From: joak@ocf.berkeley.edu (Jonathan A. Kung)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.asprin
Subject: Yikes
Date: 22 Aug 1992 06:22:03 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: tsunami.berkeley.edu

Boy, what a dead group!  I guess it'll liven up whenever he
gets his butt in gear and cranks out his next book...

Anyway, while I'm here, here're some things I'd like to discuss:

-Starblaze went under a while ago, I think, so there won't
 be any more of those wonderful oversized editions, huh?
 Ditto for the Phil Foglio art.  (sigh)

-Anyone notice how Asprin likes to change things like names?
 I think Chumley used to be Chumly, and no one seems to call
 Tananda "Tanda" anymore.  Oh well, author's prerogative.
 (Personally, I like "Chumley" over "Chumly" for the spelling,
 and "Tananda" over "Tanda" because of the rhythm.)

-Skeeve is an idiot.

-I don't get a real sense of the dimensions Asprin creates,
 especially the Bazaar.  I mean, what's the deal?  Is the
 entire dimension (I might assume that the dimensions are
 spherical, but I'm probably wrong) a bunch of tents and
 doorways to pocket dimensions, or are there farms, cities,
 and natural, topological features like mountains and stuff?
 Where do they keep the factories like that one that turned
 out that fake doggie-shit-that-sticks-to-your-hands-or-what-
 ever-the-hell-the-name-was?  From what Asprin writes, I get
 the picture that Deva is nothing but the Bazaar, and that
 the Bazaar is perhaps the size of, say, San Francisco, if even.
 And what's the deal with that Jahk dimension?  Is the whole
 planet two cities with a single road running between them?
 And what's the deal with Perv?  Didn't live up to my vision
 of a high-tech, high-magic (oops, magik) dimension.  Guess
 the Perverts are a bunch of liars.  Don't see why anyone'd
 want to immigrate to such a seedy place, anyhow, so why would
 they have to tell horror-stories to keep the foreigners out?
 And what about Klah?  I don't think Skeeve's ever seen a body
 of water larger than his courtyard fountain.

-Just how old is Skeeve?  Bunny?  Luanna?  Hemlock?  They're
 all just kids, right?

-Whatever happened to Skeeve's quiet rage directed at the
 dragon keeper when he got Gleep (or vice-versa)?  I thought
 for a moment that Garkin had somehow possessed Skeeve like
 an amped-up Ben Kenobi, but I guess Asprin just dropped it.
 Maybe Skeeve was bluffing.

-Can't say I really much like Gleep's new characterization.
 Too anti-cliche, or something.  Wonder if the older dragon
 from Conceptions was old enough to talk.

-I still don't think I have the Mob-Deva situation down yet.
 I guess Deva pays Skeeve to keep the Mob away, and Skeeve
 gives that money, labeled as "protection," to the Mob, who
 in turn pay Skeeve a lesser amount for collecting the funds,
 who then keeps this money.  Is that it?

-I guess Asprin is writing this as he goes along.  Why do I
 say this?  At first we get the impression that Aahz is this
 great money-making machine.  Then we get this Butterfly guy
 later on, as if Asprin is saying, "Okay, I just decided that
 Aahz really isn't as hot as everyone thinks he is, plus I just
 took this accounting course at the JC, so I'll inject a bit
 of realism into dimensional economics."  Or not.

Well, that's it for now.  Email me if you think I'm a pompous
ass and hate my guts.

-Jon Kung, haven't read a MYTH book in a LONG time...