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Barbe Rouge posted:Does anyone have a link to the post with a theory about the vampires' "empty night" curse? It is the title of one of the novels in the Big Apocalyptic Trilogy, so I figure we'll find out.
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# ? Aug 14, 2013 18:49 |
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# ? Jun 11, 2024 07:39 |
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Barbe Rouge posted:Does anyone have a link to the post with a theory about the vampires' "empty night" curse? I think I remember it - it was tying in stuff from the Book of Revelation with the curses and reveals in Cold Days. Unfortunately I don't remember which post it was or who posted it
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# ? Aug 14, 2013 21:10 |
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Wade Wilson posted:It is the title of one of the novels in the Big Apocalyptic Trilogy, so I figure we'll find out. I may be misremembering but I think as curses go it is meant quite literally - the stars and moon being completely absent from the night sky would be a Very Bad Sign, even for vampires.
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# ? Aug 14, 2013 23:52 |
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Taratang posted:Doesn't Thomas explain it to someone in one of the side stories? I thought it meant, like, if the night was empty, who would they eat?
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# ? Aug 15, 2013 00:15 |
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Where can I find these side stories you guys occasionally talk about? How many of them are there?
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# ? Aug 15, 2013 00:26 |
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Inspector 34 posted:Where can I find these side stories you guys occasionally talk about? How many of them are there? There are a bunch in Side Jobs, and a few more scattered here and there. Don't know the exact number, though.
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# ? Aug 15, 2013 00:32 |
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Taratang posted:Doesn't Thomas explain it to someone in one of the side stories? What short story was this from?
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# ? Aug 15, 2013 01:08 |
It wasn't really ever explicitly stated, but I think empty night is pretty clearly a thing. In Cold Days I seem to recall Mother Winter or Summer using the term, but not as a swear but a description when discussing Outsiders. I may not be remembering right though. We also have the actual Outer Gates. If you look outside of them, one of the noticeable thing is that the sky is completely empty. No stars, no sun, no planets, no light. Just darkness. Plus, it's the name of a book of the final trilogy. Empty night seems to very much be a known thing that happens when the world ends, at least by some beings.
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# ? Aug 15, 2013 02:04 |
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Also, apparently the last 3 books will be "Stars and Stones", "Hell's Bells", and "Empty Night". So I'd guess that all of those phrases will end up having some pretty major significance in the end.
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# ? Aug 15, 2013 02:10 |
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I've always been disappointed that Butcher never uses the whole curse. 'Hell's Bells And Buckets Of Blood' sounds so much more metal.
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# ? Aug 15, 2013 02:23 |
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Fried Chicken posted:I think I remember it - it was tying in stuff from the Book of Revelation with the curses and reveals in Cold Days. Unfortunately I don't remember which post it was or who posted it Yes, that's it! fake edit: here's the quote, found it with a bit of creative googling Stroth posted:Oh, it gets better. Wormwood, the one who's 'not yet the appointed time for that one to be born' on Mother Summer's little rack o' plauges? It's another name for Wyrmwood. That's from the Book of Revelation: 'A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.' There's only one thing to do after that before they open up the gates of hell. And that's take down the sun, moon and stars from the sky. An Empty Night.
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# ? Aug 15, 2013 03:22 |
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Saith posted:I've always been disappointed that Butcher never uses the whole curse. 'Hell's Bells And Buckets Of Blood' sounds so much more metal. You say that, but if Harry said that full quote everytime, it'd be even more annoying than it already is.
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# ? Aug 15, 2013 05:48 |
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Saith posted:I've always been disappointed that Butcher never uses the whole curse. 'Hell's Bells And Buckets Of Blood' sounds so much more metal. Yeah, that poo poo would be awkward as gently caress to say on even a semi-regular basis. It actually sounds kinda dumb saying it even once.
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# ? Aug 15, 2013 07:48 |
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SerSpook posted:It wasn't really ever explicitly stated, but I think empty night is pretty clearly a thing. In Cold Days I seem to recall Mother Winter or Summer using the term, but not as a swear but a description when discussing Outsiders. I may not be remembering right though. Mother Summer uses the line as when talking to Mother Winter about helping Harry, when Winter claims to not care about saving lives or something. "Better that than Empty Night." or something along those lines.
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# ? Aug 15, 2013 19:09 |
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I always read it as, since its a curse primarily used by non-humans, that the things that go bump in the night (elves, vampires, etc.) fear being destroyed and leaving night empty and terrifying.
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# ? Aug 15, 2013 23:24 |
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VanSandman posted:I always read it as, since its a curse primarily used by non-humans, that the things that go bump in the night (elves, vampires, etc.) fear being destroyed and leaving night empty and terrifying. Conversely as it's a curse used primarily by supernatural predators, it could be the idea that there is no more prey.
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# ? Aug 16, 2013 01:40 |
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I always took it as empty night was oblivion. No stars/sun/moon etc. The end of all things.
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# ? Aug 16, 2013 02:41 |
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Oroborus posted:I always took it as empty night was oblivion. No stars/sun/moon etc. The end of all things. That's how I saw it. I think in one of the books or stories either Thomas or Lara explain that's what it is. Maybe in the Oblivion War thing?
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# ? Aug 16, 2013 04:36 |
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Lara said it when the Naagloshi was wrecking the estate.
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# ? Aug 16, 2013 12:16 |
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Wade Wilson posted:Lara said it when the Naagloshi was wrecking the estate. I'd probably trust the Naagloshii over Lara as an information source if I had to choose.
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# ? Aug 17, 2013 08:12 |
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I started worm serial because of what I saw on here. Geeze there are 27 chapters now. It's great but thats going to take forever.
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# ? Aug 17, 2013 14:13 |
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Oh god. You guys, I just started listening to the first Sandman Slim audiobook. It's the stupidest, most swaggering 'badass' crap I have ever heard. And I love it!
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# ? Aug 17, 2013 14:38 |
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packsmack posted:I started worm serial because of what I saw on here. Geeze there are 27 chapters now. It's great but thats going to take forever. It will, and if you're like me you won't regret any of it. That said, there apparently is a thread mostly devoted to Worm. Let's move discussion over to the Web Serials thread and leave all those poor non-Worm-reading bastards in peace.
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# ? Aug 17, 2013 16:07 |
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Donraj posted:Oh god. For me, the first book is the peak of the series. Not that the others aren't good, but it's hard to capture that sort of meatheaded glory twice. Still, the funniest part of every book is always the author's portrait.
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# ? Aug 18, 2013 06:35 |
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Mr. Fowl posted:For me, the first book is the peak of the series. Not that the others aren't good, but it's hard to capture that sort of meatheaded glory twice. Still, the funniest part of every book is always the author's portrait. ..oh, god, what? What? I always assumed that like, 95% of Sandman Slim was tongue-in-cheek, overly badass for the sake of being overly badass. It's.. Real? I mean, I love the books, and still intend to keep reading them, but man, that changes things. Haha.
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# ? Aug 18, 2013 06:38 |
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After all this talk about Sandman Slim I decided to take a look at the preview on Amazon. This is the stupidest, awesomest, bestworst thing already I think I'm going to end up buying it. Arcsech fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Aug 20, 2013 |
# ? Aug 20, 2013 03:20 |
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VanSandman posted:I always read it as, since its a curse primarily used by non-humans, that the things that go bump in the night (elves, vampires, etc.) fear being destroyed and leaving night empty and terrifying. Actually as far as the phrase "empty night" goes, remember that Thomas/Lara are Venators and thus understand to at least some degree the capability of god-like beings causing the end of the world. While those beings are not explicitly identified as outsiders, they are right up that same lovecraftian alley with mortal cults and worship. Actually the short story and the current reveals in cold-days match up pretty well such as when Thomas describes the Oblivion War to Bob: “And we’re not just talking about pagan gods. We’re talking about things that people of today have no words for, no concept to adequately define. Demons of such appetites and fury that the only way mortals in some parts of the world survived them at all was with the help of Some of those early gods. Demons who had to be stopped, permanently.” The "demons" Thomas talks about do sound very similar to outsiders. I actually wouldn't be surprised if Mab turned out to have had a hand in the formation of the Venators, during the conversation at the Outer gates it was revealed that Mab wasn't always in the position she is now, and had only became responsible for safeguarding reality in the current era. It would have to be quite a coincidence that the Venators formed 5,000 years ago right at the start of the "era" of civilization alongside Mab's ascension to her role as guardian. With that context a shared phrase between the Mothers and Venators isn't that far fetched. So while a few other Raiths have used the phrase, I wouldn't be surprised if as a curse it's become somewhat generec and has had it's true meaning forgotten except by a few. (See the short story "Backup" narrated by Thomas for the Venator stuff)
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# ? Aug 20, 2013 08:47 |
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Just finished Moon Called which is... Surprisingly not bad . Definitely not ranked with Dresden or Peter Grant, but leagues beyond Anita Blake or Iron Druid. The supporting Werewolf characters were uniform, but them having powers beside 'can turn into a wolf' was pretty cool. I'd give it a 3/5 starborns. Edit: Dresden stuff. Is there any mention either in book/side story/word of Jim of who guarded the gates before Winter? -Fish- fucked around with this message at 16:50 on Aug 21, 2013 |
# ? Aug 21, 2013 16:48 |
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OmniBeer posted:..oh, god, what? What? I think the acknowledgements in Kill the Dead say all that need to be said: "Thanks to Lustmord, Controlled Bleeding, The Germs, Tool, and Les Baxter who provided most of the soundtrack for this book." Sure, Sandman Slim is cornball as gently caress, but sometimes it is fun to unselfconsciously throw on a ripped up Iron Maiden t-shirt, tie back your Dave Mustaine mullet, and slam some natty light while headbanging to some old Slayer and tinkering on your IROC in the driveway.
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# ? Aug 21, 2013 18:53 |
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Just finished Broken Homes, have to say that thirty pages into the book i was was wondering why i was bothering to read it and the feeling stayed with me for it's entirety. It pads out the series without adding anything interesting, happily not down to Iron Druid levels but it is a bit disappoining.
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# ? Aug 22, 2013 00:56 |
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-Fish- posted:Just finished Moon Called which is... Surprisingly not bad . Definitely not ranked with Dresden or Peter Grant, but leagues beyond Anita Blake or Iron Druid. The supporting Werewolf characters were uniform, but them having powers beside 'can turn into a wolf' was pretty cool. I'd give it a 3/5 starborns. Actually, compare moon called to the first couple Dresden's, it's closer. Series improved as it goes, growing some nice depth, and a take on the Fae I like even more than Dresden.
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# ? Aug 22, 2013 01:45 |
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wallaka posted:Alternatively, I read Tad Williams' Dirty Streets of Heaven and was pretty damned happy. A mystery, some loving, demons, payoffs, corruption, all the good stuff. So hey: this book, Tad Williams' entry in the urban fantasy(-ish) genre, is currently the Kindle daily SF/F deal, and also $1.99 at B&N and iTunes. I haven't read it yet, but lots of awesome reviews, and Tad's pretty great in general. (I am not unbiased here--connected to the publisher--but still wanted to spread the word.) onefish fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Aug 22, 2013 |
# ? Aug 22, 2013 21:29 |
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onefish posted:So hey: this book, Tad Williams' entry in the urban fantasy(-ish) genre, is currently the Kindle daily SF/F deal, and also $1.99 at B&N and iTunes. I haven't read it yet, but lots of awesome reviews, and Tad's pretty great in general. (I am not unbiased here--connected to the publisher--but still wanted to spread the word.) $2 is a good gamble. I'm sold.
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# ? Aug 23, 2013 01:07 |
It's actually a pretty good book. It takes a bit to get going, but once it does, it's a hell of a ride. The sequel comes out early next month.
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# ? Aug 23, 2013 04:03 |
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-Fish- posted:Just finished Moon Called which is... Surprisingly not bad . Definitely not ranked with Dresden or Peter Grant, but leagues beyond Anita Blake or Iron Druid. The supporting Werewolf characters were uniform, but them having powers beside 'can turn into a wolf' was pretty cool. I'd give it a 3/5 starborns. We probably won't find out until he posts the backstory that never made it into the novels, like he did with Alera...you know, when the series is finished... ten to fifteen years from now.
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# ? Aug 23, 2013 10:18 |
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Ornamented Death posted:It's actually a pretty good book. It takes a bit to get going, but once it does, it's a hell of a ride. The sequel comes out early next month. My experience exactly. I apparently liked more than I knew, because I have been really up for the sequel. He's built a world I want to see more of.
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# ? Aug 23, 2013 14:40 |
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Ghetto Prince posted:We probably won't find out until he posts the backstory that never made it into the novels, like he did with Alera...you know, when the series is finished... ten to fifteen years from now. Five years. They've been pretty reliably released once per year, it's ~twenty books, and #15 is out in December.
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# ? Aug 23, 2013 16:13 |
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coffeetable posted:Five years. They've been pretty reliably released once per year, it's ~twenty books, and #15 is out in December. Actually, Jim has said he's a little behind, and it's likely to be about ~25 total, now. No complaints here, though. The more Dresden the better.
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# ? Aug 23, 2013 16:32 |
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coffeetable posted:Five years. They've been pretty reliably released once per year, it's ~twenty books, and #15 is out in December. Um...I don't think there's a release date for Skin Game yet, is there? Butcher's site says there isn't. I didn't think it was coming out until 2014.
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# ? Aug 23, 2013 17:26 |
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# ? Jun 11, 2024 07:39 |
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chellesandcheese posted:Um...I don't think there's a release date for Skin Game yet, is there? Butcher's site says there isn't. I didn't think it was coming out until 2014. Amazon has it coming out December 3rd '13: http://www.amazon.com/Skin-Game-Dresden-Files-ebook/dp/B00CIVLY22 but who knows...
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# ? Aug 23, 2013 18:14 |