MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2700 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Future of Valdemar by Kasebones-+AT+-cs.com 2) Re: Future of Valdemar by Ilaria1431-+AT+-aol.com 3) Re: Fire Rose by "Kat/Perchta" 4) Re: scientists in books by "Layla Voll" 5) Re: Future of Valdemar by "Layla Voll" 6) Re: Future of Valdemar by "Ally" 7) Re: Future of Valdemar by "Li'nia Stormdancer" 8) Re: Future of Valdemar by "Kat/Perchta" 9) Re: scientists in books by Kenneth Allen Hyde ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 19:42:26 EDT From: Kasebones-+AT+-cs.com To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Future of Valdemar Message-ID: Just wondering.... We all know that Natoli and her cohorts in crime are working towards successfully harnessing steam power, right? So what happens when she does? Trains and cars, and steam powered boats are sure to follow after that. So waht I'm asking here, and I want your opinions, what happens to the Companions when newer, faster modes of transportation are invented. We can't expect Valdemar to stay in semi-medieval (?) land forever. Who knows if Misty will ever write about Valdemar that far in the future, probably not, there are so many stories to tell right now. But when Valdemar and Velgarth in general invent, say, spacetravel, would they expect Companion to travel on board? Companions are, as far as I can tell, the fastest way around the world (maybe a few Shin'anin could beat them, I don;t know.) That makes them so valuable for relaying massages and being the one tangible link in the kingdom. But what about when they become "obsolete" do Heralds gradually disapeer, or do Companions in their current form get replaced for something else? Just been bugging me lately, and I would really appreciate your imput/opinions. Killee ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 19:57:19 EDT From: Ilaria1431-+AT+-aol.com To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Future of Valdemar Message-ID: <13d.194fcca.28d7e7df-+AT+-aol.com> --part1_13d.194fcca.28d7e7df_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >From what I understand, Companions take the shape of horses because that is the best form to have in the society in which they work. If horses were to become obsolete, then I believe that Companions would have to adapt to that, and I'd guess that they would begin to appear in a form more efficient and suited for whatever time/society the god/ess sent them to. Herald Jacquelle "Why do some people think that if you talk to God, you're praying, but if God talks to you, you're nuts?" Monica, Touched by an Angel --part1_13d.194fcca.28d7e7df_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From what I understand, Companions take the shape of horses because that is the best form to have in the society in which they work.  If horses were to become obsolete, then I believe that Companions would have to adapt to that, and I'd guess that they would begin to appear in a form more efficient and suited for whatever time/society the god/ess sent them to.

Herald Jacquelle

"Why do some people think that if you talk to God, you're praying, but if God talks to you, you're nuts?"  Monica, Touched by an Angel --part1_13d.194fcca.28d7e7df_boundary-- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 15:21:29 -0700 From: "Kat/Perchta" To: Subject: Re: Fire Rose Message-ID: <022a01c13fd7$77327ac0$5b307240-+AT+-oemcomputer> I liked the Fire Rose, it was interesting, I enjoyed Misty's take on Beauty & the Beast. The only part that dismayed me was Rose's interest in clothes; but then, hey, we are talking late 1800s (at least, I think we are...). ~*~cheers, Kat/Perchta~~ ~*~ momma to Rebecca, born July/00 > > For those of you who have read Fire Rose, can you give me your opinions? Did > you like it, did you hate it? Particularly, how would you characterize Rose? > One of my friends, who hasn't read a Valdemar book, highly recommended it to > me, and I've never read it, but my friend's characterization of Rose > interested me, and I'm curious to hear what your opinions are. I'm going to > go to the library to check it out, but I don't mind if you "spoil" it for me. > > Thanks!!!!!!!! > > Herald Jacquelle ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 06:08:52 From: "Layla Voll" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: scientists in books Message-ID: Liz Hoffman writes: >I asked the same question on a message board and got a few unexpected >answers. Can anyone think of any realistic scientists in books? I think some of Isaac Asimov's scientists are somewhat realistic, especially the various robotics researchers in the "I, Robot" short stories. Also, I think, many of the scientists in Connie Willis's books: the main characters of "The Domesday Book" are historians and archaeologists (social scientists), but they seem like the social scientists I know, and the tech person running the time machine (I forget his name) seemed pretty accurate. Also true for the scientists (Bennett O'Reilly, chaos theorist) and social scientists (Sandra Foster, fad researcher) of Willis' more recent book "Bellwether." The same is true of movies: most movie scientists (in, say, "Contact" or "Jurassic Park") seem to be complete fabrications. The ones that seem to be the most realistic are the ones in movies based on actual events, like "The Dish" or "Apollo 13." Layla _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 07:09:33 From: "Layla Voll" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Future of Valdemar Message-ID: Kasebones writes: >So waht I'm asking here, and I want your opinions, what happens to the >Companions when newer, faster modes of transportation are invented. We >can't expect Valdemar to stay in semi-medieval (?) land forever. >.... But when Valdemar and Velgarth in general invent, say, spacetravel, >would they expect Companion to travel on board? > >Companions are, as far as I can tell, the fastest way around the world .... >That makes them so valuable for relaying massages and being the one >tangible link in the kingdom. But what about when they become "obsolete" >do Heralds gradually disapeer, or do >Companions in their current form get replaced for something else? Well, I definitely think that the Companions will never be obsolete in their more general roles as Choosers of and advisors to the Heralds, because the Heralds themselves will never be obsolete. So I agree with what someone else said, that the Companions will simply find a more useful shape. Horses are awfully large for modern times, so I imagine that the Companions would shrink down to something weasel-sized. (okay, okay. Cat- or dog-sized.) If other means of transportation become more reliable and perhaps even faster than Companions, it occurs to me that accurate and immediate long-distance communication is another vital service the Companions can provide. Perhaps the Companions shrink down to being the equivalent of living Blackberries? Layla _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 17:21:48 +0100 From: "Ally" To: Subject: Re: Future of Valdemar Message-ID: <001701c1405e$201d9e40$0200a8c0-+AT+-mshome.net> Even if 'better' and faster modes of transportation do become available in Valdemar, a horse type being may still have a role to play. We still have mounted police in this day and age, and horses were still used in WWI both for transportation, and in cavalry regiments as mechanical transport was unreliable at that time and in those conditions (though by WWII most cavalry regiments used tanks). A horse can go places that a car or train can't, and some of the areas on Valdemar's borders are pretty mountainous. And also, maybe most importantly, they are *visible*. The proof that the Monarch is policing his/her realm. And if the other forms of transport are faster than a Companion, then they have a system whereby the Companion and Herald can hitch a lift til they get to the areas where only *they* can go... :-) Ally ----- Original Message ----- From: "Layla Voll" To: Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 8:42 AM Subject: Re: Future of Valdemar > Kasebones writes: > > >So waht I'm asking here, and I want your opinions, what happens to the > >Companions when newer, faster modes of transportation are invented. We > >can't expect Valdemar to stay in semi-medieval (?) land forever. > >.... But when Valdemar and Velgarth in general invent, say, spacetravel, > >would they expect Companion to travel on board? > > > >Companions are, as far as I can tell, the fastest way around the world .... > >That makes them so valuable for relaying massages and being the one > >tangible link in the kingdom. But what about when they become "obsolete" > >do Heralds gradually disapeer, or do > >Companions in their current form get replaced for something else? > > Well, I definitely think that the Companions will never be obsolete in their > more general roles as Choosers of and advisors to the Heralds, because the > Heralds themselves will never be obsolete. So I agree with what someone > else said, that the Companions will simply find a more useful shape. Horses > are awfully large for modern times, so I imagine that the Companions would > shrink down to something weasel-sized. (okay, okay. Cat- or dog-sized.) > > If other means of transportation become more reliable and perhaps even > faster than Companions, it occurs to me that accurate and immediate > long-distance communication is another vital service the Companions can > provide. Perhaps the Companions shrink down to being the equivalent of > living Blackberries? > > Layla > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 10:04:10 -0700 (PDT) From: "Li'nia Stormdancer" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Future of Valdemar Message-ID: <20010918170410.18543.qmail-+AT+-web13801.mail.yahoo.com> Heyla List-Sibs! This line of conversation kinda reminds me of a conversation we'd had a while back... Where we were discussing what form a Companion might have to take if they were in our world. The most popular ideas were as cats or dogs (along the lines of the SunCats of Karse), although there were several others. While we do use horses in our world today (although not as much as in the earlier part of the 20th Century), they are very restricted. But, I think our type of world as we know it is so far in the future of Velgarth/Valdemar (if ever, since they have real magic working in their world), that the horse form of the Companions would be in use for a long time to come. I think that the concept of Heralds and their Companions will not be threatened, either, as long as their government continues on as a Monarchy. Now, if for some reason in the future they would change that, then I believe the Heralds/Companions would have a problem... But I don't usually speculate on things like this too much, as I don't ever see Misty writing about Velgarth that far into the future. I don't even know if I'd want to read anything like that; those books are "fantasy", they take me away from our "real world", and I don't know if I'd still be as enthralled by that particular series if they were to take place in a world much like ours (I'm talking about the Velgarth books here, though, not her other books like the SERRAted Edge or Di Tregarde, etc.). ===== ---<---<---<----+AT+- Li'nia Stormdancer -+AT+---->--->--->--- Peon to the Powers That Be, Goddess of All Things Possessed, & Caretaker of the Arena of Discussion and Dissention __________________________________________________ Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help? Donate cash, emergency relief information http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/US/Emergency_Information/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 10:22:06 -0700 From: "Kat/Perchta" To: Subject: Re: Future of Valdemar Message-ID: <002201c14066$71964580$90307240-+AT+-oemcomputer> > Just wondering.... > Companions are, as far as I can tell, the fastest way around the world (maybe > a few Shin'anin could beat them, I don;t know.) That makes them so valuable > for relaying massages and being the one tangible link in the kingdom. But > what about when they become "obsolete" do Heralds gradually disapeer, or do > Companions in their current form get replaced for something else? > > Just been bugging me lately, and I would really appreciate your > imput/opinions. > > Killee I think Companions would change what form they take, but would still be around. Perhaps they would become more like the firecats? ~*~cheers, Kat/Perchta~~ ~*~ momma to Rebecca, born July/00 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 15:55:33 -0400 (EDT) From: Kenneth Allen Hyde To: Misty Lackey List Subject: Re: scientists in books Message-ID: On Tue, 18 Sep 2001, Layla Voll wrote: > Also true for the scientists (Bennett O'Reilly, chaos theorist) and social > scientists (Sandra Foster, fad researcher) of Willis' more recent book > "Bellwether." To say nothing of the dog. =) that's a reference to another book by Willis that explores chaos theory and history and which I highly recommend. And yes, the characters in Bellwether and "To Say Nothing Of The Dog" are very "true-to-life" professional scientists, with all of the joys of bureaucracy that professional science implies. I don't think Misty's scholars in the Winds series are really at the point of being "scientists." They seem to be more at the stages of natural philosophy (equivalent to mid to late Rennaissance). They don't seem to be using the scientific method in a consistent way, for example. Anyway, that's my two cents. =) May the seas be your solace and the forests a refuge for your spirit, Cennydd Councilor of Mist Kenneth Allen Hyde | No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife Univ. of Delaware | between the shoulder blades will seriously Dept. of Linguistics | cramp his style -- Old Jhereg proverb kenny-+AT+-Udel.Edu | A mind is a terrible toy to waste! -- Me //www.ling.udel.edu/hyde/prof/ ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2700 **********************************