Discussion -- October 2011 Challenge

[Percival]

Once again, I'm only going to cover those stories I thought I understood. This isn't a reflection on the quality of the ones I don't mention.

Hex Really interesting: nightmare (and ultimately suicide?) as salvation? A warning or "leaving before the rush"? I enjoyed the ambiguity as to whether by escaping through her dreams Lucy is the lone survivor or the first victim.

Abernovo I had a definite sinking feeling at the end, reading this. I could picture the goblins boiling out unexpectedly, so it definitely succeeds. I read it as an interesting comment on how much fortune is a part of any plan.

Mith This has a really nice feel to it, at once epic and (for me) sharp. The structure of the sentences conveys much more than I would have thought possible with so few words.

Culhwch Poignant. It took me a while to decide how I felt about it, but I think ultimately, the idea of loss so profound that one would hope to revisit a nightmare, just to share a loved one's company, is moving.

Encinalien An interesting style that captures breathlessness very well. There's a confusion that makes it feel dream-like, and the image of the horse on the beach is surprisingly successful.

Mouse I really liked this. It feels confessional and yet also sinister. I couldn't decide how to feel about the protagonist. Both haunted by their dreams, but also strangely unrepentant. Very effective. I'm still thinking about it.

reiver33 Strange and yet effective. For some reason I was reminded of Clive Barker. Definitely one of the more weird and dark things I have read, but very effective.

Chel Captures the feeling of helplessness common to nightmares on at least two levels. Bleak, almost painful. I enjoyed it.

pyan This is great. I love the inversion, that the real nightmare is his real life in all its dismal repetition, and that in comparison, horrors are preferable.

Parson This is so well-done and so uncomfortable. "Oh no!" really sums it up beautifully. And that it is obviously an ongoing sequence. I liked it no less because once again there's a nightmare at two levels, but this time they're both horrors, just in different ways.

HareBrain This is fun, I love the idea of the dream honey-trap. It reminds me a little of the shared bubbles in the Wheel of Time. A sort of disease of the mind - and isn't that the real nightmare, a future in which such things spread?

Boneman I loved this. The whole world around them comes into focus from the details of their interactions. And the idea of Knight Mare being a rank is great.

Bob S. Sr The twist at the end of this is great, I don't know why I didn't see it coming. It's moving in its way. I thought it was going to be a man in a nightmare, but then it was a man living (dying?) a nightmare. And the bartender's offhand treatment only adds to it. Really effective.

chrispenycate This really hit a nerve for me. I remember watching little kids play in the broken glass in our shared yard, and what brown water from the shower is like. Very effective. That every day can be a nightmare has been done in other places, but this is singularly effective at bringing out one way that can happen. And the sensation of being trapped is constant once you get poor enough.

Devil's Advocate Gave me a shiver. What an unpleasant thought, to be condemned to live through anything! It doesn't just describe a nightmare, it might give me nightmares.

Moonbat The layers of this are very interesting. The worst nightmares always have a fake waking up in them, so that you can be convinced it's really real. And the disorientation here means any one of these scenes could be real - that he doesn't know when he's passing out and when he's waking (or if he is at all) makes it especially horrific.

[Mouse]

Originally Posted by Percival

Mouse I really liked this. It feels confessional and yet also sinister. I couldn't decide how to feel about the protagonist. Both haunted by their dreams, but also strangely unrepentant. Very effective. I'm still thinking about it.

Why thank you! Good to know how other people are seeing it.

[Hex]

Yes, I need to say thank you too, Percival. Glad you liked it. I'd convinced myself that I'd made no sense at all this month (which was a shame, because the story was incredibly clear in my head).

[Perpetual Man]

Phew, got the 300 worder out the way, now got to come up with this one. Decisions, decisions....

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Describe the nightmare of coming up with the 300?


You'll come up with something, Perp. After all, what's a challenge month without you reviewing yourself?

[Perpetual Man]

You reckon I could do that in under 75 words?!?!

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Who knows?

I just hope there's no more Alice stories, mine was quite shaky as it was. Sure, I might have set the atmosphere, but to suffer the ruthless editing it needed to, it lost a lot of its soul.

Still, I'm going to see what will come down in November, hopefully I'll be able to come up with something better.

[Parson]

Originally Posted by Percival

Parson This is so well-done and so uncomfortable. "Oh no!" really sums it up beautifully. And that it is obviously an ongoing sequence. I liked it no less because once again there's a nightmare at two levels, but this time they're both horrors, just in different ways.

Percival: Thanks! I really appreciate the kind comments.

[Bob Senior]

Thanks to Perp Man and Percival for the comments, it always makes a person feel good to have others enjoy their efforts-----and say so. I for one am guilty of enjoying everyone's work but not saying so. Don't know how you guys do it.
How about a blanket "good job everyone" from Bob!

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Aw, come on, Bob, surely you have your own thoughts and varied feelings about each entry?

[TheDustyZebra]

Who came up with this stupid theme, anyway? So far I've got two different versions of one story and one of another, and I don't like any of them enough to post.

It's the curse!

[Parson]

The Parson quotes:

"Be sure your sin will find you out."

[TheEndIsNigh]

Originally Posted by TheDustyZebra

Who came up with this stupid theme, anyway? So far I've got two different versions of one story and one of another, and I don't like any of them enough to post.

It's the curse!

You could could sleep on it and then decide.

Hope I helped.

[Perpetual Man]

Moonbat – This was one of the rare stories that hit me with some confusion, to start with but the more I thought about the more dream like it felt, genuinely nightmarish. Repeating over and over, waking to find things haven’t changed and that you are still dreaming undergoing an experiment or torture. Have to also note that the first line just felt incredible to me, a lovely bit of writing.

Percival – Some wonderful imagery throughout this story, I just loved the way the bed and it’s bedding became marine-like, a very strong and clever element. The (I presume) cuddly toys propelling things along gave it a truly off-kilter and dreamlike quality, that seemed almost cartoonish, until you think how terrifying it could well be in a dream – mundane things coming to life... gulp!

[Bob Senior]

Originally Posted by Karn Maeshalanadae

Aw, come on, Bob, surely you have your own thoughts and varied feelings about each entry?

kARN, I surely do read and enjoy every story and have my own feelings about them. What I was trying to say is that I am unable to express them as Perp Man and Percival and others do. Positive reinforcement is a wonderful thing, I'm just no good at it.