Author Topic: PC Miniature 32: Chu-bu and Sheemish  (Read 7118 times)

Heradel

  • Bill Peters, EP Assistant
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 2938
  • Part-Time Psychopomp.
on: May 29, 2009, 11:00:12 PM
PodCastle Miniature 32: Chu-bu and Sheemish

By Lord Dunsany.
Read by Steve Anderson.

And all the people rejoiced and cried out, “There is none but Chu-bu.” And honey was offered to Chu-bu, and maize and fat. Thus was he magnified.

Chu-bu was an idol of some antiquity, as may be seen from the colour of the wood. He had been carved out of mahogany, and after he was carved he had been polished. Then they had set him up on the diorite pedestal with the brazier in front of it for burning spices and the flat gold plates for fat. Thus they worshipped Chu-bu.

He must have been there for over a hundred years when one day the priests came in with another idol into the temple of Chu-bu and set it up on a pedestal near Chu-bu’s and sang, “There is also Sheemish.”

Rated PG. Contains religious iconography, as described by the 18th Lord of Dunsany.

I Twitter. I also occasionally blog on the Escape Pod blog, which if you're here you shouldn't have much trouble finding.


Anarquistador

  • Matross
  • ****
  • Posts: 267
  • Servant of Fire
    • The Pit
Reply #1 on: May 30, 2009, 12:51:34 AM
Awesome. I can't believe I actually got to hear some Lord Dunsany on Podcastle! I thought he'd been forgotten.

A cute little story, and very well read.

"Technology: a word we use to describe something that doesn't work yet."

- Douglas Adams

http://www.thereviewpit.com
http://thesuburbsofhell.blogspot.com


eytanz

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 6109
Reply #2 on: May 30, 2009, 06:17:55 PM
Oh, wow, Lord Dunsany is one of my all-time favourite authors. It was a joy hearing this story, which I remember first reading years ago...



Anarkey

  • Meen Pie
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 703
  • ...depends a good deal on where you want to get to
Reply #3 on: May 31, 2009, 12:21:18 AM
Niiiiiiice.

Winner Nash's 1000th member betting pool + Thaurismunths' Free Rice Contest!


Hilary Moon Murphy

  • Palmer
  • **
  • Posts: 76
  • Proving the inherent superiority of purple hair
Reply #4 on: June 01, 2009, 06:36:08 PM
The narration of this one was absolutely lovely.  I loved the chanting to Chu-bu and Sheemish.

And yes, wonderful to hear a Lord Dunsany story on here.  He did a great job at poking fun at religious sectarianism without going overboard or preachy.

Hmm


Talia

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 2682
  • Muahahahaha
Reply #5 on: June 04, 2009, 03:18:37 AM
Totally charming. Poor arrogant Chu-bu. :)



SirJolt

  • Palmer
  • **
  • Posts: 22
Reply #6 on: June 06, 2009, 08:16:53 PM
Have to go a bit against the grain and say I just didn't feel this one.

I can't say why, which goes against the literary theorist in me, but I just didn't get into it.



Ocicat

  • Castle Watchcat
  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 3722
  • Anything for a Weird Life
Reply #7 on: June 10, 2009, 02:13:01 AM
I would have enjoyed this a lot more had I known it wasn't recent.  As it is, I kept thinking it just wasn't saying anything new.  In context, it was pretty good.  Thinking it was new - I just wasn't feeling it.



Unblinking

  • Sir Postsalot
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 8729
    • Diabolical Plots
Reply #8 on: November 10, 2009, 09:09:23 PM
I've never heard of Lord Dunsany, at least not that I remember.

This was kind of a fun story, especially with the context that it is not new.  I think it may have been beneficial to mention that it wasn't new in the intro as I tend to take the style of a story's time of origin into account.

I got quite a few laughs out of this one, particularly when the gods were saying "There is dirt on Chu-bu" "There is dirt on Sheemish" 900 times in a row, and the narrator says that we should not judge them by human standards because they are something else entirely.  His words that claim they are something more clashed nicely with the grade school behavior of the idols themselves.  :)