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Unable to decide which of the suggestions was best (sorry, all) I’ve fallen back on my own inadequate store of ideas and plucked out the one on top, which bears an unfortunate resemblance in some ways to last year’s.
Pick a character. For the purpose of this game, characters will look the same and be the same size and have the same basic personality. Now translate that character to 2011, and put her or him in a particular location (where?) and occupation (what?) with a hobby (what?) Pretend, for the purpose of the contest, that these books have never been written, so (for instance) Paks-in-2011 can’t have as a hobby playing Paks-in-the-books at conventions. The juxtaposition of character, place, occupation, and hobby can be “appropriate” or “humorous.” It’s up to you. I think we’d all enjoy seeing how you connect the character’s personality to the new occupation and hobby–so you don’t have to limit yourself to just listing the variables. Play. Show off your imagination.
Because next week is going to be super busy for me, you will have until midnight Saturday, October 1 (a date easy to remember) to make your entry. As before, all entries will be given a number and the winner drawn through a random number thingie-whopper.
Comment by Richard — October 2, 2011 @ 1:49 am
Second thoughts: it is the Canadian national soccer team that Kieri is the new manager of. (I’ve just confirmed through Google and Wikipedia that there is one.) He is struggling hard to learn French.
Comment by iphinome — October 2, 2011 @ 3:27 am
@Richard
It might have been difficult for President Phelan to be elected under normal circumstances but over on this side of the pond we’ve had a rough decade. President Varthos left office under a cloud of suspicion. If he hadn’t had that sudden heart attack shortly after leaving office I’m sure he’d have been indited for complicity in the actions of Somali pirates and for covering up for their bombing of the Vatta tower.
Not to mention the other party has become so extreme, they make pilgrimages to the Heinlein presidential library to announce their candidacies and yet at the same time Heinlein could have never reached the level of ideological purity they’re demanding these days. It pushes them pretty far out of the mainstream.
People may have worried that America wasn’t ready for a ginger president bur we were and for that I’m proud.
Now let’s address your question about Gird. The FBI doesn’t know which member of the group actually set the bomb but they’re sure Gird was involved in the planning sessions and possibly helped get the materials to make the bomb though his underground connections.
Comment by Jenn — October 2, 2011 @ 7:40 am
@Richard,
Selis is a character from the short story “Those Who Walk in Darkness” There is a link to it in one of the OLD blogs.
Selis was the boy whipped by the Liartian priest and witnessed her torture. It was his “conversion”. He found his way to a grange and was healed physically and spiritually.
When Elizabeth placed the story in public domain, I printed it out and placed in my copy of the Deed at its proper place.
Comment by Jenn — October 2, 2011 @ 7:41 am
@iphonome
Your Gird sounds like Larry Finklestein from “Dharma and Greg”
Comment by iphinome — October 2, 2011 @ 6:25 pm
@Jenn I apologize for my failure to accurately describe 2011 Gird. I was not trying for comic relief.
Comment by Richard — October 4, 2011 @ 3:34 pm
@Iphinome,
Thanks for some more fun. Comic no, humourous yes, and I love your entries for it. When I commented on your 2011 Gird I should have added “(no need to answer that)”. After all, I remember how Paksworld Gird was “involved” when that Sier’s son tried to assassinate his father.
I didn’t doubt your Phelan’s ability to win the Presidential race, so much as wonder where he found the backing to enter it in the first place. Since to both parties’ insiders he would be “not one of us”. Though Paksworld Phelan did put together that coalition against Siniava. I hope 2011 Phelan hasn’t made any rash promises to give one of his cabinet appointees a free hand. But since you’ve just mentioned his hair, how could anyone take seriously Speaker Verrakai’s idea of a ginger Kenyan? (Get out of that one if you can!)
Comment by iphinome — October 4, 2011 @ 6:00 pm
@Richard in reverse order.
Speaker Verrakai and reality have filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. Anyone who could believe the president is secretly foreign born is a few tensquads short of a cohort.
Phelan has always been ambitious, he was popular with the voters, charismatic, sporty as a former rugby coach, a sitting senator. The party fell in line when he won the nomination. They wanted the win, they got it.
I tend to think Gird was used because of his farming history and links to other farmer types. He could get high nitrogen fertilizer. In my head I can see them discussing options and Gird’s reluctance, I can see the others agreeing not to try and blow up the bank. When Gird leaves the room I can see them deciding to go ahead with it anyway. Then a couple days later an explosive filled trashcan takes a chunk out of the front of the building and a night guard.
Comment by Richard — October 5, 2011 @ 11:56 am
Why am I still coming up with ideas so late?
Dattur Atkvin is a traffic warden in Manchester, from where it is easy for him to go pot-holing at weekends. In case the business is done differenty in the States, perhaps I should explain that traffic wardens in Britain are local council (or sub-contractor) employees whose sole apparent function is to raise revenue by issuing penalty tickets for parking violations. They are famous for a strict “no leeway, no excuses” policy and risk being social outcasts.
Comment by Richard — October 7, 2011 @ 6:39 am
Back to 2011 Paks. She took up rock-climbing in college. With friends Vic Stone and Arlene Gariepy she even has a first climb to her credit: a route variation they’ve called Wideawake on Honeycat Ridge, one of their club’s private – figuratively speaking – mountains.
Now she knows there are more important things than the fun of it to risk her life for. To old climbing partners she can always offer the excuse that she never knows in advance when she’ll have free time. (That makes entering triathlons chancey too but they do give her something to keep in training for.)
Comment by Richard — October 7, 2011 @ 8:08 am
Paks is legally Pakse Niagara, from somewhere in Saskatchewan. A German-born ancestor changed his surname in 1914 in a show of patriotism towards his adopted country. Her first name she lengthened in childhood as a private fantasy. In her teens of course all the boys started calling her “Viagra” (to her face only when they had safety in numbers) so (equally of course) when she left home she took a pseudonym – choosing Dorthansdotter because it sounds vaguely Viking to suit her height and colour.
I think it is time I stopped playing.
Comment by elizabeth — October 7, 2011 @ 8:56 am
I dunno…I’m still enjoying this. The discussion doesn’t have to end with the contest.
Comment by elizabeth — October 7, 2011 @ 8:59 am
I am finally climbing out of the multiple holes and have gone over the contest entries several times to be sure I’m not leaving anyone out and not counting multiple entries (or my own!). This was a delightful “conversation” and I thank all those who entered for an ARC and all those who went right on dreaming up ever more interesting modern careers and hobbies for characters. Love the “love” given to minor as well as major characters. (And Dattur as a traffic warden…!!!) Am even now pondering which random number generator to turn loose on the results. (No, I can’t pick my favorite. You guys are too good and I have too many favorites.)
Comment by Jenn — October 7, 2011 @ 12:10 pm
@Richard
I am impressed with your knowledge of Canada during WWI. Name changes were not limited to people either. Towns quickly changed names also. That is how Prussia SK became Leader SK.
In the USA it was the same with Italians during WWII and that is how we lost the Giuseppe to Joseph.
Comment by Mau — October 17, 2011 @ 11:56 am
I tripped across this too late, but I still want to add in my antics. 🙂
Sevri from Brewersbridge is now working part-time at a Starbucks, saving money during the last few months before she can go off to university. Although she wanders around looking like a punk (piercings and dyed hair), she volunteers at the local animal shelter. Her hobbies include karate and writing angsty poetry.
Comment by elizabeth — October 17, 2011 @ 12:49 pm
I like that…I can just see her…now in my imagination it’s sort of a burgundy streak in her hair–or were you thinking blue or green? Dreads or braids or a spiky ‘do?