Elucidations on Terra (Prime): Chuck 'Em in the Deep End!!

Discussion about The Never Ending Quest.

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The MSG

Elucidations on Terra (Prime): Chuck 'Em in the Deep End!!

Post by The MSG »

Before I get on theold soapbox here let me just say right here and now the question came up at my email address from someone NOT (as far as I could see) from NEQ. Thus this isn't directed at anyone here at NEQ at ALL, so don't get upset, please? 8)

Okay. The original question itself was asked in a less than polite manner but it was a sound one.

"What is with all these crossovers?"

The emailer went onto amplify the question by mentioning that I had at my website mentioned that (in part) the various posted stories were related to the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. He (or she) could not understand how I could say that all the stories could be related to the Dark Tower. Called it garbage, basically. :evil:

....


Well, let us remember (those who have read the series to the latest novel) that King has done crossovers with several of his other novels ("The Stand", "The Regulators", and "'Salem's Lot" to name just a few). It is fleeting in parts, but hangs together rather well. That is because . . . . let us just say they were . . . compatible world settings (for want of a better term). Those world setting (the worlds mentioned in the books) blended well. That and at the center of each world (somehow) was the Beam and the Dark Tower (in one fashion or another). :shock:

Now, it stands to reason that if there were crossovers in the Dark Tower series, from worlds that King made in other series, then I asked myself if there would/could be other worlds than this? :idea:

The answer to that was "yes". Worlds when brought into a crossover make for a VERY funky, disorienting (for all parties) encounter. :shock:

Now, that makes for a chaotic situation, eh? Of COURSE it does. :?

Now, put aside what reason I had the "Celetrials" and other story characters give for why so many dissimilar worlds were next to each other, bumping into each other. Just forget it because I'm going to tell a secret (that I'm kind of sure a LOT of you already have figured out). AT the core of both the Terra Prime and Doctor Who threads is a theme. Oh, you might have heard of the "man vs. man" theme as well as a lot of others in Lit class back in school (English Lit classes). The storylines which
result from such dissimilar realities coming into contact is more of a "man vs. Nature" them. Namely, it is the story of the Champions (which would be "Man" in the collective sense of hte word) trying to cope with Nature (the alien worlds/crossovers) throwing them yet another curve (and doing a fine job at it, though it kind of can be funny watching at times for me . . . . anyway). Fun for me to write.

BTW, another little tibit. Again not busting on anyone from NEQ. Just flet it needed to be mentioned. The various transformations the Freds and Astras have underwent is just a slightly different facet of the same theme as above: "Man vs. Nature". Just that it is a symbol of the larger world at large, those transformations. That is, the Freds and Astras finding their very bodies (products of nature) becoming alien. Talk about getting chucked into the deep
end, eh?

Oh, there are other elements that pop in and out of the storythreads as time progesses, but that one theme (Man vs. Nature) remains throughout. And that, btw, is perhaps the core of the plots as well.

Alright, off the soapbox. Just felt like sharing. :)
The MSG

addendum

Post by The MSG »

Besides, it's fun! That's all the justification I need...
Knight Random
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Childe KR to the Dark Tower Came

Post by Knight Random »

Just a few words on the Dark Tower and Dark Towers in general:

I came up with the dark Tower that protects that stability of the universe in the thread that 15970 was part of before I knew anything whatsoever about Stephen King's Dark Tower series, other than from vague references in the Eternal Champion saga at the time. I'm pretty sure that those had no effect on my ideas for that thread. This was just a case of convergent creative evolution, although in the Red Pyramid thread starting with episode 4241, I did postulate multiple multiverses each of which had their own Dark Tower, and the Tower from this thread (which got linked in) was one of these. Also, the reference to the Great Horn was a nod to the Dark Tower series's inspiration, the poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" by Robert Browning.

By the way, to MSG and others who may have read the last book of the Dark Tower series, what did you think of the ending? I haven't read it, not especially liking Stephen Kind, but I did read spoilers for it in a review because I was curious as a result of the Dark Tower having such a big role in the Eternal Champion thread(s). It seemed rather silly to me and a bit of a cop-out after such a long series, but it was interesting because it made it possible for the Eternal Champion saga to fit canonically into the Dark Tower series. By the way, why is it that fantasy writers just can't write short books anymore?
MSG
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The Dark Tower

Post by MSG »

By the way, to MSG and others who may have read the last book of the Dark Tower series, what did you think of the ending? I haven't read it, not especially liking Stephen Kind, but I did read spoilers for it in a review because I was curious as a result of the Dark Tower having such a big role in the Eternal Champion thread(s). It seemed rather silly to me and a bit of a cop-out after such a long series, but it was interesting because it made it possible for the Eternal Champion saga to fit canonically into the Dark Tower series. By the way, why is it that fantasy writers just can't write short books anymore?
Yep, did read the last book in the series and on some levels I did find it . . . . disappointing. Then again, it did also answer some questions and suspicions I'd had about the series (in as far as Roland). In one way it was sad but King did leave . . . .

SPOILER ALERT

. . . .

. . . .

. . . .

. . . .

. . . .

. . . . the possibility of Roland finally finding an end to his endless quest by having something DIFFERENT this time in his possession, that horn mentioned in the poem. This time around he's got it in his possessin and . . . maybe this time it'll not be a reset awaiting him at the end when he gets into the Tower.

I know that in my story thread I'd made sure that Queen Astra had given it to Roland more as pro forma than anything, but then again it rather does fit well with what had happened in the end with the REAL Dark Tower series. :)

Anyway, it's done.

Happy writing with your thread.

Later,
MSG
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