EP371: A Querulous Flute of Bone

[Unblinking]

I had a real problem with the end of this story. As Corcoran pointed out, it left me with a case of whiplash.

In addition, the point of the flute, both in it's original and rearranged forms was completely incomprehensible to me. So, that didn't help my enjoyment of the story and its ending. If someone (hint, hint chemistryguy) could help out with this, it would be greatly appreciated.

I did like the symbolism of the rearranged bone flute.

It's been a while since I listened but I think that the flute was supposed to be the artifact of fear, yes?  The rearrangement to make a heart made it represent the fear of lost love, maybe?  I figure that's one of the sharpest and most painful fears known to me.

[El Barto]

Wait, what happened?   That was a pretty unsatisfying episode.  Reading the comments here now I'm just realizing that both of them fell in love with the girl and both of them were so in love with her (looks and cooking) that they were both ready to give up the artifact hunting business.   

Wasn't there a part where a third hunter showed up and supposedly figured out nearly instantly that there must have been an artifact involved in the cooking because it was so sublime?  If so, I guess we are supposed to believe that three professional hunters were wrong and she's just a really great cook.

Too much slight-of-hand with no real payoff.   Also, I'm at a loss to see any science fiction here. 

[Gamercow]

I agree that this story reminded me of Grandmother.  I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the plot, I didn't like the dialog, I could see the twist coming a mile away, but I did like the world the story was set in.  I spent most of my time glossing through the mental teflon of the characters to try and picture the world, and figure it out.  I guess I just don't understand the adulation Cat Rambo gets in so many circles.  I may not even bother listening to the next story she has on EP.  I won't bother saying "if she has one", because clearly some of the slush readers love her stuff.

[Unblinking]

The episode feedback for this made me laugh.  I knew that I liked making numbered lists, but hadn't really thought that I did it so much more than other people that it made me stand out. 

I make numbered lists because:
1.  It helps to order my thoughts in a more coherent fashion.

Ha, a list of one!  Every post I've ever made also has at least one list of size zero.

[Scattercat]

Well, the last two or three posts I'd quoted from you had numbered lists, not to mention all the lists over at Diabolical Plots...

[Unblinking]

Well, the last two or three posts I'd quoted from you had numbered lists, not to mention all the lists over at Diabolical Plots...

It makes sense--I just hadn't thought of myself as listing things more than your average forumite.  I just found it funny, is all. 

[hardware]

Seems I liked this one more than most. Where most people saw confusion, I saw economical and sparse style, which I usually prefer to the contrary. In the end, it's true that we don't know more than the protagonist about what happened and so we are left with his confusion and sense of loss. I think that contributed to it doing a good job of describing the melancholy of a failed love affair from someone who never expected to be hit by that particular emotion.

[childoftyranny]

I thought the story was alright, I like the idea of magic/tech pushing emotions, this pretty much makes the artifacts some sort of drug to which they became addicted. The tiny subsect of society that prized these objects to the point of their career being about finding them are similar to drug addicts in fashion, this even interferes with forming a new type of relationship where they are fighting AND assuming that the only way for such enjoyment to exist is with the help of an artifact. This idea just popped into my mind but I felt all throughout that their choice to hunt these items was frowned upon by society and the opponent was simply better at hiding their addiction to get the girl, for whatever reason they do!