MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 472 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Piers Anthony bias by Rosario Holsen-Baker 2) Re: Rolan, unbonded Choosings, MOC...(wh by LSFG20A-+AT+-prodigy.com (MS KIM H MILLER) 3) Editing by Joan Ferguson 4) Re: A Bookstore by A giant telepathic squid 5) Re: GAYS [really off-topic] by A giant telepathic squid 6) Re: Starblade- villain? by Saranhct-+AT+-aol.com 7) Whom should I join? by Saranhct-+AT+-aol.com 8) Three comments by "Jill" 9) Re: Sexism by "sean collins" 10) Editing by ROZANM-+AT+-webster.nl (Rozanna McNeer) 11) Re: Sexism by ROZANM-+AT+-webster.nl (Rozanna McNeer) 12) Re: Stef's duties was re: Companion-names (fwd) by "Stormcloud" 13) Re: Men in power by "Over the Insanity Horizon, and Accelerating" 14) Re: Sexism by Heather Watson 15) Re: Book lovers and Audiobooks by Lara Keyser 16) Re: Book lovers by "M. Wang" 17) Re: Jennifer Roberson's e-mail addy by STOKES J <95662014-+AT+-mmu.ac.uk> 18) ADMIN: subscriber list problem, morning of April 12th by mel (Melanie Dymond Harper) 19) Re: Teachers/Lecturers and fantasy by STOKES J <95662014-+AT+-mmu.ac.uk> 20) Firecats by Mark Mains 21) Re: Re: re gays by STOKES J <95662014-+AT+-mmu.ac.uk> 22) Anthony by "Jill" 23) Re: Men in power by "Saajak" 24) just testing by EGLESTON-+AT+-bpl.org 25) Re: Re: Gays/bi/hetero by STOKES J <95662014-+AT+-mmu.ac.uk> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 08:17:59 -0400 (EDT) From: Rosario Holsen-Baker To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Piers Anthony bias Message-ID: On Thu, 11 Apr 1996, Lara Keyser wrote: > author's note by Piers Anthony (why is there so much negativity about him > here?) > I think it's mainly because of the last 8-10 Xanth books. Those border on the ridiculous. Most people here that have said positive things said they've liked the Incarnations series and the early Xanth books, but the last ten or so are just plain silly. Anyone else want to take a stab at it? Gyrfalcon????? No, we don't believe you. *****LADY JAGUAR***** Leader of the Cat People Lady in Green LGMCB Conspirator #14, DHTBB Lobe #3! "Meddle not in the affairs of cats for you are soft-skinned, and blind at night." ********************* ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 09:18:55 EDT From: LSFG20A-+AT+-prodigy.com (MS KIM H MILLER) To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Rolan, unbonded Choosings, MOC...(wh Message-ID: <096.05714103.LSFG20A-+AT+-prodigy.com> On April 11, Kerry Mealing wrote: (snip) >I can't see anyone, -anyone- pulling rank on Yfandes....I just can't see >Yfandes getting bumped somehow..Might as well try to bump Savil. Well, you'd certainly think so, but in Magic's Promise, Vanyel has a conversation with Yfandes on that very subject (p. 29) and says: ":'Fandes, I'm worried about them. When Lancir died - truth, I almost expected Taver to Choose me King's Own. Instead - instead he chose Shavri and I'm desperately afraid it wasn't because she was Randale's lifebonded. I'm afraid it was because she's a healer. " >From there the conversation turns to Randales state of health, not Yfandes' indignation at being usurped. I suspect it's one of those selfless, noble Herald/Companion things, FOR THE GOOD OF VALDEMAR he and Yfandes would even give up each other. (By the way - I don't have Lackey quotes at the tip of my fingers, it just so happens that I had just finished reading that very chapter before checking my e-mail. Honest!) Lady Kim ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 09:28:45 -0400 From: Joan Ferguson To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Editing Message-ID: <199604111328.JAA17701-+AT+-elmer.Harvard.EDU> >This may be really mean, but whoever edits those books certainly doesn't catch >everything. She/He/It misses an awful lot of really blatant stuff. Such as >Tarlia in one of the Arrows books, Tharma or Tahrma (i don't have the book with >me) in one of the V&H books. Now, mind you, I'm an editor at heart and I miss >stuff when I'm editing, but some of it seems just a little obvious even to me. >My little rant is over, although I must say that every once in a while, I'm >temopted to go over the books, edit them and send them back to DAW so they can >fix it or something in the next reprint. *sigh* Sorry. >Shadowspun Well, I have to agree with you about the editing - some of it is really awful. I *still* remember the point in AOTQ when Ylsa dies and Talia is out in the hall about to be dragged off by Seleney to help discover the "in the shaft" mystery. There's a sentence or two without the right punctuation (makes it kinda hard to figure out who is saying what!) and then Talia says "Oh Coddess!" - I laughed out loud, once I got over my annoyance - the Goddess as a large fish! :-) Joan (once an English major, always an English major!) joan_ferguson-+AT+-harvard.edu Harvard University Library Preservation Office "Instead of loving your enemies,treat your friends a little better." -Edgar Watson Howe (1853-1937) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 11:27:56 -0400 (EDT) From: A giant telepathic squid To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: A Bookstore Message-ID: On Wed, 10 Apr 1996, Chris Parmenter wrote: > I go into the local bookshop. (examples of ignorant clerks snipped) > What is going on here? Do bookshops only hire people who don't read? (sig likewise snipped, feel free to snip mine) Sure does seem like it sometimes, doesn't it? In NC, at least, the best way to find knowledgeable salespeople is to go either to used bookstores or to independent ones. The major chains seem to be full of people who wouldn't know their head from a hot rock. The independents and used stores, though, tend to hire people who want to work in bookstores because they love being surrounded by books. Becky ---------- With my luck, the entrance exam to Heaven will have logarithms on it. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 11:23:01 -0400 (EDT) From: A giant telepathic squid To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: GAYS [really off-topic] Message-ID: On Wed, 10 Apr 1996, Marissa K Lingen wrote: > Okay, there's been some discussion of this subject, and this list > seems to be filled with tolerant people, so I'll ask for help. My > "best girlfriend" at home told me he was gay this weekend. I really > wasn't sure what to say to him--I mean, when people say, "I'm okay > with that", it seems so presumptuous--I always want to ask them, "Who > the hell asked *you* to be okay with that?" I just sort of bumbled > through with the doesn't make any difference to me and I still love > you thing, but I don't know if that's enough--especially since I'm > the first person he's told (17-year-old high school juniors in > Nebraska are *not* advised to come out of the closet--at best it'd > get them beaten bloody, at worst--who knows?). Any suggestions for > anything else I could say? > --Morticia > You could compliment him on his courage for being willing to take such a major step in an apparently hostile environment; you could try saying that it really doesn't make any difference to you who he dates or falls in love with so long as he's being true to himself and is reasonably happy. Really, though, that can be tough -- how to be supportive without being condescending? Difficult question indeed. Becky ---------- With my luck, the entrance exam to Heaven will have logarithms on it. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 11:28:31 -0400 From: Saranhct-+AT+-aol.com To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Starblade- villain? Message-ID: <960411112830_269356560-+AT+-mail02.mail.aol.com> Raingcats-+AT+-aol.com wrote: Since when might I ask has Darkwind's dad been considered an enemy aka villain? snip! I'm sorry, but when I read that Darkwind's dad was considered a villain I flipped. What did he DO? I mean look, even when he was being controlled by Falconsbane he was pushing his son away for his son's own GOOD so Darkwind wouldn't get caught by Falconsbane. Does anybody else feel this way or does anybody else agree that Starblade is a villain? I agree with you, Lady Moonsong. Starblade was never a villian. He was made into a tool by Falcolnsbane and did his damnedest to frustrate Falcolnsbane's purpose. Sara Saranhct-+AT+-aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 11:28:35 -0400 From: Saranhct-+AT+-aol.com To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Whom should I join? Message-ID: <960411112833_269356614-+AT+-mail06> I would like to join the Cat People or the Ladies in Green. How do I join? Saranhct-+AT+-aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 11:21:51 EDT From: "Jill" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Three comments Message-ID: <240FD7B6229-+AT+-pub.sbu.edu> > How many people had to laugh themselves silly when they realized >that Countess Reine's sister was the one from It was a Dark and >Stormy Night? Good song, Ohmigod, would believe that I JUST caught that?!? Now, I've got to go back and look up the reference ... :) Congrads, Lyn. Full ride, eh? I hope I'm so lucky ... hey, folks, where's a good grad school for creative writing/publishing? Comment the third ... has anyone on here read the Borderlands books edited by Terri Windling (and written by Emma Bull, Will SHetterly, Charles De Lint and, um, others...)? I just found "BOrdertown" in print for the first time! Yaaayyy! Okay, that's often caffeine-induced hysteria for now... Jill Morrison /// morrisjm-+AT+-sbu.edu /// Merlyn3109-+AT+-aol.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" - Puck, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Act 3, Scene 2, Line 115 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 96 08:39:25 PDT From: "sean collins" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Sexism Message-ID: <9604111549.AA14872-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk> REPLY TO 04/10/96 19:15 FROM mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk: Re: Sexism I read your comments about strong women (sorry I can't quote the relevant passages) and I thought I had to take some offense of your views of Beth. Have you read "Summoned to Tourney," yet? In it Beth, who I believe you say is an uninteresting character because she has no hang ups, basically loses it complete after being locked up in a decompression chamber with no lights. You may have been right about her in "Knight of Ghosts and Shadows". I don't believe her character had really been developed yet, but we definitly get a better glimpse in Summoned. Anyway, those are my ramblings on the subject (I hope they make sense!) Sean To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 17:46:06 GMT+0200 From: ROZANM-+AT+-webster.nl (Rozanna McNeer) To: vms.cis.pitt.edu!HATST5-+AT+-enterprise.cistron.nl, Subject: Editing Message-ID: <316d3aee.webster-+AT+-mail.webster.nl> > This may wbe really mean, but whoever edits those books certainly >doesn't catch everythiwng. She/He/It misses an awful lot of really >blatant stuff. Such as Tarlia win one of the Arrows books, Tharma >or Tahrma (i don't have the book with me) inw one of the V&H books. >Now, mind you, I'm an editor at heart and I miss stuff wwhen I'm >editing, but some of it seems just a little obvious even to me. In my copy of Arrows, where Ylsa dies, and Talia says "Goddess, I felt her die" or something along those lines, my copy does not say Goddess, but Coddess! So here I am, in another tearful fit sympathizing with the strain Talia's under, and I have to start laughing, imagining that Talia is calling on a female cod to bear witness to her turmoil! I laughed until my sides hurt, thinking about that. /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ Rozanna n'ha Iris e-mail: rozanm-+AT+-webster.nl Renunciate of Darkover Member of the Cat People/Huntress "feel the wildness hiding in the back of the shadows, lips pulled in an uncurbed, savage grin." Charles de Lint ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 17:41:51 GMT+0200 From: ROZANM-+AT+-webster.nl (Rozanna McNeer) To: Heather Watson , Subject: Re: Sexism Message-ID: <316d3aed.webster-+AT+-mail.webster.nl> Heather wrote: > Kerowyn had a lot of problems, too, but they were always the due to > some external situation. She was pretty much a Strong Warrior Woman. > Actually, I find her a pretty sympathetic character now, mostly due to > Meg Davis' song "Women of Steel," which is a sad (I think) song about > how lonely it can be to be the one who's always Strong, afraid to show > any sign of weakness or need. I now see Kerowyn as an essentially > tragic figure through most of By the Sword, but I think that has more to > do with Meg Davis' character insights than Mercedes Lackey's. As a so called Strong Person, I agree that it is very lonely. All my friends tell me they see me as a strong person that never needs anyone's help. I'm always there for them with kind words, a shoulder, and a possible solution when they want it, but because I have a hard time opening up about myself, few seem to be there for me. And when I am in need of a shoulder or two, most nearly flip, certain that whatever is distressing me would drive them to suicide! I also feel some pressure to maintain composure at all times (self-imposed, but still there, the pressure that is) especially since whenever there is a crisis it's always "Rozanna will fix it!" Well, what hapeens when Rozanna does not or cannot fix it, and wants to cower herself? I guess the point is if you know someone you feel is a "strong person" please, please, please don't assume that they never need someone to listen to them. Not that anyone on this list would feel that way. /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ Rozanna n'ha Iris e-mail: rozanm-+AT+-webster.nl Renunciate of Darkover Member of the Cat People/Huntress "feel the wildness hiding in the back of the shadows, lips pulled in an uncurbed, savage grin." Charles de Lint ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 12:31:21 EST From: "Stormcloud" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Stef's duties was re: Companion-names (fwd) Message-ID: <4BC25627C5-+AT+-SIMCL.STJOHNS.EDU> With some snipping. . . . Kerry wrote: >Wildfire wrote: > > 2. Same thing with the Companions - Yfandes gets to be with Vanyel > > forever, but what about Gala? Can't help feeling it's a little unfair on > > her and Tylendel... > > > > So, having wept at the deaths of 'Lendel and Van, I was awfully glad when > > Misty has them "live on" in Sorrows, but I wish Stef had come back as > > 'Lendel with all the abilities 'Lendel had, and reunited with Gala. > > Yes.. The Gala thing is not nice.. The optimist in me half-hopes that it > was just a case of Stef/'Lendel keeping Gala out of sight to avoid confusion > and long explanations - Elspeth & Co *know* that Stef wasn't a Herald.. > > The alternative is that Gala was atoning for her mistakes or simply became > the equivalent of an old friend that Stef/'Lendel knew years and years ago. > Remember, Stef/'Lendel spent much more time with Van/Yfandes than he did > with Gala. Personally, I don't believe this one - a companion bond's not > the type of thing to forget, even if the companion does break it to save > your life when she's about to suicide. Well, when Gala repudiated Lendel, she severed the bond between their souls forever, at least that's the way I read it. A Companion-Herald bond is easily as deep as a Lifebond. That's why when Savil touched his mind, she touched absolute chaos-- a part of him had been neatly ripped out. That's one reason why I think Gala isn't there with them. BTW, she knew he would die without her, so I'd hardly say she suicided to save _his_ life. She did it to save the lives of the innocent members of the family he was attacking. -+AT+->--- Stormcloud In the name One in Black of the Moon Jenna, the Misty maniac I'll punish you! jwil3969-+AT+-simcl.stjohns.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 13:09:50 -0400 (EDT) From: "Over the Insanity Horizon, and Accelerating" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Men in power Message-ID: On Wed, 10 Apr 1996 EGLESTON-+AT+-bpl.org wrote: > joining the chorus here but... remember Hulda? Powerful, vindictive, > willing to take a long term path to absolute control, and definitely > female? I'd say she's evil. She is also fairly unique in the Velgarth books. I am racking my brain and can't come up with a single example of another villainess. In fact, the only other villainess that I can think of in Misty's books are the priestesses of Tezcatlipoca (in Burning Water) and the witch (in Jinx High). In the first case, it is made fairly clear that the priestess are not in control of themselves, they are under the thrall of their god. And the witch of Jenks is a rather paltry villainess. On the other hand, Misty does have a rather nice array of very powerful villains (Ma'ar et al., Ancar, Charliss, Father Leren?, Tashir's uncle, Idra's brother, Thallkarsh, etc.) She also has no problem with making her male characters who are not villains into cruel, brutal or uncaring personages (Withen and what's-his-name, the armsmaster in the early Vanyel stuff; Talia's family, etc.) Now I am not saying that there aren't men in the world who are at least that bad, but I do seem to notice that there is a definite trend here. When villifying is done, men seem to be the object. If anyone can come up with a refutation of this, I would appreciate it. I am starting to get a little depressed now. I love Misty, and I hate to think that she has feet of clay. But I suppose it is to be expected. She is only human, like the rest of us. *le sigh* May the seas be your solace and the forests a refuge for your spirit, Cennydd, Mage of the Green Silences. Eu guardo a luz das estrelas a alma de cada folha Sem folhas nao tem vida, Sem folhas nao tem nada, Salve as folhas! 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+-strauss.udel.edu | A mind is a terrible toy to waste! -- Me ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 12:59:46 CST From: Heather Watson To: Subject: Re: Sexism Message-ID: <11APR96.14035933.0037.MUSIC-+AT+-NEMOMUS> Well, you've all been very gentle with me after my inflammatory post. I had to go home and ponder deeply. Actually, I liked Treesa. It just annoyed me that one of the few women who actually lives in a mostly female society (society on the small scale, as in the people with whom you interact most of the time, in this case the Melenna and the other Bower ladies) was set up as an object of ridicule for being too flirtatious, crying too much, and being a basic featherhead -- I believe that's the word that's frequently used. It seemed a little stereotypical to me. Yes, she was gracious and kind and devoted. I just felt like she didn't get enough respect for that, at least until maybe the very end of the series. I felt like what you were *really* supposed to remember about her was that she was a ditz who capitalized everything. Maybe that isn't what Mercedes Lackey had in mind. And, wow, that word "feminine," that's hard to deal with. When I say that Misty's women aren't feminine, it makes it sound like I think they're not feminine! I think they're "feminine" if you define that in a certain way, as in not being "manlike." (Oh, this is so hard to explain.) I think they are rewarded and praised for doing the things that in *our* society are considered male occupations, and for having the attitudes that in *our* society are considered typical or desirable in men. The point was made that in fantasy, women often "act like men" because traditionally men get to do the really exciting stuff, and books just wouldn't be as much fun if they didn't focus on the action and adventure that men have historically more or less reserved for themselves. So I sat down and brainstormed some of my favorite female characters, the ones I think are wonderful, strong women who operate mainly within their assigned female spheres of influence. I'm sure I could think of more if I were -+AT+-home with my library, but this is what I came up with -+AT+-dorm. (BTW, many of them are not high fantasy, but based on the history or legendry of our planet. Which makes some sense, because these are the books where authors are *compelled* to take a more "traditional" look at women's roles, as it's unrealistic to do otherwise. In high fantasy, it's only unrealistic if the author creates a world less egalatarian than Velgarth, for example.) Branwen & Esseilte, from The White Raven. This is a Tristan & Isolde retelling, where the narrator is Esseilte's maid. Esseilte has some skill as a magic type, but primarily she's the queen. (can't remember names), from Bride of the Rat God. Set in 1920s Hollywood, one of the two main characters is a young war widow, a secretary and former housekeeper. The other is a starlet. Neither of them can do anything in particular that a woman in the 20s wouldn't be able to do, but by golly, they stand up to the demon and find a way to destroy it. Dianora, from Tigana. She wants revenge for the destruction of her homeland, so she sets herself up as the King's favorite mistress. The last word in bedroom politics and behind-the-scenes court intrigue, "traditional" female employments, in their way. Marian, from Sherwood. Sensible and steady, but basically just the lady of a small manor. Robin's mother and cousin are also great characters, though they are traditional Saxon women (the cousin does have a top-notch convent education). Robin relies heavily on all of them. Beauty, from the book of the same name. Been a while since I read this, but I don't recall her having any special "male" skills or training. She was, however, interesting enough to keep me reading the book. Guenevere, from Firelord & Beloved Exile. I debated whether or not to put her on this list. She was extremely powerful. She ruled at Arthur's side, and had people assassinated when they ticked her off. She even rebelled against him, and then tried to reclaim the throne after his death, only stopped by traitors within her ranks. So in some ways, she did some pretty manly things. But she had to do them all at least somewhat covertly; as far as most people knew, she was secondary to Arthur. Only the insiders, I think, realized how powerful she was. This, I think, is also traditionally true of powerful women: you keep your head down, so the men don't realize you're threatening them. And in Beloved Exile she is sold into slavery, and she gets to lead a more "normal" life for the majority of the book. She's really one of my favorite characters anywhere. lots of people in Mists of Avalon (Igraine, Gwenhwyfar, Morgaine, Elaine, Morgause). Yes, Morgaine was a magical type, but she spends a lot of the book living in the castle, and when she wants to overthrow Arthur, she has to scheme behind his back like any other woman. I could address each individual character, but that would make this excessively long , and I suggest you just read the book. It's good. Sieglinde , from Rhinegold. There were actually a few interesting female characters in this book (Stephen Grundy's looong retelling of the Niebelungenlied), but she's the one I remember. Wow, is this lady ruthless. But she doesn't go to war or anything. She just engineers the destruction of her husband's whole family. Sieglinde scared me. (more names, durnit) from Stranger at the Wedding. The main character was a wizard, but the book takes place while she's home attending her sister's wedding. Her sister is also a cool character, and more traditional. I only read this once (my copy was borrowed), so I can't recall details, but it was mostly about family politics, social intrigue, and making sure everyone gets married to the right person, with a hefty dose of magic on the sly and a particularly dark plot twist near the end, which also says something about being a woman in a traditional society. Jennifer, from The Fionavar Tapestry. A nice Catholic law student who turns out to be one of the many reincarnations of Guenevere. A lot of the plot turns on her decisions, but she's neither warrior nor magic user like all of her friends turn out to be when they get to Fionavar. I really liked Jennifer. Blanche & Rosamond, from Snow White, Rose Red. Elizabethan girls who have to tangle with the Faerie Queen, and John Dee, and the witch-hunters, and everything else. Not wimpy at all, though they have no broadswords. So then, my point is that I think female characters can be interesting without specializing in "male" pursuits. Not that they always should be. I *like* women warriors (as my sig should indicate). But I feel like in Mercedes Lackey, all the women who go to war are considered strong and all the women who pursue women's activities are considered burdens or jokes. It's probably not as cut-and-dried as all that, but that's the feeling I get. Oh, and if anyone cares (oh, even if you don't, I just can't pass up an opening to talk about it), I may feel more strongly right now about the topic because the book I'm writing has primarily "traditional" female characters, and I likes 'em. There's a queen who's there for the people to admire while her brother the king does the dirty work of governing and running a war. There's her lady in waiting, a poor girl whose late husband used to be a sailor, with whom she traveled around the world before settling down in the palace. There's another character's mistress, who just has to put up with the slurs on her reputation until and unless she can convince him to marry her. And there is the king's private secretary, who's treading on thin ice anyway, attending policy meetings andso forth, and refuses to advise the king for fear that the other nobles will say she's gone too far and try to have her removed. None of them interact with the men as equals, because my world *is* a sexist one, and they just can't. But I'd hate to think they are de facto dull characters. They do things, and they influence things, and gosh darn it, I think they're just good people to know. Persis makes a pretty good queen when the country gets left unexpectedly in her lap, as it happens. So you see this subject is close to home, which is why I've gone to such lengths with it. Sorry to those people who have to pay extra for all my ramblings; I really am sorry. Hey, at least it's not a one-line post HTH Ladies' Aid & Armor Society ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 11:34:04 -0700 From: Lara Keyser To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Book lovers and Audiobooks Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19960411183404.0067db60-+AT+-silcom.com> >I may switch over to audiobooks just for the convenience.. although I don't >think I'll find much fantasy on audio. I've been listening to at least one audiobooks a month for the past few years because it's the only way to read and drive at the same time without killing someone , and it's a great way to pass the time on long trips. During my quest for good audiobooks I've never come across a Misty book, and really don't expect to. I found the unabridged Hitchhiker's Guide, etc., but nothing even remotely resembling true fantasy. Actually I wouln't buy Misty on audio even if it *was* available, since about 80% of the audiobooks are abridged (cut out one word??? unthinkable!!!!!<--count 'em), and it would really bug me to find out I've been mispronouncing the names in my head this whole time. There's also the issue of needing the actual books in my collection, but that would never really be a problem. It certainly didn't stop me from having the Douglas Adams books in 1)hardcover multi-book collections, 2)softcover, 3)audiobook, and 4)original radioscripts... (and still looking for the video version...yes, I'm a tad obsessive) The only reason the D.A. books on tape didn't bug me is that they were read by the author. If Misty herself put out unabridged audiobooks, you can bet I'd be pulling out that checkbook faster than the eye could follow, but I'm not holding my breath. >Which brings me to the Misty point: I'd hate to have a Misty audiobook or even >movie, just because of the voices. I have my own idea of voices and appearances >of characters (some say my imagination is stereo, full-color) and seeing them >not match on screen would ruin it for me. I agree, having books made into movies is always a disappointment when you have a set picture of the characters in your mind. The Last Unicorn was good because there is more creativity allowed in animation, but Clan of the Cave bear was the biggest joke ever allowed on screen and kind of tainted my enjoyment of the books. Speaking of, I'm anxiously awaiting an answer to the question someone asked recently about the appearance of Jean Auel's next book. Waiting a couple of years? Try 6! Can you imagine what we'd all be like if we had to wait 6 years between Misty's books? Sorry so verbose, just had to add my $.04 :-} Lara (Antera on IRC) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 14:41:14 +0000 From: "M. Wang" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Book lovers Message-ID: > > Has anyone ever lent a book to a friend who does that? I'm always tempted to > > ask them to buy me a new book if they kill the binding. > > > > Cruel, aren't I, > > Shadowspun > > No, not at all. I have one friend who can no longer come within 15 feet > of my bookshelves, because when she reads books she both leaves them > lying open facedown to mark her place and, when reading them, wraps the > front cover and all previously read pages all the way around until they > touch the back cover (grrrrrr......). > > Becky The trick, I've found, is to only lend my babies to those friends who are: a) as anal as I am about spines, covers, dents, miniscule chips in the beautiful foil lettering....er...scuse me--who will therefore return every book in the exact same shape in which it left my shelf b) saddled with over-active consciences (in which case they will still destroy the book, but immediately run out to the local Bookstop and buy you an even newer, shinier, foil-laden copy in order to ease their feelings of guilt and self-loathing) :) Magyss ------------------------------------------------------------------- "I don't date corpses. A girl's got to have some standards." --Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter ------------------------------------------------------------------- magyss-+AT+-iag.net | http://www.iag.net/~magyss ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 15:07:04 GMT From: STOKES J <95662014-+AT+-mmu.ac.uk> To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Jennifer Roberson's e-mail addy Message-ID: <54522C16D59-+AT+-EXCALIBUR.MMU.AC.UK> >Exactly who is Jennifer Roberson? >Mannaheim >-=-=-=-patw-+AT+-clark.edu-=-=-=-Mannaheim-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >"He teaches like Speedy Gonzalez on a caffeine high." >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Am I reading correctley? Jennifer Roberson wrote the Cheysuli chronicals and the Tiger + Del books Sheesh I think I need to lay down after this. Kalen Shena Vuysher'edras[OIB] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 15:32:05 +0100 From: mel (Melanie Dymond Harper) To: mercedes-lackey Subject: ADMIN: subscriber list problem, morning of April 12th Message-ID: <9604121432.AA06127-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk> I really do enjoy coming back from a morning meeting to find that the listprocessor has, in my absence, attempted to eat the list subscribers file. *sigh* Oh well, it is now fixed; anyone who has had messages rejected should resend them. Sorry folks. Mel. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 15:36:42 GMT From: STOKES J <95662014-+AT+-mmu.ac.uk> To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Teachers/Lecturers and fantasy Message-ID: <545A1985B85-+AT+-EXCALIBUR.MMU.AC.UK> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 4 Apr 1996 22:15:52 +0100 Reply-to: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk From: ramsdend-+AT+-uk.psi.com To: 95662014-+AT+-mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: book lovers >> Has anyone else had a similar experience, or are my >> teachers just idiots? >> >> ~~~~~~~~~~Lady 'Reesa~~~~~~~~~~mrtmh-+AT+-primenet.com~~~~~~~~~~~) > >When I was a school I had a long running 'discussion' about Fantsy >Books being decent reading material for me. She got me to read all >these other books, which while okay in generall i much prefered >fantasy. I suppose i should point out she wasn't exactly against >Fantasy just that it was all I seemed to read. Mind you she did beg >me to stay on and do English. Well I'm in university at the moment and in October I wrote the start of what I now hope to turn in to a novel[ for part of my degree], {it's about a kid who is pulled into another dimention (high magic count)}well I showed it to my creative writing lecturer who said " don't dwell to much in the fantasy realm stick more with the reality side of the story" Needless to say I was extremeley Majored off, so I didn't bring any work in for her for about 3 months. Not only that but the poetry I wrote she didn't understand so I explained it to her only to find that she took no notice of what I'd said or written when she marked it. I have to put up with this woman for another two years[ if you see a story on the news about a student going mental and throwing a lecturer out of the window over this time it will be me]. On a positive note I've fixed her partially already, I've written it into my degree that my work has to be marked by two other people besides her. Should prove interesting to watch. Kalen Shena Vuysher'edras [OIB] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 11:26:15 -0400 (EDT) From: Mark Mains To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Firecats Message-ID: <199604121526.LAA19287-+AT+-service1.cc.uky.edu> >From: EGLESTON-+AT+-bpl.org Mark M asked about the "cats of the sun lords". Did you mean Firecats? Because if so, they are definitely supposed to be like Companions. Big difference being that they make their nature known to the people they bond to while Companions don't. (Why? I keep wondering why? Vanyel, in the last Winds book says that he is "still in the service of Valdemar and the Goddess", so it must be that the Goddess (or maybe Baron Valdemar?) decided to keep the Companions nature secret. But then Florian tells Karal that "Cats are secretive and won't tell you stuff." <-approximation But Horses will tell you stuff being the implication -- phhbbbtttt!! And when the Herald-Mages were running around Valdemar surely they noticed that their companions were Guardian Spirits! Every mage outside Valdemar seems to be able to tell! So why the secrecy? How? Froth! Froth! Mutter!) Yoicks! and Away! Cindy ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 15:35:59 GMT From: STOKES J <95662014-+AT+-mmu.ac.uk> To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Re: re gays Message-ID: <5459E1113FF-+AT+-EXCALIBUR.MMU.AC.UK> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 5 Apr 1996 01:09:12 +0100 Reply-to: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk From: mrtmh-+AT+-primenet.com (Lady 'Reesa And Tina) To: 95662014-+AT+-mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: re gays > Does anyone know the >root of the word "lesbian"? It might be interesting. > Just my $0.02 worth >~~~~~~~~~~Lady 'Reesa~~~~~~~~~~mrtmh-+AT+-primenet.com~~~~~~~~~~~) Comes from the Greek island of Lesbos I think. Kalen Shena Vuysher'edras[OIB] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 12:53:02 EDT From: "Jill" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Anthony Message-ID: <25A992C5F98-+AT+-pub.sbu.edu> On Piers Anthony negativity: Piers Anthony was one of the first fantasy authors I ever started reading, starting with one of the Xanth books (the Nightmare one, I think). And, yes, I do think that they were good at first, but lately they've been all puns and in-jokes and no plot. Ridiculous. Humor has its place (i finally managed to get my hands on a copy of Mary Gentle's "Grunts," which came *highly* recommeded :), but they're not even funny anymore. I reread the first nine every once in a while, though. The APprentice Adept series was good (IMHO), especially the first three. The next couple were alright ... but the final one was awful. The Incarnations series was interesting - but I've only read a few. :) Some day I'll get very bored and have nothing to read and I'll manage to finish it. Jill Morrison /// morrisjm-+AT+-sbu.edu /// Merlyn3109-+AT+-aol.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" - Puck, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Act 3, Scene 2, Line 115 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 12:26:30 -0600 From: "Saajak" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Men in power Message-ID: <1A868D8388C-+AT+-wheeler.northland.edu> > Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 05:48:32 +0100 > Reply-to: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk > From: Mannaheim > To: ps9562-+AT+-wheeler.northland.edu > Subject: Re: Men in power > On Wed, 10 Apr 1996 EGLESTON-+AT+-bpl.org wrote: > > > Yoicks! and Away! > > > > Cindy (who doesn't seem to want to work with snow falling.) > > > Ehh...ahh...you have SNOW?! I wonder just where you live. I'm > way out on the north-west coast of the U.S. and we're having 80 degree > weather here right now. Well, we did. Now it's 65-70 and raining. > :) > > Mannaheim > > -=-=-=-patw-+AT+-clark.edu-=-=-=-Mannaheim-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- > "He teaches like Speedy Gonzalez on a caffeine high." > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- > Umm,we have snow for anyone who wants it, and we got more last night. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wouldn't have rained first and then froze, and THEN snowed. Needless to say, the Companions are having a mighty tough time up here in Northern Wisconsin! :) ObMisty: There seems to be seasons on Velgarth, which doesn't seem to be happening here, where it's eternally winter! "We're Starfleet Officers. Weird is a part of the job." Stacey ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 13:56:53 -0400 (EDT) From: EGLESTON-+AT+-bpl.org To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: just testing Message-ID: <960412135653.b3d-+AT+-bpl.org> Since I am completely confused -- the listprocessor told me I was unsubscribed, so I resubscribed, then it sent me one message from the list and then another message saying I was a bad girl for resubscribing... (I'm as baffled as a bathroom geyser???) Anyway, I'm just checking to see if a message works before I type anything really lengthy. Yoicks! and Away! Cindy ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 15:38:14 GMT From: STOKES J <95662014-+AT+-mmu.ac.uk> To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Re: Gays/bi/hetero Message-ID: <545A7EC2D96-+AT+-EXCALIBUR.MMU.AC.UK> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 5 Apr 1996 00:42:49 +0100 Reply-to: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk From: Becky Anne Christensen To: 95662014-+AT+-mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Tarma > Well, I don't think that is exactly true. There are probably a >lot more people out there than you think that are strictly straight. I >myself am one of them. I can name a lot of other people, but I don't know >everything about them there ever was to know, so I won't. I seriously >doubt they are anyhting but strictly straight, I would bet everyhting I >owned. I agree, more people would be bisexual if they could without fear. >But I still think that main population would still be straight. It's what >is natural to humans, like an instinct. Please lets not bring nature into this, in the study I did last year as part of my course I discovered that gorillas are actively bi and many other animals have gay and bi members in their groups [ Moonsongs' quote from Magics Pawn comes to mind {probably not exactly right}] :- " In the world there are more creatures than man that make lifetime pairings, Wolves, Geese Swans, all the great raptors. Creatures man could do worse than emulate in many, many ways. And with all of them, there are those pairings from time to time within the same gender, not often but not unheard of either." Kalen Shena Vuysher'edras[OIB] ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 472 *********************************