Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    <scribbled by jonl Sat 28 Jul 01 06:23>
  

    
I couldn't see Susan with Rincewind. Nope. Rincewind, despite the fact
he's become a very loosely defined "hero" just hasn't the personality
or intellect to hold the interest of a Susan.

Rincewind is a catastrophe catalyst. The gods put him somewhere to
make other people do incredible things to accomplish impossible tasks.
His presence brings uncertainty and allows an out of control
catastrophe about to avalanche down on the people around it to be
averted and turned to the good. HE, however, is still weasly and
cowardly and an intellectual and "morally" deficient person. With,
certainly, a certain amount of appeal and a whole lot of survival
credits to spend. NOTE: the word "morally" in the sentence above isn't
the right one for my meaning but it's early. I haven't finished my
first cup of coffee and the Department Manager just introduced me to
the owner of our company's new secretary and I haven't time now to
search for the proper word. Ethical might be better but it still
doesn't define exactly what I mean. Ah, well. I'm not a writer.

Don't get me wrong. I like Rincewind as a character but couldn't see
anyone of Susan's calibre becoming interested in a closer relationship.
  

    <scribbled by hnowell Fri 27 Jul 01 08:49>
  

    
Zen disguise makes perfect sense.  But

>it's still got the stain where the koala pissed on it.

raises the question of what you were doing with a koala on
your hat.
  

    
Or, worse, on his head...
  

    
Quick, valid reasons to have a koala on one's head are....?
  

    
Donna- I think the Newfoundland in your bookstore makes it
*infinitely* cooler than any with a cat.  Cat's are the usual; heck, I
pass a flower shop on the way home every night with a resident cat.

Valid reasons for koala- perhaps Terry had a eucalyptus leaf in his
band, instead of a feather?

Terry- I agree that you're getting better; I first picked up COLOUR OF
MAGIC after GOOD OMENS, and couldn't get into it as much.  When I've
read the newer stuff, though (JINGO, and CARPE JUGULUM being the big
two), I've thoroughly enjoyed it.  And I like Carrot.  He's a cool guy.
 Not that you have anything to do with that, but, you know, you write
about him, and all...
  

    
_       Possible Valid Reasons To Have A Koala On Your Head     _

1)      You're trying to see eye-to-eye with someone - anyone.
2)      *censored*      
3)      The giftie fairy turned the corner, then morphed into a koala
        and went off to gift you next...
4)      You read too much of Neil's stuff, and have become absolutely,
barking mad.    
5)      You are successfully practicing the Zen of being a eucalyptus tree.
6)      The koala had no other way to express "piss on you!"                                    
  

    

  Rincewind as a morally deficient person??!?

  Yow, I really need to re-read some of the books, I had him pegged
as cowardly but basically ethical.
  

    

More reasons to have a koala in your head:
Koalas are surprisingly strong.
http://www.goats.com/archive/000105.html

(Not for the weak of heart, or young of age.)
  

    <scribbled>
  

    
Sorry about that, TT is Table Talk, which is the a different forum
owned by the same company as the WELL. They were free...they recently
decided to start charging which...

Oh never mind. You don't really want to know all that anyway.

Now see, I think that Susan and Rincewind would make an *interesting
couple*. For a while anyway. It is that old opposites attract thing. 
As for Susan being of too high a calibre in real life to hook up with
the likes of Rincewind-- ha! That happens in real life all the time.

But, the author has spoken. I'll take my matchmaking talents
elsewhere. I'm telling you, though, it would have been great. Possibly
even historic.

Oh, and you are That Worthy. At least you'd better be because that is
what I keep telling my husband to explain why I must have your new
books the second they come out. 

I'm glad Rincewind is coming back. I relate to him.  
  

    
AHa. I KnEW somebody would jump on my use of the word moral. 
  

    
Personally, I always saw Susan with Vetinari.

But it makes more sense she'd fall in love with a romantic.
  

    

  I didn't mean to "jump" on your use of the word, but I do wonder what
you meant by it.  If you'd like to explain further, I'm interested.  But
it's not a really big deal or anything...
  

    
Omnes...

Koalas live in trees.  Humans don't.  That's how come they get to piss
on us, instead of the other way around.

I think Rincewind is a decent enough guy if you don't make sudden
movements...

Terry
  

    
See? He's decent. Ha.

Terry-

Here's something I thought of, it is probably a really stupid question
that only seems brilliant because I am on cold medicine, but:

Which of your many interesting characters do you relate to the most? 

 
  

    
Three e-mails from Donna:

1. The Koala is "jest restin."

2. The Koala is "pinin for the Fjords, its a rare norwegian blue Koala."
oh wait - sorry Monty Python flashback there...

3. The Koala decided that the best way to promote interspecies vendetta is to
piss on an author's head.

Arlene

-brilliant because I am on cold medicine-
Which of your many interesting characters do you relate to the most?

doesn't sound like a stupid question to me - more like one I was afraid to
ask but really would like to know the answer to  - ok so my grammar sucks
anyway - I don't have the cold medicine excuse today but plan on using it
soon!

Rincewind sorta reminds me of the no-account [cousin/nephew/uncle] that
everyone in the family barely tolerates, acknowledges grudgingly and tells
semi-humerous stories about to any unsuspecting guest who will listen.  He's
also the favorite of every other unmarried under 20 relative as being the
only adult in the family who even remotely "get's it" whatever it is.  He's
also [about to be unemployed/unemployed/going to be employed any day now] and
the most ruthlessly over-bearing Aunt's in the family are always going to
introduce him to that nice minister's sister/niece/daughter....
  

    

Terry, thank you so much for being such a good sport and gamely answering
all the questions and just generally hanging out with us.  We have enjoyed
your company tremendously.  Hard to believe, but our two weeks is up.  You
are welcome to stick around and continue to chat for as long as you like,
but the official part of the interview is now over.

And Susan, thank you so much for being so knowledgeable and so much fun
and keeping the conversation rolling along in such a great fashion.

My thanks to you both.  We loved having you.
  

    
Linda,

I might hang around for a while...you know, in the shadows...

Many thanks:-)

Terry
  

    
 Thanks, Terry and <sumac>, it was great.
  

    
Rincewind + Morality

Sorry, can't leave this one alone...

I would argue that, in Interesting Times at least, Rincewind is one of 
the more morally sound characters. Consider his reflections on pork
whisker and his emphasis on the views of the peasant holding the
water buffalo. He shows up the inherent (inadvertent) dishonesty of the 
revolutionaries through the simple expedient of asking how they are 
going to make anything better for the great mass of the population.

As Terry said, Rincewind is basically a decent person who just wants a 
quiet life, the fact that life continues to give him lemons isn't his 
fault, the fact that his first instinct is to run away is, again, 
perfectly reasonable. But it's is basic decency that makes him stick 
around and do the Right Thing. I don't believe Rincewind has ever done a 
'bad' thing. He's done plenty of cowardly things, but that's not quite
the same.

The Last Continent, for all it was an absolute hoot, doesn't really 
put Rincewind in the same kind of position, but don't forget that, in 
Sourcery it was him who saved the world. Again.
  

    

  re: #247 --- thank you for being *much* more eloquent than I was
able to around Rincewind's "morality".  I agree completely with you.
  

    
Guys,

The trouble is, this makes it harder to grow him as a character.  for
that to happen, he has to stop running.  Stopping running = not
Rincewind!

Terry
  

    
Oh, but I love that about Rincewind. He's not a towering figure. He's
a shlemozzle. (sp?) And he does things he's terrified of and risks his
life and saves the world on a regular basis even though he's long since
accepted that noone's going to notice.

A hero for the rest of us.