The Internet Book Database of Fiction

EDIT by kilt: Name of thread changed, obvious reasons

On another forum I frequent (The One-eyed Crow, Dennis McKiernan fan site--Dennis is as good at answering questions as LEM) we play the "Quote Game."

The object of the game is to quote a passage or phrase from a book--in this case, Modesitt's books. And it is up to the participants to figure out from which book, chapter, character and events the quote is relating to. Whoever gets it right gets to place a new quote...and so on and so forth.

This game can be quite fun and interesting. Any and all are welcome to participate--don't be shy.

Well, I guess I'll start it off...

"In the low and still-too-near old days before the small stars scarred the fields to ashes, before the lands smoked, and before the ice walked the world, there were many types of fishes in the sea, and many animals that roamed the forests and plains and hills, and birds with all colors of feathers that roosted and perched and strutted.

"But there was only one kind of human. Sometimes that kind was man, sometimes woman, sometimes child, but for all the names, they were the same. Some were taller, and some were shorter, or thicker or thinner, and some spoke Anglas, and some Nippin, and some Mandi. But they were the same. That is, they all thought in the old-fashioned manner, and their thoughts stayed inside there heads."

All right. What Modesitt book is that one from? Hope its not too obscure. But I don't want it to be too easy...

Good Luck!

so - does the winner get a sherlock point? Would it "offend" the rules of this game if we combined it into that trivia scoring sheet?

Also - can I have a link to this discussion group please?

kilt

kiltannen wrote:so - does the winner get a sherlock point? Would it "offend" the rules of this game if we combined it into that trivia scoring sheet?

kilt

Sure, why not, kilt. A Sherlock would be good.

But as for the discussion group (The One-eyed Crow, right?) well...I'm rather inept when it comes to computers... (I'm rather embarrassed to ask this...) But how do you make a Link? C/P, right? But how do you do that...?

Nevermind, kilt--I got it figured out... Went to the Links section. It was pretty self-explanatory...

Anyone gonna give it a go?

Well, if you're stumped, I'll give a small clue.

The book in question is not one of Modesitt's "fantasies."

Good luck.

I figured that. I've not read a non-fantasy by him yet.

His science fiction is good and thought provoking, as is his "fantasy," which I really don't consider fantasy at all. They're more like "real" tales from an alternate world/universe with different laws of nature/rules...

Rarely have I read a fantasy that impels me to think about proper drainage, food, money, shelter, whether or not to get chickens... Ah, a fascinating and enjoyable experience.

I'll say it again, if I have not said it before: I love Modesitt's books!

Adiamante in the passages talking about the creation of half jack....incidentally I absolutely loved the inclusion of (I think) nordic legend to frame the story.

Congratulations! One Sherlock for torybear, kilty...

Okay, torybear, your turn.

I will put something up no later than 9:00 tonight promise

All right. But I'll be asleep already. Having to be up by 3:00AM is a killer...

Deception...all life is deception, for without deception few can face the cold impartiality of the universe or the fact that it will go on and we will dies, never benefitting fully from what was or at all from what we have struggled to create, but striving against the darkness of self-deception. Yet...the struggle in itself has meaning because the universe only exists. Merely existing, the universe lacks meaning, and only a deceptive being can bring meaning to the impartial fact of meaningless.

This sounds like it could be from more than one Modesitt book.

I'm going to take a stab and say Gravity Dreams (to be first to the Sherlock Point.) and then go back and see if I'm right or not.

All the dialogues throughout the books about self-deception are truly amazing and have held me to a higher standard about being honest with myself. But, I expect no less than perfection when reading a Modesitt book....

And the sherlock goes to crispind....
The full context is the 3rd from the last paragraph of the book. Quote away crispind.

Ok, here goes....

"The problem with honor was that history had demonstrated all too clearly on all too many planets that it wasn't terribly effective against an enemy unless you had superior forces, and that was what they didn't have."

Who's up to receive the next Sherlock point???

That sounds like something Secca might would say, from Shadowsinger. It might be some other book though, that idea is a common them in LE's books

Nathan

Just a thought rule wise that if you have one a sherlock you have to sit the next one out...speaking as a registered eager beaver it only seems fair.

torybear wrote:Just a thought rule wise that if you have one a sherlock you have to sit the next one out...speaking as a registered eager beaver it only seems fair.

I believe you're right, torybear--especially if we get more folks to play.

Aunflin wrote: Congratulations! One Sherlock for torybear, kilty...

Okay, torybear, your turn.

Aunflin - please post the updated leaderboard - ...

kilt

All right. So far its:

Torybear: 1

Crispind: 1

...and hopefully more to follow.

OK - cool!

that gives a score in the Modesitt quotes game - could you do me the favour of updating the Sherlock thread?

kilt

Good idea about Secca, but alas, I must say no. Any other takers to the quote. Let me post it again, this time with more info.

"What they were doing was nothing short of despicable, but it was necessary to stop people who were despicable all of the time, rather than just in war. The problem with honor was that history had demonstrated all too clearly on all too many planets that it wasn't terribly effective against an enemy unless you had superior forces, and that was what they didn't have. All they had was a better catapult that could heft larger incendiary grenades with a much nastier and longer-and-hotter burning fluid and an even larger supply of the ceramic grenades."

Perhaps the quote comes from one of the Ecolitan books? It sounds ever so familiar...but I can't quite place it. Hmmm...

Holding self back, following rules... ...oops I exploded.

I was wondering last night about tory holding back. How long should we hold her back until she is fair game to answer the quote???

Five days?