for it in longer works, but I like my short stories to be vaguer and more allusive.
in short: who put a prologue in my short story podcast?
100% agreement.
-
Well, let's look at the rest of great literature, by these measures:
Cat. 1: TOTALLY done at the end:
INCIDENT AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE
THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO
KING LEAR
ON THE BEACH
Cat. 2: done at the end, but room for related story:
COLD EQUATIONS
THE STAR (Clarke's)
Cat. 3: intended and worked as standalone, ended up a prequel:
ENDER'S GAME
(whatever the first chapter of FOREVER WAR was)
THE SHIP WHO SANG
Cat. 4: blatant prequel, but good anyway:
WEYR SEARCH (McCaffrey's)
WARLOCK IN SPITE OF HIMSELF
the first Callahan's story by Spider Robinson
THE MAN WHO NEVER MISSED
the first part of Dune as originally written
DUNE MESSIAH
-
And then I thought, why am I trying to find precedents? I liked the story, I liked spending time with it and the characters, the ending worked for me (it ends with an epiphany of sorts which may not have the finality of death or the intensity of triumph but is still a valid conclusion). I generally prefer EP to PC, but every once in a while PC does something I really like. The last one before this was CURANDERO AND SWEDE, and that also had a thoroughly enjoyable ride to an anticlimactic conclusion. A St-Saens piece, as opposed to a Beethoven. Oh snap, I just can't resist precedents. :)
-
I didn't really love the story. The author clearly loves horses, which aren't something I'm really into, so a lot of that was lost on me. The whole horse-language thing needed a payoff -- and maybe there is one in the novel -- but as it was it left me sort of cold.
Taken in the continuum of the novel as a whole, I'm sure this would be great, but as a stand-alone episode of a podcast, it wasn't for me.
-
The author clearly loves horses, which aren't something I'm really into, so a lot of that was lost on me.
I was able to make it work by remembering how I relate to my own pets. When the story describes Madog's sadness over his first horse's death, it took me back to when one of my pets died years ago, and that made the character more real to me.
Also, I don't think the rest of the story would have worked as well if he had just been given the talking horse. There had to be that loss first.
-
My problem with this story is that it ended right when the story started. The protagonist has the magic thing (a horse, in this case) that will take him from the mundane world to the fantasic world. And then what? We don't know. The story ends. It's as if The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ended before they even get to the lamp post.
If the story was about the protagonist deciding whether to go on the adventure, that would work, but this is the first chapter of a novel, not a story.
-
I'm challenging you (and not just you - everyone else, too) on this, simply, because I don't understand how any short story would be good if "fun story, but left me wanting more" was a qualification for being bad. That's not to say there might not be things wrong with this story or ways it didn't appeal to you... but this flaw doesn't make sense to me.
Would you feel the same way if Dave hadn't mentioned that the story was a prequel?
Fair questions.
I think (I’m not sure but I think) I would feel the same way even if I didn’t know this was a prequel. Knowing the book is not about Madog doesn’t change how I feel about this story, but it does make me sad—I liked him too and I want to know what happens to him—and less likely to buy the book.
I think your other question is a bit harder to answer. The short answer is that this story didn’t feel complete to me and short stories I enjoy do (even, perhaps especially, when they leave me wanting more). I know that’s not a great answer, but I think that it really does come down to, ”did this feel like a complete story?” And, to be honest, after struggling since reading your question with a better answer than that—something more general something more universally applicable—I’m not sure I have one.
I can say that in the case of this story, it is in part about character arc. I didn’t feel like Madog grew or changed or even really struggled with anything. It seemed to me that the closest he came to having a choice was whether or not to visit Faerie, and that didn’t even seem like much of a choice for him, and to the extent it was a tough decision it came at the end without a chance to see what/how he learned/grew/developed from it. I think that it is also about my expectations about narrative structure. I expect a trip to Faerie to be followed by some sort of adventure there and a return home. I know this is, in part, about genre conventions, but I think it goes beyond that. My story expectations (and I think this is true of other people as well) are really rooted in the Hero’s Journey (if only subconsciously) so when a story seems to be following that path very closely (and I think this one did) it feels incomplete to end in the middle.
Does that make sense? I'd be interested to know what you (or anyone else thinks).
-
Simply wonderful, and an inventive magic horse -- it doesn't fly or run faster than the wind, just cuts through the ways between the worlds. And a great character in its own right!
Yes, I, too, felt ripped off at the sudden end -- was just getting into it and it ended! Then I remembered Dave said it was a prequel -- phew!
I don't mind a prequel being included at all.
-
I'm challenging you (and not just you - everyone else, too) on this, simply, because I don't understand how any short story would be good if "fun story, but left me wanting more" was a qualification for being bad. That's not to say there might not be things wrong with this story or ways it didn't appeal to you... but this flaw doesn't make sense to me.
Would you feel the same way if Dave hadn't mentioned that the story was a prequel?
I expect the stories in this short story podcast to be finished works... maybe not exactly resolved, but complete stories at least. And as I said before, I missed the part where Dave said it was a prequel.
-
I'm challenging you (and not just you - everyone else, too) on this, simply, because I don't understand how any short story would be good if "fun story, but left me wanting more" was a qualification for being bad. That's not to say there might not be things wrong with this story or ways it didn't appeal to you... but this flaw doesn't make sense to me.
Would you feel the same way if Dave hadn't mentioned that the story was a prequel?
I expect the stories in this short story podcast to be finished works... maybe not exactly resolved, but complete stories at least. And as I said before, I missed the part where Dave said it was a prequel.
This makes more sense to me.
The way I see it, Madog's character development in this story was twofold. Firstly, he got over his grief from the death of his first horse, whom he clearly loved a great deal. Secondly, he coped with the expanding horizons of his world and fixed his ambitions on a new, worthier goal. Resolving to do something terrifying and alien can be about as hard as actually doing it. Because it happened against a backdrop of discovery and exploration - Madog, of his new horse's powers - it didn't really bother me that this was a story about someone getting ready to do something. It's not as if nothing happened in the story - plenty happened.
So, given that things happened in the story and the character had what felt to me like an interesting character arc, it doesn't bother me that there might be more later.
-
And as I said before, I missed the part where Dave said it was a prequel.
So you didn't just ignore me, you ignored Hobson?
Me? I can understand. But you should never. Ever. Ignore Hobson.
;)
-
And as I said before, I missed the part where Dave said it was a prequel.
So you didn't just ignore me, you ignored Hobson?
Me? I can understand. But you should never. Ever. Ignore Hobson.
;)
What's a Hobson? Isn't that Arthur Bach's manservant?
-
I am well known as a stickler for endings, but I didn't feel abandoned by this one. The story here is about Madog's discovery and wrestling (however briefly) with the choice of how to proceed, and that story is complete.
That said, I really, really want more of the adventures of Madog and his faithful steed as they become legends in their own time.
-
Let me play a game of "what if?" here and pretend that others have not responded to and somewhat validated this claim.
Well, The Hobbit is a prologue, isn't it?
No.
No, it isn't, not in any way, shape, or form.
The Hobbit is a story that exists entirely separately from the LOTR trilogy. If the LOTR trilogy had never existed, the beauty and charm of The Hobbit would be not one whit reduced. What The Hobbit is is a sequel.
Stop, everyone who's saying, 'No, it's a prequel!
"Prequel" is anti-etymological BS Hollywoodspeak. (A sequel is part of a sequence. A prequel is not part of a prequence. Curse Lucas one more time for his terrible set of "prequels" introducing this idea into the cultural gestalt.)
This story, though I liked its tone and style, barely fulfilled the basic Aristotelian requirements for plot. It is a prologue, and though I have not read the story that comes afterward, I would guess it is an unnecessary prologue. Speaking honestly, this whole story suffers from a case of "too short for Richard, too long for Dick."
It's good writing, but as all of us who've written have probably have seen; sometimes even good writing produces something that the story doesn't need.
Forgive the cranky-old-man literary criticism. I liked this story, but this is the conclusion I had to honestly come to. Forgive the underline, format problems, and I don't want to re-write this.
-
Okay, digression: How is The Hobbit either a sequel or a prequel? It was written first, it comes first in the story chronology. And yes, it stands alone and is a complete story. LotR? That's a sequel.
-
Okay, digression: How is The Hobbit either a sequel or a prequel? It was written first, it comes first in the story chronology. And yes, it stands alone and is a complete story. LotR? That's a sequel.
You're right, 'sequel' in modern use means something that follows in a sequence.
I didn't want to add to an already too long post by saying 'original work from which a later work was derived' or 'counter chronological sequel' in the older, original meaning of sequel as 'iterative component of a sequence.' I knew that would get me in trouble about ten minutes after I posted.
Half my message was me expressing a bit of annoyance that so many people, whom I consider quite intelligent and capable, spending time talking about literature using filmmaker's language, which really has much more to do with economic concerns and the arcane rules of Hollywood.
Again, the underlining gaffe may make it look like I was being more vehement than I meant.
-
A sequel is part of a sequence. A prequel is not part of a prequence. Curse Lucas one more time for his terrible set of "prequels" introducing this idea into the cultural gestalt.
Tee-hee. Prequence. I'm going to use that word all the damned time now. What does it mean? I'm not sure yet. Perhaps it means any series in reverse. Like: "the scenes in 'Memento' are arranged in a prequence" or "I'm going to read the books of The Wheel of Time in prequence so they get better instead of worse as I go." Perhaps I'll name one of my children (both my children?) Prequence. It's a great word.
I'm sorry. I should probably just go back to sleep.
-
"Prequel" is anti-etymological BS Hollywoodspeak. (A sequel is part of a sequence. A prequel is not part of a prequence. Curse Lucas one more time for his terrible set of "prequels" introducing this idea into the cultural gestalt.)
I knew the word "prequel" long before there was talk of Episode One, and furthermore, I knew it from written science fiction, not movies. Lucas didn't invent or copyright the "prequel" notion, and there's plenty of other crap to hate on him for, so let it go :P
-
Whew... thanks for the reminder that this was just the first part of a longer story. I was about to be a little mean... :)
-Adam
-
With all due respect to the author, the fact that it is the first part of a larger story doesnt make it any better to me, quite the opposite. There have been stories before that have felt like a first chapter of a larger story, but knowing this actually leads to a book kinda makes me wonder if the author made it incomplete on purpose.
Dont get me wrong, i thought it was good for what it was, and if the rest of the story was going to be featured on Podcastle i would look forward to it, but i just generally prefer short stories to be complete stories.
-
"Prequel" is anti-etymological BS Hollywoodspeak. (A sequel is part of a sequence. A prequel is not part of a prequence. Curse Lucas one more time for his terrible set of "prequels" introducing this idea into the cultural gestalt.)
Further to what stePH said about this, I got a friend of mine to look up the first known use of the word "prequel" in English, in the OED (he works at a library, so has access to that sort of thing). They cite Anthony Boucher first using (possibly even coining!) the word in the magazine Fantasy and Science Fiction. The sentence was:
"Year 2018! ... is the meaningless American retitling of James Blish's They Shall Have Stars ... a ‘prequel’ to Earthman Come Home."
This was in 1958.
I'm not going to argue or address the 'anti-etymologicality' ;) of it. However, I refer you to many posts in the fascinating blog Sesquiotica (http://sesquiotic.wordpress.com/) regarding what constitutes a "proper" word.
Again, the underlining gaffe may make it look like I was being more vehement than I meant.
Hopefully handy tip: You can edit your posts after they've been posted. (If you do, it's polite to include a short note at the bottom saying why you did. E.g. "Edited to fix formatting glitch.")
-
So you didn't just ignore me, you ignored Hobson?
Me? I can understand. But you should never. Ever. Ignore Hobson.
What's a Hobson? Isn't that Arthur Bach's manservant?
In case you're serious: M. K. Hobson.
Also, in the upcoming Arthur remake, Hobson is played by Helen Mirren, so not necessarily a manservant.
-
Also, in the upcoming Arthur remake, Hobson is played by Helen Mirren, so not necessarily a manservant.
There's a remake??? AUUGHHHHHHH!!
(runs away screaming)
-
Also, in the upcoming Arthur remake, Hobson is played by Helen Mirren, so not necessarily a manservant.
There's a remake??? AUUGHHHHHHH!!
(runs away screaming)
On the one hand, I don't see that Arthur needed to be remade.
On the other hand, Russell Brand plus Helen Mirren has a high potential of WIN.
On the gripping hand, I'll probably wait to rent the DVD.
-
So you didn't just ignore me, you ignored Hobson?
Me? I can understand. But you should never. Ever. Ignore Hobson.
What's a Hobson? Isn't that Arthur Bach's manservant?
In case you're serious: M. K. Hobson.
Also, in the upcoming Arthur remake, Hobson is played by Helen Mirren, so not necessarily a manservant.
In this case, it's the Nebula Nominated M.K. Hobson
;D ;D ;D
-
Well, The Hobbit is a prologue, isn't it? Doesn't subtract from its appeal. "Want to see more by this author" is a better praise than, say, "That was fun, now on to the next author".
The Hobbit isn't a prologue at all, really. A different protagonist (Bilbo rather than Frodo). A completely different arc (go raid the dragon horde rather than save the world from the eye of Sauron). It shares a setting and some characters, but I'd say it's definitely not a prologue.
-
In defense of this story... how is this different from any good short story? I've never read a short story that had time to really - really - complete a character's story arc. Short stories are too, well, short. You get it, mess around, and do stuff, the character grows, and life goes on. The best short stories evoke a sense of a larger narrative, but they don't get around to it. If they did, they wouldn't be short stories, they'd be novels.
Consider Before the Uprising, The Bear in the Cable-Knit Sweater, Terrible Ones, To Follow the Waves, and Balfour and Meriweather In the Adventure of the Emperor's Vengeance (just to name the stories on the front page), all stories that evoke a larger narrative but only tell the story they set out to. Not everything is going to be The Beautiful Coalwoman (SPOILER: He dies at the end).
I'm challenging you (and not just you - everyone else, too) on this, simply, because I don't understand how any short story would be good if "fun story, but left me wanting more" was a qualification for being bad. That's not to say there might not be things wrong with this story or ways it didn't appeal to you... but this flaw doesn't make sense to me.
Would you feel the same way if Dave hadn't mentioned that the story was a prequel?
Or, how's this: I followed the link to Amazon, and I have returned to report that the novel is not about Madog and his horse. It's (If I Recall Correctly, Sir) about two girls and their horses, one in our world and one a fantasy princess. Do you feel the same way now?
I know I feel differently - sad. I liked Madog. I would probably go pick up a book about him; I'm not so inclined to pick up an only tangentially related book by the same author. As I wrote above, I didn't so much dig her style as her characters and setting.
It's probably for the best. I have too many books, anyway.
Leaving the end of a character's arc up in the air is all well and good but this one ends just as the arc is beginning. It's very possible to be part of a sequence and still have your own arc. Comic books pull this off all the time, where each individual issue has an individual arc but each contributes to a much larger arc that may span several years. Or series of books--take The Eye of the World, the first book of The Wheel of Time as an example. It has its own arc, it's own rising and falling action it's own resolution. Is it a completely ends-tied-up resolution? Of course not, there are more than a dozen books that come after it. But this arc itself is complete and has contributed to the larger arc.
It would be like if Star Wars ended as Luke Skywalker left Tatooine. Or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ended as Ford and Arthur escaped the destroyed Earth. Or LOTR ended as Frodo left the Shire. What's behind is the mundane and familiar, the grounding against which the fantastic will be compared. If you take away the fantastic unknown future and all of the exciting adventure sure to come with it, then I am left with a great sense of disappointment at how awesome this prologue could've been if it had been a full story.
Yes I would feel the same way if I hadn't known it had a related... well apparently my attention wandered and I missed that detail entirely.
-
Also, in the upcoming Arthur remake, Hobson is played by Helen Mirren, so not necessarily a manservant.
There's a remake??? AUUGHHHHHHH!!
(runs away screaming)
On the one hand, I don't see that Arthur needed to be remade.
On the other hand, Russell Brand plus Helen Mirren has a high potential of WIN.
On the gripping hand, I'll probably wait to rent the DVD.
I'm so glad I joined this forum. I love you guys. :D
-
Well, it did what it said on the tin.
I just wish the tin had included the words "and the rest of the story." This was, indeed, a tremendous amount of fun - I like me a good mythic piece, and unlike EP, I don't pine for realism and scenes if the miffic is done right - but prologues are a bane upon my existence. I love seeing stories that set up or presage a later story, but I hate stories that don't... well, to be crotchety, have at least a nod toward the Aristotelian "ending."
Now get off my lawn, you newfangled author kids.
(There is no such sweet pain as a really well-written prologue.)
-
"It's a PREQUEL!" <slap>
"It's a SEQUEL!" <slap>
"It's a PREQUEL!" <slap>
"It's a SEQUEL!" <slap>
"ALL RIGHT! IT'S A PREQUEL AND A SEQUEL! HAPPY?!" <runs off sobbing>
Sorry. Couldn't resist.
-
This was, indeed, a tremendous amount of fun - I like me a good mythic piece, and unlike EP, I don't pine for realism and scenes if the miffic is done right - but prologues are a bane upon my existence. I love seeing stories that set up or presage a later story, but I hate stories that don't... well, to be crotchety, have at least a nod toward the Aristotelian "ending."
How about a good "prologue" whose follow-up story fails to engage? Yes, I have something particular in mind: the short story "Brothers" by C.J. Cherryh is a fine standalone, but also serves as a prologue to the novel Faery in Shadow which was one of the toughest slogs of a read I ever experienced.