Snowflake Challenge and Fandom Trees -- all the winter fannish things! :D

[hamsterwoman]

More Snowflake:

Challenge #2: In your own space (or their own space) interact with someone new.

I did this, both on the day of the challenge itself, and before, and after, in my space and in theirs, and off DW, and also reconnected with someone whom I haven't seen online in years, because this is one thing Snowflake is always really good for. I've

Comments

[meathiel]

So - talking to Peter but not to Ben Aaronovitch? ;-)

[hamsterwoman]

I mean, I definitely wouldn't MIND the chance to talk to Aaronovitch! But my impression is that he is not one of those "deep worldbuilding" authors who start with the ground up and spend 20-30-50 years living in their world and learning everything about it, so they could serve as a tour guide to their universe if cornered. Like, I love the world of RoL and I think BA does a marvelous job of showing it, and also of evolving it to address criticisms he's gotten, but I don't get the same sense that there's, like, a whole coherent world waiting to be explored inside his head that hasn't made it onto the page yet, and some of it may never, the way I do with Tolkien, Ada Palmer, and Rachel Heartman

[giallarhorn]

my favorites tend to be people I'd find more frustrating than fun to hang out with in real life

Yeah, I think that's the issues with a lot of favorites? They're interesting/fun to read about/sympathize with in a very specific setting. But what makes them interesting/fun/sympathetic doesn't mean they're people you'd want to know irl. There might be some interesting correlation to think about there, hmm.

sit down with Tolkien and just listen to him talk about languages and language creation, or "fairy stories", or anything to do with his world

To have been one of those students sitting in that class he basically used to talk about LOTR, right? Esp the whole idea of giving England a body of myth in modern times is fascinating. Though can't say it worked, but he certainly gave the myth foundation for the rest of the literary world.

[hamsterwoman]

But what makes them interesting/fun/sympathetic doesn't mean they're people you'd want to know irl

Exactly!

And oh, I would have absolutely LOVED to take a class from Tolkien! (actually even more than meeting up with him for dinner/tea/a pint.)

And I do think he's come closer to founding a modern mythology than any other person, even if not exactly the way he'd set out to do.