MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 220 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Re: Di Tregarde by owl 2) Re: the latest poll by owl 3) Re: Casting characrers... by Gyrfalcon 4) Re: Queen's Own? by betler2-+AT+-MARSHALL.EDU 5) more mindspeech... by Heather Mina 6) I can't take it anymore!!!! by Staci Schoenfeld 7) Regarding Sexuality by Staci Schoenfeld 8) Re: mindspeaking and the gods by Mat Timmerman 9) Re: Companions, bonded choosings, and mindspeaking by Mat Timmerman 10) Re: Firebird Catalogue by Mat Timmerman 11) Re: first exposure to fantasy by Jean Morrill 12) Re: Not a companion but..... by Mat Timmerman 13) Re: Replies to several different threads by Jellicle Cats Come Out Tonight! 14) Re: First Fantasy by Mat Timmerman 15) Re: Di Tregarde by Karieva-+AT+-aol.com 16) Re: Narnia and snow by Karieva-+AT+-aol.com 17) Bio by Karieva-+AT+-aol.com 18) filk suggestions? by Irene Chen 19) Re: MERCEDES-LACKEY digest 212 by CODIORNE-+AT+-WELLESLEY.EDU 20) Mindspeaking Companions Once Again by Staci Schoenfeld 21) Just a question by Staci Schoenfeld 22) Bio by Amy Mason 23) Re: To Mindspeak or not to mindspeak... by Sunfalcon 24) bio by Alison Schiff 25) Re: Too Dim Villains and a recommendation by "Cecile S. Ueltschey" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 09:38:20 EST From: owl To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Di Tregarde Message-ID: Oh definitely, Diana Tregarde is one of my favourites--she's what modern women should be, IMHO (and with levin-bolts to smack irritating people!) But seriously, she doesn't fall into the "who needs love" category, or the "oh my god, can some man save me" category--which is true of most all of ML's women, they are *realistic*. But Di is great and I cannot wait until more books come out! Owl, "when Time lets slip that little perfect hour --O take it! for it will not come again" Omar Khayyam ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 09:46:34 EST From: owl To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: the latest poll Message-ID: You know, its really sad when there is a poll on sexuality and all you think of writing down is "I am tired"--well, I guess I am more or less hetero, but at this point, I think I would just fall asleep anyways. Catch me after graduation though...... Owl, "when Time lets slip that little perfect hour --O take it! for it will not come again" Omar Khayyam ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 09:52:55 -0500 (EST) From: Gyrfalcon To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Casting characrers... Message-ID: On Fri, 10 Nov 1995, Amy Mason wrote: > > > On Thu, 9 Nov 1995, Gyrfalcon wrote: > > > Are there any innocent persons on this list? > > > > Any at all? > > Innocent in what way? > If you have to ask... --Gyrfalcon =======================msowers-+AT+-menger.eecs.stevens-tech.edu=================== Magic still exists. We have only to reach out and touch it, it is a part of the very fabric of the world. When our belief of magic completely dies this universe shall die. Because that magic; Hope, Dreams, Love, Beauty, Wonder, Belief, and Discovery are what make us a people. They are all part of a great Art whose workings are still a mystery but whose applications can be seen every day. If we ever lose the Art mankind shall not last the day. Let the magic that is in us roam free in our work, play, in each other, and most of all in ourselves. Let it roam free or it will die. ============================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 10:00:12 -0400 (EDT) From: betler2-+AT+-MARSHALL.EDU To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Queen's Own? Message-ID: On Fri, 10 Nov 1995, Amy Mason wrote: > > > On Thu, 9 Nov 1995, Kyle Matheson AKA 'God' wrote: > > > I keep hearing little snippets of info about QO but I am afraid I am > > lost as to what you are talking about for standards. I know that QO is an > > ML club of some sort and I would like to find out more about it. > > > > Please send it to me at urtho-+AT+-stargazer.netshop.net > > > > Amberdrake > > Ditto here to: amason-+AT+-stmarys-ca.edu > > Thanks, > Amy :) > And here please: betler2-+AT+-marshall.edu Thanks, Lyssa ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 95 11:13:27 GMT+0000 From: Heather Mina To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: more mindspeech... Message-ID: <9511101614.AA01659-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk> Ned writes... >Maybe Rolan couldn't mindspeak Talia because his mindspeach wasn't very >good. Since most Heralds have some, it never really was a concern >before; but with him having little, and Talia having none, it would be >very difficult. But Rolan *does* mindspeak both Dirk and Elspeth, and it is hinted that he mindspeaks Elspeth's Companion from the other side of the world! This is why I doubt the mindspeech problem has anything to do with Rolan himself. Chonni writes... >Re: MO companion purposely not mindspeaking... Well, what if its the >_herald_ and not the companion that prevents the mindspeaking? I think >that to establish the bond in the first place, it has to be on all >levels, so the companion is able to mind speak his/her herald for that >one time. But since it's talia who can't mindspeak, maybe its that she >can't "hear". That's *EXACTLY* what I've been trying to say. Remember all of Talia's problems in training, that she absolutely could not "hear" anything because she was shutting out emotions? I seriously believe that Talia has NO mindspeech abilities at all! Kathy Covert writes... >I'm not convinced Talia has *no* mindspeaking, just that mindspeaking is >not one of her strong gifts. When Ylsa is training her, she remarks that >Talia has to be in a trance to mindspeak anyone (presumably including >Rolan). Also, later, Talia and Rolan have a "conversation" that goes >something like > (Talia receives confusing images/emotions) >Talia aloud (to Rolan) Is it important enough that I trance down? >Rolan (general unhappiness, but no urgency) > >.... and so another plot situation develops. See above - when Talia is first in training, Ylsa just assumes that Talia has the mindspeaking gift. But when Talia just can't "hear" anything, they realize that the Gift has to do with emotions, not words. And when Talia trances down to Rolan, they mesh their minds together so that Talia feels and experiences hat Rolan feels and experiences. This is what they do in their experiments (the maze and the cards and all) testing the strength and type of bond. >This may also be why Rolan is reluctant to "force-mindspeak" Talia--they >both know that with a little more effort (trance) on her part, she could >mindspeak him. So for him to "force-mindspeak" would really be laziness. In >a crisis, where she couldn't trance and where emotions/images wouldn't do, >perhaps he _would_ break the rules. (I'm trying to remember, does Talia >trance to mindspeak with Rolan when she's in Ancar's dungeon? Or was that >just to get past the shields Ancar had on the cell?) She just tries to get past the shilds so that she can project the images of where she is. Helen writes... >Well, there are examples of characters who do have sufficiently strong >Mindspeech to speak with others who did not share the gift, most of them >are not humans though. I'm thinking largely of Waarl, Sayvil (Kero's >Companion), Altra and Need. Most of these do seem to be beings who cannot >use vocal speech. Heralds may not exhibit this skill all that much because >of the strong sense of ethics which is drilled into them - along with not >reading other people's thoughts without permission. They may be taught not >to do this. Plus there's Animal Mindspeech like Wintermoon and Eldan had >also which involved speaking with others who did not share the Gift. This is why I think that the entire mindspeech issue is something that Misty abuses a bit. Need never spoke to anyone without mindspeech or the mage-gift, but you have to remember that she was(is) a mage, and therefore has the capability to do something similar to mindspeech which does not necessarily use the mind-gifts which are so prevalent in Valdemar. Do we ever know that Tarma or Jadus or whats-their-names from Karse (the priests) are NOT gifted? In Velgarth, it seems that just about everybody is born with some trace of some gift, just like everybody in our world is born with some trace of ability at music or art. But, to put another twist on it, those beings you chose as examples of characters who cannot use vocal speech are all (with the exception of Warrl, who *does* have the ability to use vocal speech - note the kyree colony in the Vanyel books and the ones who are of Clan k'Leshya) postulated as spirits of deceased himan beings - who formerly used vocal speech. Eldan does say, though, that animal mindspeech has to do in part with knowing the language that the animals use. >Along with Talia's Empathy, there is at least one other case which involves >a Gift which "communicates" with other people's minds who don't share Gifts >albeit unconsciously. Namely that bandit who had the Mind Gift to cause >others to perceive him as someone familiar and on whom Kethry put that >spell to make him seem to be a woman. I was speaking of the gifts that the heralds are generally familiar with - namely, mindspeaking and mindhearing. Sorry to be vague on that point; you're right. >I can't really think of a situation where people who both had Mindspeech >but who didn't know each other's language had to communicate. Since most >Heralds seem to learn at least a smattering of other countries' languages, >this situation didn't seem to arise. IMHO, I really don't think one's >spoken language determines whether that person can communicate using >Mindspeech with a foreign individual. I disagree. Since mindspeech is called "speech", and since our thought patterns are so heavily influenced by our native language (or the language in which we are thinking at the time), I don't see how it could NOT be determined by language. If I am mindspeaking German words at you, and you don't know German, how will you understand me? jenneke writes... >On Thu, 9 Nov 1995, Heather Mina wrote: >> Also, if you recall King Randale's illness, Monarch's Own Herald Shavri did >> *not* have a bonded choosing with her companion. She possessed only the >> healing gift (and so count *NOT* mindspeak her Companion), and knew she >> would quickly follow Randale when he eventually died. > >Why does this make it an unbonded Choosing? Are you saying that all >lifebonded Heralds have unbonded Choosings, because they're likely to >quickly follow their lifebonded when s/he dies? Obviously, not. There are lots of lifebonded Heralds running through Misty's books (which seems strange, since lifebonds are supposed to be so rare and special), most of them with bonded choosings. But I remember that it came up once that Shavri did not have a bonded choosing. She was Chosen by the Monarch's Own Companion because her healing gifts were needed so desperately for King Randale, not because she would otherwise be a good Monarch's Own Herald. (Remember Vanyel's discussion with her over why the healing gifts are particularly *bad* for a Monarch's Own Herald?) There is also discussion somewhere in the books (I'll have to go home and dig them up) about what would happen if a child who was destined to be the Monarch's Own were in a particularly dangerous situation or needed to be in training right away. In this situation, an unbonded choosing might take place with a "free" Companion. About the discussion on Monarch's Own Companions... It is accepted by the Heraldic Circle that when the MOC survives the MOH, he just goes out and chooses another Herald. Everyone KNEW Rolan - who had been Talamir's Companion before he Chose Talia - and had been anxiously awaiting his Chosen Herald. Rolan (arguably one of the more manipulative of the Companions, along with Elpeth's Gwena) did not bother to conceal the fact that he was the MOC before, and might be again. I see it as a comforting constant, that the MOC would remain the same, even if the Herald dies. Presumably, the MOC could inform the MOH (upon being asked, of course, because that's how it works) about political situations that he had seen before, and how best to handle certain people... We all agree that the Companion would have the ability to present himself as a different entity, but I want to know why he should bother? &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& && I have never let my schooling && && interfere with my education. && &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Heather L. Mina hlmina-+AT+-vwc.edu heamin-+AT+-sunshine.vab.unisysgsg.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 09:35:57 -0800 From: Staci Schoenfeld To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: I can't take it anymore!!!! Message-ID: <199511101735.JAA26694-+AT+-stealth.romoidoy.com> After reading these posts for the past few weeks, Talia this and Talia that....I have to go and read them again -- NOW! Ugh...I just bought a whole new batch of books to read, too. ------------------------------------------------------------ "If you want to make your enemy into something you can hate, you first remove his humanity.... Make them only icons. When they are seen as a type, and not as individuals they are easy for a fanatical mind to grasp -- and hate." Karal in Mercedes Lackey's STORM WARNING. My point exactly. -- Staci Schoenfeld ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 09:41:19 -0800 From: Staci Schoenfeld To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Regarding Sexuality Message-ID: <199511101741.JAA26952-+AT+-stealth.romoidoy.com> I am a lesbian, but had no idea until I started reading Magic's Pawn that there were going to be gay and lesbian characters in her books. It was definitely a pleasant surprise, but not what kept me reading. It was an added incentive, but I wouldn't have read all of the books if the reading wasn't totally engaging. Staci ------------------------------------------------------------ "If you want to make your enemy into something you can hate, you first remove his humanity.... Make them only icons. When they are seen as a type, and not as individuals they are easy for a fanatical mind to grasp -- and hate." Karal in Mercedes Lackey's STORM WARNING. My point exactly. -- Staci Schoenfeld ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 13:20:13 -0400 (EDT) From: Mat Timmerman To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: mindspeaking and the gods Message-ID: <01HXH90YJYGI94DQHC-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu> From: Heather Mina > >Quotes from "Schroedinger's Cat" > >>Has anyone considered the possibility that it may not be a question of >>self-discipline on the part of Rolan, et al? Remember that the >>Companions are a gift from a god/gods unknown and may be bound by the >>the will of that/those entity(s). > >Now, we know from Arrows of the Queen that Baron Valdemar prayed to a very >specific deity (of course, I don't have my copy with me at work, so I don't >know which one) for help in his new country. The gift was three grove-born >Companions who immediately chose Valdemar, his "Monarch's Own" and his heir. >But after that, the Companions seem to be operating under their own free will. No, actually that's wrong. I'm rereading AotQ now, so I happen to have it with me. From Talia's ever informative Orientation class, we hear Davan say, "Well, he waited till Midsummer's Day; he went out into the grove that stands in the middle of what we call Companion's Field now, and he asked every god he'd ever heard of to helpo him. An' Mama told me in the version she'd read, it said he cast a special spell, too, 'cause remember, he was a magician -- a *real* magician, not just Gifted." So it wasn't a specific deity, it was lots of them. This may be the real reason why Valdemar doesn't seem to have a specific god/ess watching over it. It may be that Valdemar is sort of a common area for the gods. No one is preeminent, in Valdemar, they are all equal. > > ..snippage.... >>Anyway, my theory is that Rolan does not bespeak Talia because he is not >>allowed to. The same way that the spirit teachers of the Star-eyed >>cannot enter buildings because they are not allowed to. Obviously, if >>the deity in question feels there is good reason to make an exception >>then they are free to allow the "impossible." Anyway, just a thought. > >Okay - in Oathbreakers, the leshya kalenedral *does* enter the Rethwellan >palace to warn Tarma and Kethry that Jadus is in danger. His full >manifestation is blocked by the court mages, but there is no big problem >with him appearing in the building. I think the main reason that the spirit >teachers are discouraged from manifesting in buildings is the danger of them >being seen. Plus, I would hazard a guess that they are somewhat vulnerable >to arcane attacks when manifested physically. > There's also the scene in Winds of Fate where the leshya'e Kal'enedral comes to Elspeth in Kata'shin'a'in. That was in the inn room (almost wrote "hotel room" by accident :) ). >But it is made very clear to us throughout the entire saga that Talia has >absolutely no trace of mindspeaking. She couldn't hear it if Rolan did >mindspeak her. Ah, but that's not exactly true. When Ylsa realizes that Talia is an Empath, not a MindSpeaker, she says, "Seriously, though -- you *can* hear if you're properly prepared or you're in deep trance, but what you'll recieve first and strongest is *emotion*." Also, when Talia asks about the other two Gift classes, Ylsa says, "Seeing's probably the closest; emotions are powerful attractants for the mind's eye. In fact, you have more than a touch of that particular Gift yourself. I've told you that no one ever has *just* one Gift with no hint of the others, haven't I? You've got enough thought-sensing and Sight to possibly be useful in an emergency -- maybe just a hint of Healing as well." >Besides, why would Rolan not be allowed to mindspeak Talia? She is, after >all, his Chosen. We know that Savil and her Companion mindspeak, that >Vanyel and Yfandes mindspeak, that Kris and Tantris mindspeak. PLUS, in >Arrow's Fall, Rolan mindspeaks Elspeth and Dirk when he tries to rescue >Talia from Ancar. > Yes, but all of those others are MindSpeakers. With Elspeth and Dirk, it revealed that Companions could speak to those not their Chosen, but it doesn't reaveal that they can speak to non-MindSpeakers. Also, they would be more ready to believe "impossible" feat from Rolan, since he's Grove-born. That's what that whole conversation on the way to the border about Companion intervention was leading to. Mat accmjt-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu "Do or do not; there is no try." ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 13:26:00 -0400 (EDT) From: Mat Timmerman To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Companions, bonded choosings, and mindspeaking Message-ID: <01HXH9XCYJCO94DQHC-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu> From: Heather Mina > >>Just had an idea, in Arrow's Flight when Kris and Talia first make >>love even though Kris is not an empathic Talia is able to use her >>empathy and make him feel a bit of what she feels, however, Kris >>isn't able to do the same for her, I guess with Dirk who she IS >>lifebonded to it would be the same. Empathy is a gift like >>mindspeech, so I think I am trying to say that lifebonded dont' >>automatically share the same gifts. >Empathy is presented as operating completely different from other mindgifts. >Remember that pure empathy like Talia's is an offshoot of the healing family >of gifts. When you think about it in this respect, I don't have to have the >healing gift in order for Devan to Heal me. Likewise, I don't have to have >the empathic gift in order for Talia to project emotions at me. The Bardic >Gift seems to operate along the same lines. > >The way I usually think about it is that Mindspeaking involves two things. >The first is language, so that two people who do not speak the same language >would *not* be able to mindspeak each other. You may disagree, but since >mindspeaking is always presented as actual speech, this is the only thing >that makes sense. I think differently when I think in English than I do >when I think in German; therefore, I mindspeak differently when I mindspeak >in English than I do when I mindspeak in German. The second thing is the >ability of both parties to listen. Actual speech necessitates being able to >hear with our ears; mindspeech necessitates being able to hear with our >mindspeech centers. If a Herald has a faint trace of mindspeech, his >Companion might be able to mindspeak him, and he may or may not be able to >reply. But if a Herald has no trace of the mindspeech gift, then he and his >Companion cannot mindspeak each other. Yes, remember the empahsis in LHM on the two types of Mindspeech. They constantly say things like, "his Mindspeech was even of both types" (that's from memory of Savil's description of Vanyel's Gifts). They often mention that Mindspeech has two types -- projective and receiving. We don't really see any mindspeakers who only have one type. One exception could be Neave, from Talia's Gift class. He was the one who kept projecting his nightmares of abuse. They call him a projective, but never mention if he can also receive. Mat accmjt-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu "Do or do not; there is no try." ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 13:45:25 -0400 (EDT) From: Mat Timmerman To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Firebird Catalogue Message-ID: <01HXHANUYO5A94DQHC-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu> From: SMHA86B-+AT+-prodigy.com (MISS MARIA T FOGEL) > >Mat, > aha. Thanx. Can you just write and request a CD, w/the check >enclosed? > Possibly. The order form contains info they need, tho. They want your signature, your home address, your shipping address, method of payment. It also has the shipping and handling charges. I think that it's $1.75 for one item in the USA, but I'm not sure. You should get the catalogue anyway tho. It has a lot of good stuff in it in additon to Misty's stuff. >wyvern, always ?'ing... Ask away! :) Mat accmjt-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu "Do or do not; there is no try." ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 13:09:37 -0700 From: Jean Morrill To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: first exposure to fantasy Message-ID: <199511102009.NAA09160-+AT+-rain.hwr.arizona.edu> > still am. However, I was also against fantasy, which I am not now. My > first, 6th grade, 11 years old. _Heart's Blood_, by I forget who. It was Jane Yolen. Pit Dragon trilogy: _Dragon's Blood_, _Heart's Blood_, and _A Sending of Dragons_ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 15:13:15 -0400 (EDT) From: Mat Timmerman To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Not a companion but..... Message-ID: <01HXHDQO4HQQ94DRAX-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu> From: Zoe Guin > >> What I'm saying is that lifebonds are 'like' twin bonds, and >> twin bonds don't decrease w/distance > AHEM! Sorry to burst anybody's bubble here, but I remember >'Lendel saying very clearly that his bond with Staven was different from >other twin bonds in that it didn't decrease with distance. Savil thought >it did, which is why he never told her, or else she would have made him >block it. But like I was saying, most twin bonds according to 'Lendel >get weak over distance, and his bond with Staven was very odd in that it >didn't. Aren't I an evil person? *smirk, grin* > What I always wondered was _why_ Savil would make him break it. Was it just because of the feud? If so, politics aren't really a good enough reason to break a twin bond. If not, why? Savil couldn't know that Staven would be killed and drive 'Lendel mad. Mat accmjt-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu "Do or do not; there is no try." ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 15:20:01 -0500 (EST) From: Jellicle Cats Come Out Tonight! To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Replies to several different threads Message-ID: <01HXHE003XXU9SGJ9D-+AT+-utkvx.utk.edu> >Maybe Rolan couldn't mindspeak Talia because his mindspeach wasn't >very >Just because Rolan is Groveborn doesn't mean that he has the strong >Gifts. The only problem with this theory is that he had no problem Mindspeaking with Dirk, who at the least was not primarily a mindspeaker. On the other hand, Talia's empathic gift might actually set up some sort of interference to mindspeaking. A sort of wave-cancelling effect, as it were. nre'fa-o Amy, the long-time lurker ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 15:25:19 -0400 (EDT) From: Mat Timmerman To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: First Fantasy Message-ID: <01HXHDW8XGT494DRAX-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu> From: RUNDLE-+AT+-wilma.bcasd.az.honeywell.com > >Mat writes: >>I love Callander for my mind candy fix :) Do you know if he's planning >>anymore 'Mancer books. The ending of Geomancer seems to indicate >>another, but now he has those dragon (or something) books which I haven't >>read. > >Me too! The Dragon Companion books are very much of the same pure >mind candy type as the 'Mancer books, but for some reason I really >like them. Nothing bad ever happens to your favorite character, >the bad guys are never as bad as in other books, etc. Anyway, >I don't know about another 'Mancer book, but I kinda hope there'll >be one. > I like them b/c they're fun. After reading something like LHM, I need a change in pace. I tend to alternate between serious stuff like Misty or Jordan and light stuff like Callander and Christopher Stacheff's Warlock series (I used to use Piers Anthony for this too, until I got sick of them). >>No matter what people say, I like Eddings Belgariad/Mallorean books. >>The others aren't that great though. People bash _Belgarath the >>Sorcerer_ b/c it seems to tell lots of things we already knew. I >>like it though, b/c it fills in a lot of loose gaps and gives a >>different point of view on things. > >I thought Belgarath was a great book. I finally went back and read >the Mallorean because of it. And frankly, I strongly disagree with >people who say that the Mallorean is just rehashed Belgariad. It >is in some ways, but it really is a brand new story. And since >Belgarath was always my favorite character, I enjoyed Belgarath >a lot. Can't wait for Polgara. I really want to hear her side >of the story. I loved reading about the actual events that Belgarath >has mentioned here and there in the Belgariad/Mallorean about his >past. Pol's birth etc. Good stuff. > Belgarath is my favorite too. Garion is all good and well, but he's way too whiny. First he whines b/c no one tells him anything. Then he whines when he finds out he's a sorcerer. Then he whines when has to be king. Then, at first, he whines b/c he has to marry Ce'Nedra. Jeez, relax kid. He didn't know a good thing when he had it. >>If I read Feist, should I get the new, authors's preffered addition >>of the Magician books or the regular ones? > >I strongly recommend the APE (author's preferred edition). I have >both and prefer the APE - I bought Magician originally, then when >the APE came out I bought that. The APE has some additional material >in it, and while it doesn't change the story anywhere, it does add >some useful details. In certain minor areas it made things clearer. >For example, after reading the APE I finally understood why one >character was so upset about the death of another, even though >in the regular edition they didn't seem to be particularly close. >That's as close to a non-spoiler as I can get. > I has a feeling it would be something like that. I had Magician:Apprentice out of my library, but then I saw the APE in B.Daltons. Since then I've been wondering which I should read. Now I know (and knowing is half the battle! -- those of you who once watched GI JOE will know what that meant :) ). > >>I've got to read more GG Kay. I've only read the Fionavar Tapestry, >>but I loved it. Sigh. When I have more money. > >I picked up the first book of the Fionavar Tapestry, and I started >reading it. It seems somewhat interesting, and certainly one of >my most fav sub-genre's is the "people get pulled out of our world >into another" type fantasy. But then I found Tanya Huff's Blood >Lines and Blood ...? The third and fourth books, anyway. So they >were pulling at me, and Fionavar just wasn't pulling me in that >much, so I switched over. I expect to pick up the Fionavar stuff >after I finish the fourth Blood book. I really love these. > I almost started to do that too. I stuck with it though, and pretty soon it got very good. >BTW, does GG Kay ever tell you what the heck a lios alfar is? >I don't want any spoilers, a simple yes or no would be appreciated. >I'm about 50 or so pages into the book, they've shown up several >times, and I still don't know what one is, and when I can't picture >one it irritates me. > Sooner or later, he does. Mat accmjt-+AT+-vaxc.hofstra.edu "Do or do not; there is no try." ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 15:31:34 -0500 From: Karieva-+AT+-aol.com To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Di Tregarde Message-ID: <951110152748_83131836-+AT+-mail04.mail.aol.com> as stated by saverte-+AT+-party.com (Saverte)... >>Unfortunately, due to the publisher's perceived lack of demand, I really >>doubt we will see any more Di Tregarde books. Publishers are not always known for their extensive intelligence... The Di books are extremely popular here in Florida, even though you have to search the bookstores to find them, because, according to the stores, the publisher doesn't always ship them even when they are ordered... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 15:41:28 -0500 From: Karieva-+AT+-aol.com To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Narnia and snow Message-ID: <951110152805_83131867-+AT+-mail04.mail.aol.com> >>Brrr! And here I'm complaining because it's getting a little too cold >>to wear shorts on the weekends! It's starting to drop below 80 for most >>of the day now. Arizona winters are the best! Isn't the south grand?? We're breaking out the sweaters and heavy blankets because it's been below 70 the last few nights... (Florida winters ain't so bad, either!!) Karieva-+AT+-aol ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 16:22:25 -0500 From: Karieva-+AT+-aol.com To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Bio Message-ID: <951110152839_83131925-+AT+-mail04.mail.aol.com> Here's my bio to add to the list... I am Zanetta, I go by my alter ego of Karieva Rahe, and I am 27. I live in sunny Central Florida, and I work as a Customer Consultant in the telephone industry. I am a married bisexual with two children - both boys, ages 8 and 5. My favorite fantasy authors are Misty, some McCaffery, older Anthony, Gail Boudino (a particular fave), Jennifer Roberson and Holly Lisle. My favorite SciFi authors are Heinlein (Hail to the King...) some McCaffery, some Clarke, Some Tara Harper and some Trek. I write freeform poetry and short stories (really, really bizare ones), and I paint almost anything that doesn't move... Oh, and I also wage frequent battle with this demon in the shape of a computer. Karieva-+AT+-aol ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 16:36:20 -0400 (EDT) From: Irene Chen To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: filk suggestions? Message-ID: Hi everyone; I'm relatively new to the list (one post so far, in which I didn't really introduce myself), so here's the brief intro followed by the actual question: I'm a college student, 18, majoring in one of the sciences (not completely decided), native San Diegan freezing on the east coast (and it's not even winter yet! waaa...); my first sci-fi/fantasy experience was actually Piers Anthony (early books, not the recent trash) whom I discovered at my elementary school library. But onto the burning question! I've never heard any filk music; what's a good place to start? (any good retailers around Cambridge?) thanks all, Irene lintball ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 16:41:41 -0500 (EST) From: CODIORNE-+AT+-WELLESLEY.EDU To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: MERCEDES-LACKEY digest 212 Message-ID: <01HXHGN0MT969887B3-+AT+-WELLESLEY.EDU> [Quick off-topic comment...] Sandy wrote: Any idea where I can find those Dark Horse comics that fill the gaps between the movie and those new novels?? Oh dear...no, *no*, NO. Any similarity between the DH comics and the novel is, for the most part, purely coincidental. [quick spoiler warning] They not only resurrect Boba Fett (which I could forgive), but also the Emperor. And keep doing so. I think they're on the third series, with yet another resurrected Emperor, and promising that *this* time they'll kill him off, really they will. ML content: hmmmm...well, I could do my intro/bio, which I never did last time... Age: 19. Sophmore at Wellesley College, along with Anne Cross. Member of SCA, general SF/F fan, also reads romances (which are frantically trying to get *away* from the bodice-ripper image, BTW). First encountered ML when I got the Elvenbane for a Christmas gift, four years back or so: then got Knight of Ghosts and Shadows, then Summoned to Tourney, then a nice friend lent me her collection (first the Arrows trilogy, then the Vanyel trilogy, then By the Sword). By that time I'd read several Sword and Sorceresses, and knew about Tarma and Kethry, and somewhere in there read Oathbound and Oathbreakers...and from there on picked ML up wherever I could. Thia who has a .sig which refuses to work ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 13:47:29 -0800 From: Staci Schoenfeld To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Mindspeaking Companions Once Again Message-ID: <199511102147.NAA10149-+AT+-stealth.romoidoy.com> The return of the question.... Just started rereading Arrows of the Queen. Here is a quote that may answer the question...or make more. "---but if you thought your Comanion spoke to you when he Chose you, you were right. He did. No matter if you never have more than a touch of a Gift, your Companion will always speak to you in your heart at that moment -- even if he never does so again. It wasn't something you dreamed. And if you have the right Gift, one day you'll learn to speak back." -- Teren, at the first day of orientation. Food for thought. Staci ------------------------------------------------------------ "If you want to make your enemy into something you can hate, you first remove his humanity.... Make them only icons. When they are seen as a type, and not as individuals they are easy for a fanatical mind to grasp -- and hate." Karal in Mercedes Lackey's STORM WARNING. My point exactly. -- Staci Schoenfeld ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 13:50:43 -0800 From: Staci Schoenfeld To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Just a question Message-ID: <199511102150.NAA10327-+AT+-stealth.romoidoy.com> How come it takes SO long for mail (my mail) to be posted to this list? It has been over four hours since I posted this morning (Pacific Time, US) and I still haven't gotten mail back from my posting. Just a very curious Staci ------------------------------------------------------------ "If you want to make your enemy into something you can hate, you first remove his humanity.... Make them only icons. When they are seen as a type, and not as individuals they are easy for a fanatical mind to grasp -- and hate." Karal in Mercedes Lackey's STORM WARNING. My point exactly. -- Staci Schoenfeld ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 13:52:57 -0800 (PST) From: Amy Mason To: Lackey Mercedes Subject: Bio Message-ID: Heyla! Let's see...I'm 19 years old, attending St. Mary's College of California, and I'm an accounting major. Anybody else out there from Northern California? Amy :) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 17:07:06 -0400 (EDT) From: Sunfalcon To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: To Mindspeak or not to mindspeak... Message-ID: On Fri, 10 Nov 1995, MISS MARIA T FOGEL wrote: > Heyla, alll.. > whenever i think about Talia and Rolan not being able to Speak to > each other, i keep thinking of the part in one of the Arrows books > where someone says 'persistant inablility may mask strong ability'. > Maybe Rolan can't Speak to her 'cuz she has the Gift and is blocked > somehow. > Just a thought, > wyvern > > > I should probably apologize before I begin, since I haven't been reading the list-postings quite so closely as I should, so some of this may not be new: Somewhere in the LHM trilogy, I recall Savil saying that there are two different kinds of Mindspeech, one for person to person, and the other for groups (Broadsending? something like that, I think). But I don't think that Misty ever flat out says that the more general Mindspeech can only be "heard" by other Mindspeakers. Maybe all the Companions have Broadsending (thus Yfandes, Sayvil, and, to rescue Talia, Rolan), but still can't use person-to-person (please, someone find the term I'm lookig for here) Mindspeech. Or maybe not. ;-) Clear skies, The Wordsmith of Irymar ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 17:00:33 -0500 (EST) From: Alison Schiff To: mercedes lackey Subject: bio Message-ID: Okay, Here's my short bio. My name is Alison Schiff, I'm 19 and attending Trenton State College as an art major , although I hope to add biology as a dual major (don't ask me what I want to do with the stuff, I have absolutely no plans for my life after college) I've been mostly lurking on this list for about 2 weeks, I still LOVE Narnia, I don't have a favorite .The Silver Chair used to scare me when I was younger but I loved Tom Baker as Puddleglum in the movie (any other DW fans?). I'm not sure what age I was when I started reading ML, sometime during middle school; but the first book I read of hers was Magic's Pawn, because it had a "horse" on the cover. I did a book report on it so my english teacher had to read it to grade me... After that we were both looking for ML books and she would borrow them from me as soon as I was done reading it (usually during class time when I should have been paying attention). I have 5 cats, a hamster, and a dove at home, all of whom I miss very much...That's pretty much it. Alison Schiff schiff-+AT+-trenton.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 16:06:56 -0600 (CST) From: "Cecile S. Ueltschey" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Too Dim Villains and a recommendation Message-ID: On Wed, 1 Nov 1995, Ned wrote: > On Tue, 31 Oct 1995, Cecile S. Ueltschey wrote: > > > Do that, Amy. Fifth Quarter came out earlier in the summer (I found out > > about in on the a.b.m-l group (I think!)). It is set on the same world > > as SFQ, but is in the Empire (? - can't remember the name of it) that > > Annice's brother's (the king) wife is from. It's a different view, but I > > liked it a lot. All being enclosed, its good! ;) > > > > Can I get away with reading "Fith Quarter" without reading the 1st one? > Noe of the bookstores around here have WInds Four Quarters, and trying to > order it will take a while. > > Zhai'helleva > > Ned > > > Ned Adams aka S. Baldrick Sometimes it is better to light a > sbaldric-+AT+-roanoke.infi.net flamethrower than to curse the darkness > (540) 890-0212 (T. Pratchett) > > Hi Ned. No I haven't died, just completely buried at work (which is where my access is, right now I'm trying to get thru 662 messages going back to 10/31!). Anyway, the answer, if nobody else has replied, is yes. There really are no common characters in the two, but the King's wife in StFQ is originally from the Empire that is the setting for FQ and a sort of religious conversion is taking place - but that's pretty much background. It would probably help from that aspect (giving some background, that is), but FQ is really new territory - some of the things that happen are supposed to be impossible in StFQ. Go ahead and read FQ, if you have any questions or comments, e-mail me! Cecile ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 220 *********************************