THE FRIGHTENED FISH

[dochermes]

Comments

[zathras_ix]

Here's the Kez makeover:

[terry_mccombs]

Looks like Namor the Sub-Mariner in that cover art.

[ext_664135]

You see? Leave off the torn shirt and nobody recognizes him!

[dochermes]

Ha!

Lying Russians

[madcossack]

"Helping our boys are two Russian adventurers [...] the giant Mahli Mitroff and his beautiful cousin Seryi."

Heh, the giant's name is something like "Little" Mitroff (Mitroff is not Russian, Bulgarian - yes).

"His beautiful cousin" name in russian means "Grey", and there would not be a proper name like that, same for Mahli.

So, the names are most likely their nicknames. But, there's a problem: Mahli should have been something like "Molloy" - MahlOy. Seryi is a male version for that nickname, so that should have been Se-rah-ia for a female.

Conclusion: most likely those Russians lied to Doc about their names.

Re: Lying Russians

[dochermes]

Thank you very much, these are the sort of details I love to learn.

It sounds like Lester Dent was keeping to his practice of giving his characters nicknames with an ironic twist. He would have a brutal Sikh mercenary called by the word for `lamb`, for example. Naming a big imposing guy `Little` or `Tiny` is something Dent often did.

Re: Lying Russians

[madcossack]

That tradition is long and living. From legendary characters Little John comes to mind.

Re: Lying Russians

[zathras_ix]

"Little John" was also an inversion of his actual name, John Little. In the oppositie direction, Robin also had among his ranks the diminutive Much/Midge the Miller's Son.

And, just to stay on topic, Pat Savage's Indian housekeeper, who was built like the Rock of Gibraltar, was named Tiny.