Truth Comes Out of Fiction

[vovat]

I got this meme (and my letter) from annamatic. It was really up my alley.

Name 5 fictional characters you really like, whose names start with the letter you're given, and let us know why you like them. My letter is G.

1. Gollum. I found this riddle-obsessed, hissing creature quite interesting when reading The Hobbit, and was excited to see that he had some back story in Lord of the Rings.
2. Glinda. The most powerful sorceress in Oz, ruler of the Quadlings, and power behind Ozma's throne. I think I'd find her intimidating if I were to meet her in person, but I think she's an interesting character to read about and work with.
3. Granny Weatherwax. Speaking of intimidating witches, the most famous witch on the Discworld accomplishes a lot through intimidation, sheer force of will, and a heavy dose of headology. Her first name is actually Esmerelda, but I think she still counts.
4. Gohma. The one-eyed spider boss from the Zelda games. A pretty cool enemy, and its name is fun to say.
5. Gargravarr. When Zaphod Beeblebrox encountered this guardian of the Total Perspective Vortex, he was undergoing a trial separation from his body. I love gags like that. His first name, by the way, is Pizpot.

If you'd like to play, I can give you a letter. Just let me know.

Speaking of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a few of my LJ friends have reported that Eoin Colfer is writing a new book in the series. I'm not inherently opposed to sequels by hands other than the original author's (I'm a big fan of the Oz books by Ruth Plumly Thompson, for instance), but so much of the appeal of that series is in Douglas Adams' writing style, and I'm not sure anyone else can really write like he did.

Comments

[majellen.livejournal.com]

Oh, ok, give me a letter then, but remember I'm not a librarian like you smart types!

[vovat.livejournal.com]

How about L?

[slfcllednowhere.livejournal.com]

Yeh, that's exactly how I feel about the Hitchhiker's Guide thing. He might be able to pull it off (I've never read this guy's stuff before so I don't really know) but I have serious doubts, and I think you're absolutely right, it's no fun if he can't.

[travspence.livejournal.com]

A letter, please, with the option to opt out if I can't think of FIVE. :-)

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Okay, how about S?

[revme.livejournal.com]

Yeah --I also find it kinda weird that DNA's wife said he was thinking of doing a 6th Hitchhiker's book, just because I always heard that he did Mostly Harmless to kill the series once and for all. But then again, IIRC, for about five minutes, Salmon Of Doubt was going to be a Hitchhiker's book too, so who knows!

Still seems weird. But I am apparently the only one who likes Mostly Harmless, even better than So Long And Thanks For All The Fish, which I keep hearing as "Should have been the end of the trilogy".

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I'd say I also preferred MH to SLATFATF, although neither one was close to the quality of the first three. I think MH returned to the more random feel of the earlier books. My main complaint about MH is that it seems like Adams was really in a hurry to end the thing, and did so rather abruptly.

[colbyucb.livejournal.com]

but so much of the appeal of that series is in Douglas Adams' writing style, and I'm not sure anyone else can really write like he did.

This is exactly why I was apprehensive about it when I first heard about it. It won't hurt to give it a read when it's out, because if it is really subpar I can easily forget it. I doubt that it would be horrible, just different because of the writing style; but on the other hand, if it's too similar in style (even though in this venture, I think the POINT would be to get as close in style as possible), will people be irked that he's just imitating Douglas Adams? Heh.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I generally think that authors working in a world created by someone else shouldn't try too hard to imitate the original author's writing style. With Adams, though, while the universe he created is certainly interesting, it's his writing style that's his main appeal.

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't know what to think about the new Hitchhikers book idea...

but I'll gladly take a letter.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Your letter is F.