azurelunatic | Subtitle switch: functions of the journal

Subtitle switch: functions of the journal

Subtitle of journal has been switched from "keepin' it theoretical" to "nearly a prosthetic memory", which is from page 419 of the paperback version of Memory. I want to look up the exact phrasing of the line that goes a bit like ...could quote back to you every stupid comment you'd ever made, verbatim, with gestures, but I have no idea what book that's even in.

A 90% risk of iatrogenic schizophrenia does not deter me. I want a memory chip like that.

Now both my title and subtitle are Bujold references. This makes me happy.

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"could quote back to you every stupid comment you'd ever made, verbatim, with gestures"

That's familiar to me, but I can't place it. I have a vague feeling it might be from a Pratchett book.

It's definitely Lois McMaster Bujold, from the viewpoint of Miles, about Simon Illyan. That leaves, what, ten books to search through?

I've never read any Bujold. Perhaps I've read a similar sentiment/phrasing elsewhere...

Entirely possible.

Simon Illyan is a character with a memory chip, and said chip allows him to remember everything he's ever seen or heard. He can mock most mightily.

Ooooo...you are in for a treat, then. I'd start with the "Warrior's Apprentice."

Assuming he wants to try some good, solid, well-written, award-winning, character-driven space opera... ;)

I want more Miles!

If he's interested in a freebee, Baen books has a free text version of "Mountains of Mourning" available on their website.

Miles, Miles, Miles, Miles...

(But I'm in love with Miles.) (And, funnily, I can barely stand Naismith.)

I'll take Illyan over Miles any day.

I know. That's cute.

"Illyan over Miles"

*Sigh* This is evil of me, I know, but I won't be able to get this out of my head unless I infect others with the meme. Apologies in advance.

*Some* slash pairings should *never* be written.

Yes, I know I'm a sick little perv.

Pilot--off to find some mental floss

Oooooh. Evil. I like.

Hmm... Hmm.

I think that the reason there's so very little Bujold slash is because it's come with a long tradition of little slash because it's very clear that if there's going to be any subtext, it's going to become text fairly easily. And it's never been presented fresh to today's slashgrrls, since it comes from the era where There Were No Same Sex Relationships In Mainstream SF, Damnit, so it was really ahead of its time...

...but considering that it's got fewer same-sex relationships than, say, Buffy, and considering the amount of Buffy slash...

...Yes, I think it's high time that the Nexus got itself up to speed with modern fandom. Well-written fanfic draws in more readers...

All those Betan possibilities...

(If you're going to write, may I wish for Miles/Bel, please?)

If I wrote Miles/Bel, it would have to be AU or something, because there's heavy canon evidence against it. Hmm.

I really don't care which, I just want the story. ;-)

Would Miles/Bel really qualify as slash? It would definitely be AU -- that was conclusively established in Diplomatic Immunity, and I don't see Miles cheating on Ekaterin sometime after DI -- or Bel cheating on Nicol, for that matter. Nothing wrong with AU, though.

By the way, does anyone remember which book this comment came from? "In my experience, most monsters are like other men, only more confused. Simon... is one of the least confused men I have ever met." I don't know if the wording is exactly right, but that's the gist of it. I'm trying to remember which book it was in and who Miles was talking to; I have a nagging feeling it was Galeni in "Brothers in Arms," but that doesn't make a lot of sense, as Galeni was an Impsec officer and would already be familiar with Simon Illyan. The other characters I can think of to whom he might have said it are Mark, Elli, and Ekaterin.

I think it was to Ekaterin. She would have gotten an exaggerated idea of Simon, being as she was on Komarr for so long.

I might think that pairing a Betan herm with anyone but another herm, or another Betan, might be slash.

Actually, it was to Laisa Toscane, in "Memory" -- p. 324 of the pocket paperback, if you're interested. Laisa has just met Illyan for the first time, and was struck by how ordinary he seems. She says he wasn't what she expected, which Miles interprets as "not a monster," and replies, "Real monsters often are just ordinary men. Only more confused in their thinking. Illyan was one of the least confused men I know."

As to hermaphrodites and slash, I guess it's open to interpretation; in the Miles/Bel scenario, it might be decided based on which of Bel's genital structures were involved in the activity depicted. As far as we know, Miles is straight, so I suspect he'd concentrate on the female parts and try to ignore the male ones.

I can understand that...the differences in personality are amazing. I sometimes wish I was like "both" of them, at least to an extent.

"The first one is free," you say?

Which I don't. :o)

I'm not reading anything totally new until I can start working through my backlog. I have an entire box of books that I've not read.

I do recommend the series to you, guardedly. I suspect you'll identify painfully with Bothari.

*nods*

When I'm looking for new reading material, I'll keep it in mind. :o)

I think it's "verbatim, with hand gestures", and I think it's either Ivan talking to Miles (in _Memory_?) or Miles talking to Ekaterin (in _A Civil Campaign_?).

I have a vague memory of it being Miles.

I would have sworn it was in _Memory_, but maybe it was is ACC. I'd check Mmory first.

Memory sounds more right.

Maybe a re-read is in order?

Yes. Definitely. (I'm on page 10 or so.)

I can barely stand the first chapters; they're so painful...

Miles isn't supposed to take himself out like that.

I love the last chapters, though. I really, really like Auditor!Miles.

Yes, but that's because he's finally _Miles_ to the full extent of his Milesness. (I can't believe I'm saying that.) The little admiral had had to go, and he's left re-building himself.

I'll buy that, but Naismith served his function and I think there will always be a bit of the admiral around to back his play.

Then again, one of my favorite scenes was Miles "coming Vor with intent." Any excuse to parade your decorations is a good one.

Yep. Ivan saw it first. I think that the Lord Auditor is an excellent replacement for the Admiral.

Yum!

(What a thread you've got here...)

(For some reason, people come out of the woodwork when I mention Miles...)

It is in Memory, Miles thinks it. He is still waiting for Illyan to call him back to deliver his report, and he has just managed to get Gelani and Laisa into Gregor's next diner.

No page number, as I found it in my e-book edition.

Ahhh, excellent. Thank you. Since I know the book very well, I'll be able to track it down.

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Subtitle switch: functions of the journal

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