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blakes7-d Digest Volume 00 : Issue 274
Today's Topics:
Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and pr [ "Gary" <gadam@shore.net> ]
[B7L] Re: Hamlet & conversion site [ JEB31538@cs.com ]
Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire, etc, [ "Ellynne G." <rilliara@juno.com> ]
[B7L] Penguins (was Fantasy, satire [ "Ellynne G." <rilliara@juno.com> ]
Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and pr [ "Ellynne G." <rilliara@juno.com> ]
Re: [B7L] Penguins (was Fantasy, sat [ Penny Dreadful <pennydreadful@power ]
Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire, etc, [ "Neil Faulkner" <N.Faulkner@tesco.n ]
Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire, etc, [ B7Morrigan@aol.com ]
Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and pr [ DDJ <frazzled@keystonenet.com> ]
[B7L] Re: Anna [ Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@comp ]
Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and pr [ "Neil Faulkner" <N.Faulkner@tesco.n ]
[B7L] Dup B7 videos [ B7Morrigan@aol.com ]
Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and pr [ "Ellynne G." <rilliara@juno.com> ]
Re: [B7L] Introduction [ "Ellynne G." <rilliara@juno.com> ]
Re: [B7L] Anna & the nature of love [ Natasa Tucev <tucev@tesla.rcub.bg.a ]
Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire, etc R [ Helen Krummenacker <avona@jps.net> ]
Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and pr [ "Una McCormack" <una@q-research.con ]
Re: [B7L] Anna & the nature of love [ "Marian de Haan" <maya@multiweb.nl> ]
[B7L] Fantasy [ Natasa Tucev <tucev@tesla.rcub.bg.a ]
[B7L] Servalan [ Nic Mayer <nic@paranoidangel.freese ]
[B7L] Fantasy [ Natasa Tucev <tucev@tesla.rcub.bg.a ]
[B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and prince [ Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@comp ]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 11:48:39 -0400
From: "Gary" <gadam@shore.net>
To: <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and princess brides and Ring Lords
Message-ID: <00c601c02af5$e7991fa0$82bac0d1@Pgadam>
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>Neil wrote:
>>This is the stuff of LotR and rpgs like ADnD. Yet, though Tolkien is
>amazingly popular (Book of the Century, remember?) and his second-rate
>imitators fill the >shelves in bookshops ...
>
>Am I alone in the world in actually rather liking LotR ? The fact that it
>spawned a lot of poor imitations doesn't stop the original from having its
>good moments (interspersed with the dire moments) and the fact that it's
>apparently popular doesn't necessarily make it totally beneath contempt. I
>was rather pleased it won the Waterstones Book of the Century poll
I Love LOTR it has been a favourite of mine since I was very young. You
merely have to appreciate fine writing and the ability to 'paint' a vivid
scene with just words to fully admire and appreciate Tolkien. As far as I am
concerned, it is a common thing for there to be immitators out there, they
see how great J.R.R. was and want to be just like him. Success always spawns
those that will be immitators. Just recall that "Imitation is the sincerest
form of flattery"
I recently misplaced my copy of The Two Towers and as a result I had to buy
the whole thing, so I could have a complete set in similar bindings...
See?
--Gary--
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 14:07:29 EDT
From: JEB31538@cs.com
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] Re: Hamlet & conversion site
Message-ID: <d9.a4568b6.270785e1@cs.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
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On the other list, a currency conversion site was given.
http://www.xe.net/currency/
I've put this on my list of favorites because it's a very handy site for B7
fans to have, considering all the different currencies you might have to
deal with. Also, the pound does fluctuate and now is a very good time for
Americans to be buying British items.
A helpful fan (thanks very much, Carol) pointed out that 17 pounds was
24.8902 dollars and therefore Hamlet would cost Americans 25 dollars + 1
dollar for bank fees from Horizon and not the 29 dollars I originally
thought it would.
The Hamlet information is now up at the Horizon site, but not easy to get.
Basically you click on news and then cast news and then Gareth and then
September 29th and the information gets displayed.
http://www.horizon.org.uk/
If you want a wonderful picture of Gareth as Claudius in Hamlet, go to
Judith Proctor's site and check it out.
http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7/index.html
You find it by going to Gareth Thomas and scrolling down. I normally just
pick up the chronological list of all activites and it's near the bottom of
that section. It doesn't take all that long for it to load. The Hamlet
picture is in color unlike the Oberon picture which is also on the site and
very good, too. (You can get the Oberon picture easily from the main site
page.)
Joyce (Yes, my check is already in the mail to Horizon for Hamlet. )
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 12:23:32 -0600
From: "Ellynne G." <rilliara@juno.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire, etc, trying to get back on topic
Message-ID: <20000930.125231.-89663.0.rilliara@juno.com>
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On Sat, 30 Sep 2000 11:11:59 +0200 Jacqueline Thijsen
<inquisitioner@wish.net> writes:
> At 18:44 29-9-00 +0100, Neil Faulkner wrote:
>
> >Much like the Star Wars universe, though there's an annoying
> >Tarzan reference in RotJ that drives me up the wall.
>
> Which reference is that?
Chewie, swinging on a vine, gives the well-known Tarzan yell.
>
> >- alien invaders who infiltrate us by looking exactly like people
> we used to
> >know (we somehow overlook the lumbering gait and blank-eyed stares)
>
> Well, on monday mornings that's only natural.
>
Fridays, too. Somedays, some people should just show up for work on a
cold, stone slab in a body bag....
Ellynne
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 12:34:53 -0600
From: "Ellynne G." <rilliara@juno.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] Penguins (was Fantasy, satire and princess brides)
Message-ID: <20000930.125231.-89663.1.rilliara@juno.com>
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On Sat, 30 Sep 2000 16:14:25 EST "Jessica Taylor"
<morgaine54@hotmail.com> writes:
>
> >Thinking about it, my Ideal Fantasy Film would have a lot of
> elements in
> >common with my Ideal B7 Movie.
>
> <snip>
>
> >The hardest part in both cases is fitting in the penguins.
> >
A few years back, I came across a review for a fantasy novel that went on
at length about how great the book was, especially about how the author
actually managed to make the image of a giant penguin exacting vengeance
completely convincing. I think it was by Tanith Lee and was called
something like Paradys or some other odd spelling of paradise (I actually
saw a copy somewhere and started to look through it, but two of the main
characters were compulsive killers with very unsavory habits, so I
didn't get far, but it obviously stuck in my memory).
As Jessica said, "Think I covered everything, witty dialogue, a plausible
setting, gloomy
atmosphere and I even managed the penguins." Well, gloomy atmosphere and
penguins. The dialogue may have been witty. I'm not sure about
plausible.
Ellynne
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 12:52:29 -0600
From: "Ellynne G." <rilliara@juno.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and princess brides
Message-ID: <20000930.125231.-89663.2.rilliara@juno.com>
Content-Type: text/plain
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On Fri, 29 Sep 2000 17:33:45 +0100 Tavia Chalcraft <tavia@btinternet.com>
writes:
> Neil wrote:
> >This is the stuff of LotR and rpgs like ADnD. Yet, though Tolkien
> is
> amazingly popular (Book of the Century, remember?) and his
> second-rate
> imitators fill the >shelves in bookshops ...
>
> Am I alone in the world in actually rather liking LotR ?
Well, I _can_ go on for even longer about LotR than about B7. I think it
shows what taking a few decades to work out all the details can do for a
series. I mean, if Tolkien tells you Frodo sees a red star rising higher
and higher each night, you can be sure that there is a red star in that
part of the horizon that rises higher and higher each night during that
part of the year. If they run into an evil weather pattern on a
malicious mountain, you can be sure that it fits a legitimate weather
pattern to be found on mountains. The level of detail alone is
overwhelming. But there just isn't a level on which it doesn't satisfy.
Action adventure? It's that. Detailed politics? Has that. Developed
cultures? That too. Deep literary stuff? Check again. And I won't even
go on about how Beowulf influenced him, or the languages, or -
Say, remember when it was discussed what kind of plural ending -ar was
for Auronar? Eldar, Sindar, Valar, Maiar... stop me when you notice a
trend, here.
The Auronar had strange abilities, isolated themselves from humanity, and
we never did see the tips of Cally's ears, did we (not that it would
matter, other than having the elven word for leaf having a related root
for the elven for ear, Tolkien never actually _says_ elves have pointed
ears.... Did Cally ever say anything about Auron life expectancy?)?
Ellynne
________________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 13:23:57 -0600
From: Penny Dreadful <pennydreadful@powersurfr.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Penguins (was Fantasy, satire and princess brides)
Message-Id: <4.1.20000930130959.0099f750@mail.powersurfr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
At 12:34 PM 9/30/00 -0600, Ellynne G. wrote:
>A few years back, I came across a review for a fantasy novel that went on
>at length about how great the book was, especially about how the author
>actually managed to make the image of a giant penguin exacting vengeance
>completely convincing. I think it was by Tanith Lee and was called
>something like Paradys
Tanith Lee, "The Secret Books of Paradys IV: The Book of the Mad". Unlike
sometimes, she didn't seem to be getting a bit bored with this particular
universe by the end of the series. At least I think this was the end of the
series. Excellent series, and I am not even that big a fantasy fan (I
always want to say "I hate fantasy" but obviously that's not true), or even
universally unconditionally enamoured of Tanith Lee (although I do like her
work in general). A must-have for penguin fetishists...(and the cover of my
copy has a painting of a naked woman on it too)
ObB7, Tanith Lee wrote for B7. Nyah! (weak...)
--Penny
______________________________
"No rules, no naps, no shoes!"
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 14:04:43 +0100
From: "Neil Faulkner" <N.Faulkner@tesco.net>
To: "b7" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire, etc, trying to get back on topic
Message-ID: <000201c02b17$1e1049c0$e535fea9@neilfaulkner>
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charset="iso-8859-1"
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From: Jacqueline Thijsen <inquisitioner@wish.net>
> At 18:44 29-9-00 +0100, Neil Faulkner wrote:
>
> >Much like the Star Wars universe, though there's an annoying
> >Tarzan reference in RotJ that drives me up the wall.
>
> Which reference is that?
The bit where Chewbacca gives a Tarzan yodel as he swings across to the big
two-legged metal thingie. I don't mind him swinging, it's the yodel that
bothers me.
It's probably the only moment in the whole trilogy that denies the illusion
that SW is set in another reality, unconnected to our own. The various
references to Hell I can take as being part of the translation (presumably
all the dialogue's been translated for our benefit), and the various homages
to westerns and other genres (including Tarzan again, in the first film) are
fine so long as they remain 'in universe'.
No doubt this says something interesting about the way we watch these
things.
> >- alien invaders who infiltrate us by looking exactly like people we used
to
> >know (we somehow overlook the lumbering gait and blank-eyed stares)
>
> Well, on monday mornings that's only natural.
I know some people who are like that all the time. They're called
production managers.
Neil
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 15:45:34 EDT
From: B7Morrigan@aol.com
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire, etc, trying to get back on topic
Message-ID: <41.17e2647.27079cde@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
In a message dated 9/30/00 3:17:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
N.Faulkner@tesco.net writes:
> > >- alien invaders who infiltrate us by looking exactly like people we
used
> to
> > >know (we somehow overlook the lumbering gait and blank-eyed stares)
> >
> > Well, on monday mornings that's only natural.
>
> I know some people who are like that all the time. They're called
> production managers.
As a manager of long experience (15 years - aagh!) I must quibble with this
reference.
We're not aliens.
We are however the undead. The corporation has sucked the soul out of our
bodies.
Morrigan
newly liberated from dark, satanic Corporate America but still a capitalist
at heart.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 18:27:05 -0400
From: DDJ <frazzled@keystonenet.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and princess brides and Ring
Lords
Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.20000930182705.006d1f08@keystonenet.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>Neil wrote:
>>>This is the stuff of LotR and rpgs like ADnD. Yet, though Tolkien is
>>amazingly popular (Book of the Century, remember?) and his second-rate
>>imitators fill the >shelves in bookshops ...
>>
>>Am I alone in the world in actually rather liking LotR ? The fact that it
>>spawned a lot of poor imitations doesn't stop the original from having its
>>good moments (interspersed with the dire moments) and the fact that it's
>>apparently popular doesn't necessarily make it totally beneath contempt.
Thought of this thread today, while reading an article titled "Dr Seuss and
Dr Einstein: Children's Books and Scientific Imagination," which
essentially argues that children's fantasy and picture books can develop
the right mindset for science. At one point, the author (Chet Raymo)
states "I would more quickly welcome into my science classes the child who
has travelled in Middle-Earth and Narnia than the child who stayed home and
read nothing but 'useful' information."
That, in turn, left me wondering which category Blake and Avon would've fit.
DDJ
frazzled@keystonenet.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 19:57:13 -0400
From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com>
To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: [B7L] Re: Anna
Message-ID: <200009301957_MC2-B539-DED1@compuserve.com>
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Sally continued to argue:
>"Alive, Servalan can hand over power. =
>Dead, she's just one more corpse."
>
>All of which indicates an overriding belief that =
>Servalan's command to disarm will be effective. =
I certainly don't think it would be 100 per cent effective. I do think i=
t
would create a certain amount of confusion (we know from Traitor that the=
re
were some people who were personally loyal to Servalan). She may be hopi=
ng
for enough of a split in the armed forces to renew the recent civil war, =
in
which the rebels would also join. That's why she should have been
cultivating military contacts, too.
>I shouldn't be surprised if Chesku kept his trophy =
>wife right out of anything and everything where =
>she could develop political nous or influence.
Anna's job (as Bartolomew) is to watch people; I imagine that her marriag=
e
to Chesku was arranged by her controllers specifically to put her into a
position where she is able to watch rising politicians (including him) fo=
r
any dangerous tendencies. She should also have met plenty of military
high-rankers at those interminable presidential dinners. I hypothesise a=
n
affair with one of them, because we know she'd used that technique before=
,
and it would be the simplest cover for a plot.
>Then why doesn't she seem to take any precautions =
>against possible alarms etc? Did she assume that =
>everything *would* go so perfectly that there would =
>be no need for a back-up force in case an alarm got =
>through (as it did?)
Clearly, something did go badly wrong, and it can't be put down purely to=
the wild card of the Liberator crew. Coups are like heroics, they seldom=
run to schedule. On my story, her back-up force and Servalan's relief
force are identical, led by her military lover, but an unknown cock-up
(maybe he was reassigned at the last moment, but I prefer to think she
picked the wrong man and he was quite unable to improvise when things beg=
an
to go off course) causes them to fulfil their official role rather than t=
he
one she planned.
I certainly agree that Anna made mistakes (not having a secure guard on
Servalan in the cellar strikes me as particularly odd) - I perceive her a=
s
a gloriously flawed character to match Avon. I just can't believe she'd =
be
so hare-brained as to set up a plot which was so obviously doomed without=
a
Factor X.
Harriet
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 21:07:00 +0100
From: "Neil Faulkner" <N.Faulkner@tesco.net>
To: "b7" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and princess brides
Message-ID: <000601c02b49$291f54a0$e535fea9@neilfaulkner>
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
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From: Ellynne G. <rilliara@juno.com>
> Well, I _can_ go on for even longer about LotR than about B7. <snip>
> Say, remember when it was discussed what kind of plural ending -ar was
> for Auronar? Eldar, Sindar, Valar, Maiar... stop me when you notice a
> trend, here.
Hmm, and if the Sarcophagus alien was related to the Auronar (well, they
both had the mental power stuff, didn't they), and she was so much attached
to That Ring .... then maybe ...
The bastards! They stiffed Galadriel!
Actually if there's one bit of Tolkien I'd like to see made into a film, it
would probably be the tale of Turin Turambar. It's got everything a gloomy
gothic tragedy could ask for - damaged childhood, missing parents, friends
slain by accident, an evil dragon, treacherous dwarves, unrequited love,
incest, suicide. I think Galadriel was at Menegroth at the time so she
could get a cameo. The only change I'd make is have Morgoth let Hurin go a
bit earlier so he could turn up in time to see Turin throw himself on
Gurthang.
No, of course I'm not into Tolkien...
Neil
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 23:43:29 EDT
From: B7Morrigan@aol.com
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se, freedom-city@blakes-7.org
Subject: [B7L] Dup B7 videos
Message-ID: <35.ae56c28.27080ce1@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Driven by the demon acquisition, I inadvertently purchased duplicates of the
B7 videos, volumes 8 and 14.
Volume 8 contains "Shadow" and "Weapon" and is still in shrinkwrap
Volume 14 contains "Aftermath" and "Powerplay"
Ideally, I'd love to trade these videos for volumes 19, 21, 22, or 24, none
of which I currently have.
In lieu of that, I'll make these NTSC videos available at a pretty low price
to any struggling students or other fans who can't otherwise get them from
Amazon or Ebay.
Just send me a direct email. First come, first serve. $5 each, or $7.50 for
both, plus $3.20 for Priority Mail.
Morrigan
Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic!
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 22:11:39 -0600
From: "Ellynne G." <rilliara@juno.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and princess brides and Ring Lords
Message-ID: <20000930.222043.-472513.0.rilliara@juno.com>
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
On Sat, 30 Sep 2000 18:27:05 -0400 DDJ <frazzled@keystonenet.com> writes:
>
> Thought of this thread today, while reading an article titled "Dr
> Seuss and
> Dr Einstein: Children's Books and Scientific Imagination," which
> essentially argues that children's fantasy and picture books can
> develop
> the right mindset for science. [snip]
>
> That, in turn, left me wondering which category Blake and Avon
> would've fit.
>
Blake openly read all that stuff and went on at great length how it was
so much better than certain government approved reading lists.
Avon read everything he could get his hands on, too, but he said it was
to help him understand such hopelessly warped mentalities as the people
who actually _enjoyed_ reading it.
Ellynne
________________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 22:20:36 -0600
From: "Ellynne G." <rilliara@juno.com>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Introduction
Message-ID: <20000930.222043.-472513.1.rilliara@juno.com>
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
On Sat, 30 Sep 2000 18:16:50 EST "Jessica Taylor"
<morgaine54@hotmail.com> writes:
>
> Sally wrote:
But Cally gets a
> bare
> >handful of lines in Rescue, and Vila's later, very apt "who cared
> about
> >Cally?"
>
> I think that was the most moving thing about Rescue, the anonymity
> of
> Cally's death and the way the others reacted so stoicly as though
> they were
> all pretty much desensitized to death by that point except for Vila.
> The
> scene when Tarrant wakes up by the fire and asks about Cally and the
> only
> response was Avon saying "Cally's dead" is probably (IMHO) one of
> the
> saddest ever on B7.
I think the terseness, the lack of overall reaction underscored their
emotional exhaustion at that particular time rather than overall
desensitization. To me, the feelings seemed to be there but no one was
in any state to deal with them. Add to which, they were in a pretty
precarious position themselves and didn't know whether or not they might
be joining her soon (and what exactly did cause the whole planet to blow
up so plot conveniently?).
However, you're making the classic error of assuming Cally died, a point
for which there is debatable evidence at best.
Ellynne
________________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 06:20:10 +0200
From: Natasa Tucev <tucev@tesla.rcub.bg.ac.yu>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Anna & the nature of love
Message-Id: <200010010420.GAA23362@Tesla.rcub.bg.ac.yu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Tavia wrote:
> I've also read a lot of
>fiction which assumed that Blake, for reasons of Cause and/or Federation
>mind-mangling, was incapable of love.
>
Back to the terms 'loving' and 'lovable' - the whole discussion ensued from
there. Just a coincidence, but they are also central to Eliot's Cocktail
Party, so I'll take the liberty of referring to it. Eliot claims that all
people are basically unloving and unlovable, i.e., too selfish and egotistic
for the 'genuine' surrender to love. It is the general human condition, he
says, and most of us
Are contented with the morning that separates
And with the evening that brings together
For casual talk before the fire
Two people who know they do not understand each other,
Breeding children whom they do not understand
And who will never understand them.
(There. I've introduced some poetry to the list.) The tiny minority who are
truly loving and lovable, for Eliot, are those who are willing to sacrifice
their personal interests (or even their lives) for some common good, for the
benefit of mankind. If this definition is applicable to anyone in B7, it is
certainly not Avon.
I'm not entirely in favour of this concept, but I've used it here because
the theory that Blake is incapable of love due to his devotion to the Cause
really makes me angry. It is contradictory in itself. I cannot remember that
Blake has done anything selfish throughout the series. Correct me if I'm
wrong. I also think the script writers (most of them) make it clear that he
is much more driven by the love for mankind than by the hatred for the
Federation. This is more than obvious when he puts a plague warning into
Fosforon's orbit, rather than to use this opportunity to kill Servalan (as
'somebody else' suggests they should do).
Natasa
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 21:41:38 -0700
From: Helen Krummenacker <avona@jps.net>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire, etc
Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire, etc
Message-ID: <39D6C082.21D0@jps.net>
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> - great scientific breakthroughs made by mad scientists stranded on barren
> planets with only their beautiful daughters for company. (If she's so
> beautiful, how come he's always so pigging ugly?)
I don't know. I thought Hal Mellanby was fairly good-looking, although I
wasn't entirely keen on his ensemble.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 08:31:59 +0100
From: "Una McCormack" <una@q-research.connectfree.co.uk>
To: "b7" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and princess brides
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Neil:
> Actually if there's one bit of Tolkien I'd like to see made into a film,
it
> would probably be the tale of Turin Turambar.
Ooh yes. Probably the grimmest story in the whole of Tolkien.
> It's got everything a gloomy
> gothic tragedy could ask for - damaged childhood, missing parents,
friends
> slain by accident, an evil dragon, treacherous dwarves, unrequited love,
> incest, suicide.
And is set amongst the ashes and ruins of once beautiful kingdoms.
> I think Galadriel was at Menegroth at the time so she
> could get a cameo. The only change I'd make is have Morgoth let Hurin go
a
> bit earlier so he could turn up in time to see Turin throw himself on
> Gurthang.
Wasn't quite grim enough for you, was it, Neil?
Una
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 10:11:40 +0200
From: "Marian de Haan" <maya@multiweb.nl>
To: <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Re: [B7L] Anna & the nature of love
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Natasa wrote:
>the theory that Blake is incapable of love due to his devotion to the Cause
really makes me angry. It is contradictory in itself. I cannot remember that
Blake has done anything selfish throughout the series. Correct me if I'm
wrong.<
Well, IMHO the way he claims Liberator for his fight, with total disregard
to the wishes of Jenna and Avon, might be considered a bit selfish from
their viewpoint :-)
Marian
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 11:03:09 +0200
From: Natasa Tucev <tucev@tesla.rcub.bg.ac.yu>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] Fantasy
Message-Id: <200010010903.LAA27071@Tesla.rcub.bg.ac.yu>
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1. Actually, B7 has a lot of elements which belong to the realm of
fantasy/myths/archetypes. I've written a silly essay about some of them.
I'll just add another one to the list: the fact that the Federation is not
unlike some mythical monsters. At the very beginning, Blake claims he
intends to see the heart of the Federation torn out. The problem is, the
heart is not where he expects it should be, on Earth, but rather 'on the
Mountain of Despair beyond the River of Fire guarded by the Dragons of
Eternity'. Another problem is, that even when this heart (Star One) is torn
out, the Federation goes on living. It very much reminds me of a dragon
whose chopped-off heads are replaced by new and more numerous ones.
2. A good fantasy film - how about 'Willow'? Does anyone else on this list
like it?
3. Has anybody tried inventing a computer font which would use runes instead
of letters? It wouldn't be very practical though.
Natasa
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 11:37:17 +0100 (GMT Daylight Time)
From: Nic Mayer <nic@paranoidangel.freeserve.co.uk>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] Servalan
Message-ID: <Pine.WNT.4.21.0010011135150.-521183@nic>
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There's an article in todays Observer, where Jacqueline Pearce says that
Servalan took over her life. Its at:
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4070427,00.html
Nic
General (USMC) - Danny's Girls
www.paranoidangel.freeserve.co.uk
I used to be conceited, but now I am perfect
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 14:39:19 +0200
From: Natasa Tucev <tucev@tesla.rcub.bg.ac.yu>
To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se
Subject: [B7L] Fantasy
Message-Id: <200010011239.OAA31670@Tesla.rcub.bg.ac.yu>
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(I'm sorry, I wiped off the original message but I think Neil asked whether
there could be something like B7 written in the fantasy genre).
The Evil Empire is spreading throughout Earthsea and forcing everyone to
speak RP English and wear ill-fitting tunics. Blake the Barbarian rebels
against the Empire and in a particularly gory scene he fights Travis the
Captain of the Guard and chops off his arm with a sword and plucks out his
eye with a bodkin. He is caught and dumped into dungeon while evil sorcery
is used to turn all his rebel friends into penguins (except Bran Foster who
is turned into a hard-back edition because he's so thick). A jewel is placed
into Blake the Barbarian's skull and the magic makes him accuse everyone who
rebels against RP and tunics of being a traitor. Then he recalls his past
and is shipped to a penal island, along with Vila the Thief, Avon the
Wizard, Gan the Giant with an Arrow in His Head and Jenna the Pirate. They
escape thanks to a magic ship haunted by Zen the Genie (Jenna wakes him up
by rubbing a green lamp). Magic bracelets enable them to get to a desired
island, while to return to the ship they have to put on red high-heel shoes,
turn thrice and repeat, 'There's no such place like the Liberator'. Avon the
Wizard makes the ship invisible. Later they run into Red Cally who's dressed
in red and also knows some magic. Feel free to continue.
Natasa
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 13:00:58 -0400
From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com>
To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" <blakes7@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: [B7L] Re: Fantasy, satire and princess brides
Message-ID: <200010011301_MC2-B54D-E034@compuserve.com>
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Russ wrote:
>Isn't Beowulf about an individual hero defending his =
>own community against a pair of monsters? =
In the first part, Beowulf sails in and defends someone else's community
(though with a similar culture) against a pair of monsters (Grendel and
dam). In the final part, many years later, he dies defending his own
community against a single monster (the dragon).
Harriet
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End of blakes7-d Digest V00 Issue #274
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