I had heard the 'Rathe and Eslingen were Bodie and Doyle' theory, as a common assertion rather than with any specific evidence for or against. I do note that the cover illustrations for the re-release of the Points novels show two men who look a heck of a lot like Martin Shaw and Lewis Collins, more I think than just me expecting to see that. I wonder if that was from Scott or the artist or the publisher or, maybe, just sheer coincidence
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The cover illustrations do look very like them (more so than they should, given how Rathe and Eslingen are described in the books). I don't know if that was at Scott's direction or not, but I kind of wish it hadn't happened.
If people were saying "Rathe and Eslingen were inspired by Bodie and Doyle" I wouldn't be bothered. What drives me crazy is when people describe the Points books as a Pros AU, or say that Rathe and Eslingen are avatars of Bodie and Doyle. Even if the characters originated as that, which I don't know, they grew into being their own characters with their own histories and personalities. And if people insist on seeing them as Bodie and Doyle, they're going to miss the characters who are actually on the page
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Ooh, I've seen 'Parasol Protectorate' about and thought it looked fun but not yet read it on the basis that it looked full of het, but if that's balanced with canon queerness I'd certainly give them a try - thanks for the rec! They do sound like they might make good recovery reading. 'Gods of Gotham' is a good example, for me, actually of a book where a main protagonist het narrative didn't interfere with my enjoyment because it was interesting enough, with solid characters, and not the entire point of story with the crime just hanging off as detail, and because queerness was a Thing too. I do know I'll forgive weaker writing in queer-focussed novels because I'm more engaged by the protagonists, so when I enjoy a book with het, it's generally a good one! I think there's a lot of fic potential in the 'Gods of Gotham' 'verse - I've just got hold of the sequel 'Seven for a Secret', in which the queer narrative thread apparently continues. So far I'm certainly hoping there'll be more.
Thank you for you thoughtful reply! I absolutely adore the worldbuilding in the Points series, especially how grounded they are compared to most faux-medieval fantasy worlds. The integration of the magical elements into everyday life (as they are in the Mathey/Lynes) works so well and, well, "realistically". Sherwood Smith does the same sort of thing in her Inda series, magic as a tool to make everyday life much simpler.
one of Scott's weak points, in almost all her books, is relationship-building. Romances in her novels happen mostly offscreen, and even for non-romantic relationships, it's rare for her books to offer much interaction between characters that isn't directly related to the plot.
Have you read Ellen Kushner's Riverside novels? Much as I love them, the same comment could be made about her characters. We walk in to find relationships already in place, when what we're longing for is answers to, "How did they get there?" Also, as you said, great for fanfic!
I've been doing a strange kind of pre-bedtime wandering tonight, and just found your post. I'd like there to be more Rathe/Eslingen fic, and Mathey/Lynes fic too, but it's also quite nice reading what other people think of them.
I don't think Rathe/Eslingen are Bodie/Doyle by any means, but I definitely think they were inspired by Bodie/Doyle. There are many more similarities than just their hair/height, right down to a couple of quotes from the actual eps. I wrote a post listing various connections years ago, though I think I've found other bits and bobs since then, and not written them down. I could find that original post for you perhaps, if you were interested. I've also had as-near-as-I'd-expect confirmation of the connection from MS, in reply to a comment I made once. So I'm convinced. *g*
Sorry to hear you probably won't write any more Points yourself - I've recently re-read your Points fics, and wished for more. I'd quite like to write some myself, and I might one day, and it probably won't be how-they-got-together,
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If people were saying "Rathe and Eslingen were inspired by Bodie and Doyle" I wouldn't be bothered. What drives me crazy is when people describe the Points books as a Pros AU, or say that Rathe and Eslingen are avatars of Bodie and Doyle. Even if the characters originated as that, which I don't know, they grew into being their own characters with their own histories and personalities. And if people insist on seeing them as Bodie and Doyle, they're going to miss the characters who are actually on the page ( ... )
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one of Scott's weak points, in almost all her books, is relationship-building. Romances in her novels happen mostly offscreen, and even for non-romantic relationships, it's rare for her books to offer much interaction between characters that isn't directly related to the plot.
Have you read Ellen Kushner's Riverside novels? Much as I love them, the same comment could be made about her characters. We walk in to find relationships already in place, when what we're longing for is answers to, "How did they get there?" Also, as you said, great for fanfic!
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I don't think Rathe/Eslingen are Bodie/Doyle by any means, but I definitely think they were inspired by Bodie/Doyle. There are many more similarities than just their hair/height, right down to a couple of quotes from the actual eps. I wrote a post listing various connections years ago, though I think I've found other bits and bobs since then, and not written them down. I could find that original post for you perhaps, if you were interested. I've also had as-near-as-I'd-expect confirmation of the connection from MS, in reply to a comment I made once. So I'm convinced. *g*
Sorry to hear you probably won't write any more Points yourself - I've recently re-read your Points fics, and wished for more. I'd quite like to write some myself, and I might one day, and it probably won't be how-they-got-together, ( ... )
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