The Sword and Laser discussion

I read this book a few years ago so this is a reread. But events conspired to keep me from starting until today. Well, I read the prologue a few days back. Moving on...

(and spoilertastic, so even tho the final podcast on this has been done, for the sake of tradition, spoiler protected)

(view spoiler)[

First, why the game at all? I don't actually recall if the entities sponsoring the game have names; I'll call them Order and Chaos. Chaos wants an end to it all (or could that be Order, sick of arranging things...unlikely but a fun thought.) They contend, for reasons that are sufficient to them. With a rather gruesome outcome; if Chaos wins, then the game and everything else is over. Forever.

Why do the players play? We could go with "they are summoned" which is true but not sufficient. I think they enjoy being alive for that month. Players remember previous games. Do they truly live when they are not in the game? Doesn't seem like much of an existence even if they have anything at all.

And so early on, one character tells the dog that a cat needs to be rescued. Why? It's gauche to eliminate players early on. They're enjoying life. Meanwhile the dog and the cat - the real main characters - have an accomodation, even tho they're on opposite sides. Their real goal? Prolong the game as long as possible. As the dog said, it would be a while before things got better. If they got better at all.

And as for the characters, there are some howlers if you know the underlying material. I'm not a huge monster movie fan so missed the first time that Larry Talbot was the Wolfman. This read, the dog comments on his lack of a familiar, to which another character says perhaps he is his own best friend. "Dog is man's best friend" as the saying goes. A throwaway line that's pretty funny if you know the background. This is just one example of the multiple levels of this book. I can see why people reread it every year, finding new stuff every time.

Also kinda cool how the dog respects Sherlock Holmes for how he is attentive to his environment - like a dog is. Tho I don't recall Watson being rotund. Probably a movie I haven't seen.

K, at the 20% mark now. Will likely read a bunch more today. It's a short book. (hide spoiler)]

At about the 40% mark (Oct 20.) I am loving the comity between dog (Snuff) and cat (Graymalk) in particular and in general among all the familiars. They protect each other and the players in the game, not knowing if they will be on opposing sides or not. They may even have to face off against each other, but that is for tomorrow. For today, they are comrades.

But! A harrumph! Having taken the time to look up "dundrearied" for the Vicar and finding out it means long thick muttonchop sideburns, WHY DOES HIS DRAWING FEATURE NONE OF THAT?!? Aaaah, none of Gahan Wilson's drawings really match. They're cool tho.

Crammed through to the 50% mark last night. Regrettably a different October event is interfering with reading time, that being the World Series. The local team (Dodgers) is in it and, well, not a huge sports fan but it is a big event for us. I may not make it to the end of the book by Halloween. Oh well, a few days won't make a big difference.

Anyhoo! back to the book. Whole lot of tension as the actual contest is about to start and the period of cooperation will come to an end, an event that both sides regret. Some talk of Elder Gods, making this book at least a whiff Lovecraftian. Some amusing bits, like one character not recognizing the Great Detective in drag and thinking he just had a great conversation with a nice old lady.

I continue to be amused that "Snuff" can refer to scent abilities, or killing. The book is surface funny, but there is a definite undertone of violence.

John (Taloni) wrote: But! A harrumph! Having taken the time to look up "dundrearied" for the Vicar and finding out it means long thick muttonchop sideburns, WHY DOES HIS DRAWING FEATURE NONE OF THAT?!? Aaaah, none of Gahan Wilson's drawings really match.

I don’t personally much like the illustrations tbh, I find them very grotesque-looking and too obviously “modern”. I’d prefer something done in more of the style of Sidney Paget’s illustrations for the Sherlock Holmes stories in The Strand. (This magazine is explicitly name dropped in the book iirc)

Yeah...I remember Gahan Wilson from my youth as a guy who did illustrations for magazines. Certainly a distinctive style. These ones, though, seem like he took a job and dashed things off with just a basic description. Then no one could tell him to redo them because he was the celebrity illustrator. Kind of like the SF books where the cover has several things that conflict with the novel.

60% mark, end of October 22. The story becomes more explicitly Lovecraftian with a long, rambling, completely out of place description of the Dreamlands. We wind up in Ulthar, known for cats that will take serious (and hilarious) revenge if you harm one of them. There to meet a giant cat. Welp, this one is out of place and really could have been condensed. But why not.

It's fun watching the misdirect since I recall (a bit vaguely) what is coming.

As for Snuff, we get even more of a reveal that he was once someone and something else. But I don't recall that we ever find out exactly who. If anyone knows...?

I suppose I'll finish but as I've largely failed to spark any late-breaking discussion I'll just close out. Didn't read any last night (World Series) and tonight has been busy handing out candy.