REVIEWS: End Of Month Reviews #98 - February 2012 [Spoilers]

[Scott Eiler]

On 4/13/2012 5:41 PM, Saxon Brenton wrote:

> The Apathy Beast took the better part of valour and scarped.  This
> involved a fast but limping retreat, favouring one leg.

Outside the LNH headquarters, he found a cartoonish duck - with a big 
gun!  The duck said, in a sort of quacking grating voice, "You just went 
up against a guy who wrote like ten short stories in one post - *and* 
played with the text formatting all the way through?  You *got* to find 
better targets."

The Apathy Beast snarled.  What was this weird new target?

The duck laughed.  "I know what you're thinking.  You can call me 
Psychovant.  No, not Sycophant.  *Psychovant*.  P as in perfect, V as in 
victorious.  And the T at the end is *not* for Target."

The duck laughed again, as the Beast growled silently.  What was *that* 
thingdoing *here*?

The duck continued... "Ya probably wonder what I'm doin' here.  But I'm 
interdimensional now, don't'cha know?  I could go apply to the local 
Legion as Duck Lad if I wanted!"

The Beast snorted as the duck continued.  "Ever consider going after the 
Powernaut?  That guy's been showing up $#@!ing near *weekly*.  He needs 
a vacation!"

The Apathy Beast paused briefly to consider, then pounced into another 
universe.

Psychovant the Duck guffawed.  "... Oh, good luck with *that* one!  His 
Writer shows 'apathy' by writing *other* stuff!"

...

Fulling anticipating the Apathy Beast's attack, a Writer bent over his 
keyboard.

 > However it does occur to me that
 > apart from some cursory characterisation of Gaio in the form of
 > his anticipatory gloating, that the story is very much in the form
 > of a prologue for future stories.  This, in turn, ties in with the
 > use of the 'The Element of Surprise' theme, as Gaio reviews the upsur-
 > ge in volcanism and concludes that Ellipsis and his followers will be
 > caught off guard.

Why yes it does.  That is intentional.

I've mentioned how my series is going farther into a dead end.  In 2002 
I wrote an apocalypse story about Earth 2022.  In 2004 I described how 
Earth 2011 would proceed there on schedule.  In 2011 I met the schedule. 
  I have a relief effort on the way, but there will be considerable 
drama when it finally arrives.

In the Real World, there's a weekend trip in my near future.  We'll see 
how that affects the next Powernaut series.  I fully expect I'll get 
*something* in for High Concept Challenge, though.

-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler, who is almost done being apathetic about 
cartooning for tonight.  8{D>