Author Topic: PC262: The Dragonslayer of Merebarton  (Read 11833 times)

Talia

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on: May 30, 2013, 01:14:58 PM
PodCastle 262: The Dragonslayer of Merebarton

by K.J. Parker

Read by Daniel Foley

Originally published in Fearsome Journeys, edited by Jonathan Strahan.

On reflection, if I hadn’t seen those wretched White Drakes in Outremer, there’s a reasonable chance I’d have refused to believe in a dragon trashing Merebarton, and then, who knows, it might’ve flown away and bothered someone else. Well, you don’t know, that’s the whole point. It’s that very ignorance that makes life possible. But when Ebba told me what the boy told him he’d seen, immediately I thought; White Drake. Clearly it wasn’t one, but it was close enough to something I’d seen to allow belief to seep into my mind, and then I was done for. No hope.

Even so, I think I said, “Are you sure?” about six or seven times, until eventually it dawned on me I was making a fool of myself. At which point, a horrible sort of mist of despair settled over me, as I realised that this extraordinary, impossible, grossly and viciously unfair thing had landed on me, and that I was going to have to deal with it.

But you do your best. You struggle, just as a man crushed under a giant stone still draws in the last one or two desperate whistling breaths; pointless, but you can’t just give up. So I looked him steadily in the eye, and I said, “So, what do they expect me to do about it?”


Rated R. Contains violence, strong language, and everything else that goes with slaying dragons.

Listen to this week’s PodCastle!
« Last Edit: June 20, 2013, 12:51:11 PM by Talia »



InfiniteMonkey

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Reply #1 on: May 31, 2013, 04:47:46 AM
I usually like long stories, but while the writing was good, it was so disjointed in narrative and relaxed - even gloomy- in the telling, that I had a hard time making a connection with what was going on. It's a good character piece, and a nice change from "big strong hero saves the day", but it needed to move from a walk through a canter to a gallop.



Kaa

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Reply #2 on: May 31, 2013, 05:53:39 PM
Yes. Everything InfiniteMonkey said. I really enjoyed the last part, but the character kept going on these long, rambling digressions. I kept thinking *I* had missed something that would make the digression pertain, but when I rewound, either I ended up getting distracted at the same point over and over, or it was just what it seemed: a tangent that had nothing to do with the action of the story. Case in point: the flute the main character loaned/gave to the young man who died in the pond. I kept thinking it would be important because it was just kind of wedged in there...but no. It was just yet another diversion.

Not my favorite episode. Perhaps it would be better read than heard.

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chemistryguy

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Reply #3 on: May 31, 2013, 06:34:59 PM
  Yeah, perhaps a quicker pace would have helped, but I just wasn't digging this. 


Just Jeff

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Reply #4 on: June 01, 2013, 08:39:01 PM
I probably would have enjoyed reading this, but the narration did not work for me. I also forgot which names went with which characters, which is trivial to fix in the written word, but not worth the effort in audio. That may have hampered my investment in the non-POV characters.



Frungi

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Reply #5 on: June 02, 2013, 02:07:17 AM
The narrative struck me as anachronistic to the setting. But it worked, and I enjoyed it, along with the story (though I seem to be in the minority in that, so far). The reader was difficult to understand at times, and I’m not sure whether that’s a result of accent or recording quality, but it wasn’t a huge issue, and I was still able to enjoy the story.
« Last Edit: June 02, 2013, 02:08:58 AM by Frungi »



stgurgel

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Reply #6 on: June 03, 2013, 12:20:01 PM
What an absolutely lovely character presentation, paired with the perfect narrator for it.
One of the best pieces of fiction I've had the pleasere of listening to in a long time



Moritz

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Reply #7 on: June 03, 2013, 06:42:17 PM
I had difficulties following the story - I had to relisten to it to get the full story - I also didn't find the setting very appealing, but I wouldn't call the story bad as such.



Max e^{i pi}

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Reply #8 on: June 04, 2013, 12:12:48 PM
Wow. That was slow. And long. And full of interesting tangents. The thing about a tangent is that on the one hand it's just a cool word for dividing two sides of a straight edge triangle. On the other hand, when you plot it on a graph it keeps going off to infinity and coming back from minus infinity (whatever that means). However it is more commonly used to define a straight line that touches a function at exactly one point, or connects two infinitely close points on the curve of the function. The word "tangent" has entered the English language from Mathematics and is used to describe something that is distantly related (not like the third cousin of your uncle's second wife, but the other kind of related) to the topic at hand. Like the mathematic function, if you don't set guiding lines to your tangent it can and will go off into infinity.
I think the part I liked best about this story was the reading. The narrator was spot on for this slow and rambling recollection of a cynical old knight who just tries to do his best. However, there some technical issues with the recording. The volume changed often, and without warning. Very soft suddenly became very loud suddenly went back to normal but was now very soft because I'd turned down the volume of my player.
All in all, this gets a "meh" from me.

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Kaa

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Reply #9 on: June 04, 2013, 01:00:30 PM
Wow. That was slow. And long. And full of interesting tangents. The thing about a tangent is that . . . it can and will go off into infinity.

I see what you did, there. :)

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ElectricPaladin

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Reply #10 on: June 04, 2013, 04:12:55 PM
In tone, this story reminded me of Barbara Hambly's Dragonsbane: the earthy nobleman, committed to a genuine attitude of nobless oblige, living in genteel poverty more alongside than above the people he technically rules, unwanted glory from a dragonslaying achieved more as a job than an exploit, and a character attempting to use his cleverness, rather than his strength of arms, to kill the beast.

Of course, Dragonsbane takes the story in a different - and, in my opinion, ultimately more satisfying [NOTE: Until Hambly changes her mind and decides that the universe isn't depressing enough] - direction.

That said, I enjoyed this story a great deal. I enjoy tales about characters struggling against fate. I like how this story took what dragons represent - the wild, uncaring, destructive force of nature - and really played that to the hilt. As I implied above, I enjoyed the rustic feel of this story. It's a neat, atypical approach to the fantasy trope of nobleman-hero.

My only gripe with this story was the audio quality. The narrator's voice seemed to periodically dive down to a near-inaudible volume. I don't know if something was wrong with his microphone, or how he was using it, or the mixing, but it nearly drove me away from the story, which would have been a shame, as I enjoyed it.

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Frungi

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Reply #11 on: June 04, 2013, 07:20:33 PM
The thing about a tangent is that on the one hand it's just a cool word for dividing two sides of a straight edge triangle. On the other hand, when you plot it on a graph it keeps going off to infinity and coming back from minus infinity (whatever that means).

Sorry for the tangent, but I love this as a metaphor.



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Reply #12 on: June 04, 2013, 11:34:26 PM
I for the most part quite enjoyed this story. I liked the twist on the grand old hero tale, and actually found the tangents fairly interesting, if overly used. The side stories about the tired warrior uncle and the chickens especially gave a depth to the main character. Also, loved some of the metaphors and descriptions; comparing a broken chamber pot to plate armor? So awesome. Tiny farting lizards? Why yes, please tell me more. I thought the ending was cathartic and a good choice, but with so much time given to the main character, other character actions and demises did not have quite the heavy impact I think the author was hoping for.

The downside of this story was how, shall I say, flabby it is. There were a lot of extra things that just seemed to drag the rest of the story down that would have been an easy cut. For example, the guy in the lake? Just seemed unnecessary. (A separate note on the lake guy; took me a rewind to even realize that he died. It didn't seem very clear to me, and it should've been, seeing how much time the author spent on him. Also, I'm not an outdoorsman by any means, but I don't really see how jumping in a lake with a soft bottom kills you. Kinda seems like you'd just get messy feet.)

I loved the narrator. He had these nice subtle changes between characters. I found him easy to listen to, and thought he captured the tired-ness and world weariness of the main character quite well. He managed to make sounding uninterested in a task really engaging. Impressive.

One thing I didn't quite like; none of the female characters had names, from what I remember. All the males, even insignificant ones, got to be called something, but none of the ladies. (I might be wrong, but I was listening for it, specifically, for the last half of the story, once I got thinking about it.) Just an odd choice that rubbed me the wrong way.





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Reply #13 on: June 05, 2013, 07:23:18 AM
The thing about a tangent is that on the one hand it's just a cool word for dividing two sides of a straight edge triangle. On the other hand, when you plot it on a graph it keeps going off to infinity and coming back from minus infinity (whatever that means).

Sorry for the tangent, but I love this as a metaphor.

Also, please note the use of the word "plot".

(A separate note on the lake guy; took me a rewind to even realize that he died. It didn't seem very clear to me, and it should've been, seeing how much time the author spent on him. Also, I'm not an outdoorsman by any means, but I don't really see how jumping in a lake with a soft bottom kills you. Kinda seems like you'd just get messy feet.)

If one were to jump into a shallow lake with a muddy bottom one of two things is likely to occur:
1. One's neck would snap on the bottom of the lake. A muddy bottom is still quite hard when one hits it fast, and if one's head were to get stuck and the body torques out at just the wrong way...
2. One would get stuck in the mud and drown on it.

I didn't at first realize that he was dead either, but from the context I eventually got it.

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Reply #14 on: June 05, 2013, 12:05:37 PM
Usually I am one of the first and steadiest complainers about a story that might be too long, but I didn't have that problem with that one because it fit the character.  The story felt like he was telling it in the pub sometime after the fact and what pub-story is told in the most efficient manner possible, when there's more grog to be had by dragging it out?

If I were a knight, I think I'd be one more like this guy than the stereotype, just trying to do the work as best I can and trying to figure out effective ways to do the work.  The guy reminded me a lot of Sam Vimes from Discworld, willing to kick his opponent in the nads if that's the way to get the job done.



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Reply #15 on: June 05, 2013, 01:58:38 PM
I've been listening to Podcastle since the beginning, but this is the first story that absolutely moved me to post. I loved how the story about the dragon was mainly an excuse for an exploration of the lead character's life as a knight. I loved how the tale of the heroic knight was demystified and turned into a story about his small community. The point that the heroic knight doesn't stand alone, but has bearers and retainers in combat, and peasants dependent on him in peace was perfectly put. I thought the narrator was perfect, giving the story a world-weariness that I doubt I'd notice as well if I was reading it.



Francejackal

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Reply #16 on: June 09, 2013, 02:37:39 AM
 I thought this story was hilarious. Maybe the humour is understated? I like protagonists who just happen to be reluctant and bitter curmudgeons. Plus the bit about our unheroic saviour correctly planting his boar spear was priceless. It also would have been too conventional had the dying dragon not flopped over and smooshed the poor guy. This story really played to the irreverent cynic in me, and that might be the reason I enjoyed so much. Thank you Podcastle! And kudos to the author.



benjaminjb

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Reply #17 on: June 09, 2013, 10:11:14 PM
I've nothing interesting to add, but I like to up my post numbers, so I'll add my name in the middle of the Venn diagram between "people who thought it was a little long" and "people who enjoyed the arch, cool sense of humor of the narrator."

This is only the second K. J. Parker, I've read, after "One Little Room an Everywhere" (http://www.nightshadebooks.com/2012/10/22/one-little-room-an-everywhere-k-j-parker/). I enjoyed that story, which has a similarly cool tone.



Lone Mopper

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Reply #18 on: June 10, 2013, 05:51:38 PM
I don't get on here much to high five or whine about the stories mainly because I am listening to them at night while at work and then completely forget to comment in the morning.

That being said I thought this was a great story and fantastic narration for the character.  I could almost imagine myself sitting in a tavern listening to a semiretired knight telling this tale over a stein of mead.

I was impressed, I think I will now go and increase my monthly donation to Escape Artists. ;)
« Last Edit: June 20, 2013, 06:00:22 AM by Lone Mopper »

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Devoted135

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Reply #19 on: June 10, 2013, 06:32:58 PM
Listening to this story felt like curling up in a giant, downy comforter. There's way too much of it, but that's a large part of the appeal when I want to sit in front of the fire and drink hot cocoa. Very few modern stories give me that feeling, so kudos for that. :)

That said, I also found it impossible to keep track of the side characters and they just mostly washed by my ears. It would have been nice to have a bit more to really anchor me in the story.

Also also, Max, that was stinkin' fantastic. :D


I loved how the tale of the heroic knight was demystified and turned into a story about his small community. The point that the heroic knight doesn't stand alone, but has bearers and retainers in combat, and peasants dependent on him in peace was perfectly put.

This was one of my favorite parts too. :)



ancawonka

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Reply #20 on: June 11, 2013, 05:24:38 PM
I'm still not finished with this one (listening in the car, I'm at the vagaries of the commute length) but so far it's been enjoyable.   I just hope it's not a shaggy dog story at the end.

This is definitely a character piece, and unglamorous at that.  The narrator's tired yet determined voice is nice for this kind of tale.  The character of the knight seems like he's responsible, but not too motivated to outshine his position.  The perfect guy to take a workmanlike attitude to slaying a dragon, and not get sucked into the glory of it all.

I have to say that I'm thinking about some of the knights in the Game of Thrones while listening to this.  Especially the part about needing a bunch of retainers to keep the armor polished and the lances ready.  I don't understand how, say, the Hound can traipse around the countryside and not need someone to help him oil all that mail.



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Reply #21 on: June 11, 2013, 08:59:39 PM
  I don't understand how, say, the Hound can traipse around the countryside and not need someone to help him oil all that mail.


Funny you use the Hound as an example here.  He would be the first to tell you he isn't a knight.

I loved this. It was long and rambling and honest and gritty and funny and I loved it. 



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Reply #22 on: June 15, 2013, 10:28:58 PM
I spent the whole story, like ElectricPaladin, thinking about Barbara Hambly's "Dragonsbane," and I also agree that I like that novel a lot more than this story overall.  (And that the sequels are okay-ish but kind of veer off into crazypants land about halfway through book two and spend the remaining 2.5 books trying to find their way back home.  Plus also yes super-depressing.  But the first book stands perfectly fine on its own and has no unresolved plot threads that need following up on, so just read that one and be happy unless you want to read a trilogy about how shitty addiction is.)

Aaaaanyway.  This story.  On the one hand, I enjoy a little rambling, and I did like the voice and the mundane focus.  However, like some others, I found my attention drifting repeatedly as I listened, and when I came back to the story found that I actually hadn't missed much in terms of plot movement.  It felt like we ran around the roundabout a few times before we finally found our way off again, particularly with the battle preparations.  ("I sent him a note, then he sent one back.  Then I sent him another note, and also talked to this other guy.   Then we built this thing.  Then we built this other thing.  Then I did this with the first thing.  Then I changed it back, but not all the way.  Then we built this other thing."  And meanwhile I'm checking my metaphorical watch because I'm not even that interested in the fight to begin with, let alone in the way they're prepping for the fight.)

The one thing that really struck me was that the narrator was speaking in a sort of "Hey, here's a funny story" tone of voice, and then suddenly characters were dying in really horrible ways with barely a mention and we're still talking like it's the anecdote about how Uncle John split his pants while meeting the Prime Minister and had to spend the evening shuffling sideways with his butt to the wall but it's not light or funny at all.  I mean, there's viscera in there.  It was just a really big disconnect for me.  I feel like one's tone of voice ought to change just a little when mentioning the death of one's unacknowledged son or one's childhood friends, you know?



danofspiz

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Reply #23 on: June 29, 2013, 03:58:39 PM
Hi all,

I was the narrator of this particular tale and I've found the feedback particularly edifying. Just thought I'd hop on and share a few points about the tale and how I perceived it and other such things.

In tone this story struck me as being predominantly droll and wistful with the all the chaos and blood at the end being the coarse reminder of what would very probably happen if yesterday's heroes and not-even-nearly-heroes unwisely chose to tussle with monsters. In that sense I got a real feel of 'Dad's Army' (the classic British WW2-set sitcom of the late '60s and '70s) from the tale. This remark will mean more to British listeners than American ones but I feel it rings true. For those that know what I'm talking about, imagine an episode of 'Dad's Army' where Captain Mainwaring and co. exchange the standard banter and pratfalls only to end up dead, mutilated or shellshocked just before the end credits kick in. Tonally I feel that somehow fits and, in a sense, that sudden shift from jolly frivolity into jarringly surreal nightmare is what I was trying to express.

The world-weary tone was intentional. I'd hoped I'd varied the delivery enough to give the story the (admittedly abrupt) sense of elegaic mournfulness and loss the end required. If it didn't seem that way for you as you were listening well I can only extend my apologies.

Also, as far as any technical issues in the recording goes, well, I was pressed for time on this recording and wasn't able to finesse the audio levels. I recorded and edited this thing in its entirety and it was no small task. I did the best I could under the circumstances. If it fell short in any respect I make no excuses but hope you can make allowances.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who has commented for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Finally, since I'm here once more I extend the invitation for all and sundry to follow me on Twitter. You'll find me there as @danofspiz. I tend to spout a lot of nonsense and am guilty of perpetrating awful puns but I'm always willing to engage with anyone who wants to discuss meatier fare. Happy listening.



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Reply #24 on: July 01, 2013, 12:43:38 PM
Hi Daniel!  And thanks for stopping by.  :)