Author Topic: PC130: Chemical Magic  (Read 13431 times)

complibre

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Reply #25 on: December 05, 2010, 01:44:39 PM
Firstly, as a de-lurker, I should say I'm loving PodCastle in general.  What a wonderful discovery!  I've been working through all the Escape Artist casts sort of in order.  Have wanted to comment several times, but too busy.  So it's my first time, be gentle with me. :)

I didn't *like* this story because it the violation scene left me so creeped out and unsettled.  But I was impressed by the writing.

a.) The violation scene captured for me the dark attraction of the power over another that I imagine must be a huge part of that act; getting of trust, then violating it to gain intimate knowledge of the other against his/her will.  Then the Alchemist's insides were so fascinating, you almost sympathize with the Magician's desire to see more and more.  Yuccch!
b.) The gulf between the Magician's sense of himself and a more objective assessment is well done.  We're inside his head sort of liking him, though getting some weird vibes.  He's goofy, slightly charming, maybe tries too hard.  Then the vaguely ominous "do you trust me?" setup.  Then violation.  Then "I guess she wasn't the one" and suddenly we're in the presence of a real jerk.  But still the same guy.

I haven't been able to get this out of my head, which seems like a pretty good definition of a well-done story.



AliceNred

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Reply #26 on: December 12, 2010, 04:26:13 AM
I thought I had posted about this one already...

I like the title, but somehow it didn't quite fit the story for me, but I pondered it for a day and saw how it was in fact perfect. Chemistry between two and I think alchemy was the start of chemistry.

The magician turned to be such a bastard. There is he is head over heals for her, can't get enough, to the point of his over-ridding desires were all that mattered.

Sometimes love is almost an addiction. Part of me hopes that was the immature me and what she wanted. Now that I've been married for over a decade, there is the quite love thats seeped in. But there is part of me, kept in a box, in the back of the closet that sometimes rattles.

Love how he was just going to move on and find another girl for his box. Not that you shouldn't move on with life, but he seemed so unchanged by what they had shared. That is until the consequences bitch slapped him.

Most of us have Xs that have left their mark, I am just glad mine never left anything so obvious as the fate of the magician.





 
« Last Edit: December 15, 2010, 02:12:08 AM by AliceNred »

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kibitzer

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Reply #27 on: December 15, 2010, 01:39:06 AM
Just listened to this one, quite liked it.

Umm yeah Dave... don't do that again. ;-)


Max e^{i pi}

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Reply #28 on: December 15, 2010, 12:33:14 PM
Just listened to this one, quite liked it.

Umm yeah Dave... don't do that again. ;-)
For a second there I thought you meant Dave's singing in episode 135 (which I haven't listened to yet, just read the reasons for the R rating).

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LaShawn

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Reply #29 on: December 21, 2010, 04:50:53 PM
I had to listen to this story twice, then went online to read it. This story creeped me out more than the Halloween stories played earlier. I think it did because the magician is the worst form of monster -- one that isn't aware he's a monster until it's too late. And the creepiest part is that this isn't the first time he has done this before. He's always on the lookout for another woman, and another, and another...

Brrr....well done.

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