Heresy 245 The Alpha and the Omega and what lies between

[Melifeather]

On 7/5/2023 at 1:30 AM, LynnS said:

We've have a lot of rain in the last few days.  Seems to be helping.  The sky is more normal.  How is your garden this year?  Did you try anything new?

The garden is just starting to produce. I was able to make a small batch of spicy pickled green beans.

I am trying a new variety developed by Gurney. It’s a bright scarlet orange tomato named Vivacious. It’s shaped like a Roma and is supposed to be high in beta-carotene. I grew them from seed. I’ll let you know if they’re any good!

On 7/6/2023 at 9:27 PM, LynnS said:

Anyway, these recent forest fires and their effects on weather reminds me of the Year without a Sun in 536 AD.  I think this must be where GRRM gets some ideas about the Long Night.  I don't think the original event has to be a cosmic collision especially since vulcanism is a big thing in the Essos historical record. 

I watched an interview GRRM did recently. It was a discussion where they were supposed to talk about a favorite book, but the interviewer snuck a few ASOIAF questions including, what caused the Doom? GRRM simply said, “volcanoes” and then laughed. So, I think that’s confirmation that these ancient events are naturally occurring.

Edited July 8, 2023 by Melifeather

[LynnS]

47 minutes ago, Melifeather said:

I grew them from seed. I’ll let you know if they’re any good!

We didn't do any veg this year.  We're working on the perennials.  Second year for bee balm and they came up like gangbusters but we've got white spot mildew which we had to treat with a neem oil solution.  They are starting to flower so hopefully we got it in time.  They attract a lot of bumblebees.  We're going to try columbine from seed next spring.

51 minutes ago, Melifeather said:

I watched an interview GRRM did recently. It was a discussion where they were supposed to talk about a favorite book, but the interviewer snuck a few ASOIAF questions including, what caused the Doom? GRRM simply said, “volcanoes” and then laughed. So, I think that’s confirmation that these ancient events are naturally occurring.

I saw that interview and started listening to Lord of Light by Zelanzy which GRRM said was his magnum opus.  I couldn't get into it.  

Yes, the Doom was caused by volcanos.  But that wasn't really the question.  Moqorro says men are responsible.

 

[alienarea]

On 7/8/2023 at 4:59 AM, LynnS said:

Some additional thoughts/questions about the house with the red door.  We know it's an actual place and also that the red door itself has some kind of significance or meaning, according to GRRM.  What could that be?  Dany has a childhood memory of the red door but the red door also shows up in her dragon dream.  Doors and portals have significance in this story - the doors on the House of Black and White, the Black Gate, the doors in the House of Undying, for example.  Does the Red Door fall into this category?  Does is show up in dreams of other dragon dreamers?  Is that why Dragonstone has red doors or why Maester Aemon says he remembers the colour red?  

Maybe the house with the red door is the Black Gate?

"I see a red door and I want to paint it black." :)

[Melifeather]

On 7/8/2023 at 10:28 AM, LynnS said:

We didn't do any veg this year.  We're working on the perennials.  Second year for bee balm and they came up like gangbusters but we've got white spot mildew which we had to treat with a neem oil solution.  They are starting to flower so hopefully we got it in time.  They attract a lot of bumblebees.  We're going to try columbine from seed next spring.

I saw that interview and started listening to Lord of Light by Zelanzy which GRRM said was his magnum opus.  I couldn't get into it.  

Yes, the Doom was caused by volcanos.  But that wasn't really the question.  Moqorro says men are responsible.

 

I read Nine Princes in Amber and was similarly unimpressed. *yawn*

[LynnS]

2 hours ago, Melifeather said:

I read Nine Princes in Amber and was similarly unimpressed. *yawn*

The Diskworld audio books are very entertaining if you are looking for a diversion.  Sam Vimes of the Night Watch is one of my favourite characters starting with Guards, Guards.  Any of these books read by Nigel Planer or Stephen Briggs are well worth listening to.  At the moment, I'm listening to Unseen Academicals about the people's game - Foot the Ball - with some other amusing sub-plots. 

There doesn't seem to be anything of interest on TV right now.  I finished Season 1 of the Peripheral but will we get a season 2?  

[Mace Cooterian]

While we continue to patiently wait....sitting around the house with the kids in town and having fun submitting topics to some sort of AI Generating tool.  Plugged in my forum name, something about how old I was and what I died from.  Didn't want to use my real name of course.  The following Obituary is what the AI site generated.  I did edit the content by shortening.  Enjoy!

 

In Loving Memory: Mace Cooterian (Year of Birth - Year of Passing)

 It is with profound sadness that we announce the untimely passing of the remarkable Mace Cooterian on [date]. At the age of 482, Mace's extraordinary journey came to a tragic end when he succumbed to a rare and unforeseen accident involving dragon breath.

 In his early years, Mace pursued a life of adventure and exploration. His insatiable curiosity led him to embark on countless quests, seeking knowledge and understanding of the world's mysteries. As a scholar, his profound insights into history, culture, and science were revered by scholars and sages alike.

 Mace's bravery and strength were legendary, and he was known for facing challenges head-on, fearlessly confronting formidable adversaries and protecting those in need. His encounters with dragons became the stuff of legend, as he shared a unique bond with these majestic creatures.

 As we bid farewell to Mace Cooterian, let us remember the wisdom he imparted, the courage he embodied, and the love he shared. May his spirit soar with the dragons he so dearly cherished, and may he find peace in realms beyond our mortal reach.

 "Legends never truly die; they become timeless tales, whispered in the winds of eternity."

 

[Black Crow]

Had he been a dragonslayer, he would have known to duck

[Mace Cooterian]

On 7/23/2023 at 3:45 AM, Black Crow said:

Had he been a dragonslayer, he would have known to duck

Exactly.  Sort of like not running straight down the battle field when someone is trying to shoot you with a bow and arrow....use the zig zag pattern like they did in Apocolypto.

[Mace Cooterian]

Also, just saw on line today that they are getting ready to release The Winter King in August.  At first I thought it was a Jon Snow sort of spin off but it's a series based on the Authurian Trilogy by Bernard Cornwall, who also authored the books that were used to create the series The Last Kingdom.  It's historical fiction, but it was a pretty good read and it did have one of my favorite characters (Merlin).

[Melifeather]

23 hours ago, Mace Cooterian said:

Also, just saw on line today that they are getting ready to release The Winter King in August.  At first I thought it was a Jon Snow sort of spin off but it's a series based on the Authurian Trilogy by Bernard Cornwall, who also authored the books that were used to create the series The Last Kingdom.  It's historical fiction, but it was a pretty good read and it did have one of my favorite characters (Merlin).

As a Bernard Cornwall super fan that has read both book series I have to correct you! hahaha

The Winter King is part of a trilogy called the Warlord Chronicles told from the point of view of Derfel who started out as an orphan raised by Merlin and later becomes a warlord himself.

The show The Last Kingdom is based on a 13-book series about Uhtred son of Uhtred, a fictional character loosely based on the author's own ancient ancestor and family home - totally different from the Warlord Chronicles.

If anything, Jon Snow is more like Uhtred than Derfel in that the Viking and Saxon religions as well as the more famous battles and conflicts of the time inspired much of ASOIAF. Uhtred lived during the time of the Saxons and the last kingdom of Wessex that was ruled by a real world inspired king named Alfred. 

Derfel comes to know Arthur and spices his POV commentary with opinions and clarifications that I think the author learned while researching for this series. He attempts to differentiate between the real Arthur and the mythical legends. Cornwell believes that Arthur was a real historical person, but not an actual king. That he was a warlord that helped protect a real world infant king, Mordred or "Medraut" hold onto his kingdom during a time period where both Saxon and Viking invasions occurred in ancient Wales. Many people encouraged Arthur to steal the kingship for himself, but Arthur was duty bound - a theme that is always highlighted in all the Arthurian stories. I especially liked how Cornwell gave Guinevere a more, not quite sinister, but certainly a dark and secretive Isis religion of her own drawn from the Egyptians. Derfel too was trained like the Roman soldiers to worship Mithras which had secret initiations and restricted membership to honorable warriors. I also like that Corwell portrayed Lancelot as a complete dick! LOL 

The Arthur story is older than the Uhtred story if you think of England's timeline from the time of the Romans invading the Britons and Welsh, to the Roman departure and the Saxon rise to power, to the Viking invasions. Arthur lived during a time after the Romans left and during the invasion of the Saxons. Uhtred is 100's of years later, and of course Saxon born, but raised by Vikings, yet protects a Saxon king from Viking invasions. 

If the new Winter King series has Arthur as the main character with Derfel as a minor one, I will be severely disappointed!

Edited July 28, 2023 by Melifeather

[Mace Cooterian]

18 hours ago, Melifeather said:

As a Bernard Cornwall super fan that has read both book series I have to correct you! hahaha

The Winter King is part of a trilogy called the Warlord Chronicles told from the point of view of Derfel who started out as an orphan raised by Merlin and later becomes a warlord himself.

The show The Last Kingdom is based on a 13-book series about Uhtred son of Uhtred, a fictional character loosely based on the author's own ancient ancestor and family home - totally different from the Warlord Chronicles.

........

If the new Winter King series has Arthur as the main character with Derfel as a minor one, I will be severely disappointed!

Technically speaking we are both correct, though it would have been better for me to say A Novel of Arthur....at least that is what it says on page 1 of all 3 books in addition to Warlord Chronicles.

Based on IMDB it does look like Derfel is listed in the "All Cast" whereas Arthur is listed in the "Top Series Cast".  As for the actors & actresses themselves, I really don't recognize many by face nor name other than Eddie Marsan who plays King Uther.

[Melifeather]

On 7/29/2023 at 8:16 AM, Mace Cooterian said:

Technically speaking we are both correct, though it would have been better for me to say A Novel of Arthur....at least that is what it says on page 1 of all 3 books in addition to Warlord Chronicles.

Based on IMDB it does look like Derfel is listed in the "All Cast" whereas Arthur is listed in the "Top Series Cast".  As for the actors & actresses themselves, I really don't recognize many by face nor name other than Eddie Marsan who plays King Uther.

I misread your post and thought you said The Last Kingdom series was based on the Warlord Chronicles. Totally missed “who also authored “.

[Precioushobbits]

What is dead will never rise, longer and complete. 

[Melifeather]

Is anyone watching The Winter King? I saw the first two episodes on Amazon Prime. If I want to watch more I have to buy a subscription streaming service with MGM+. I don't know if the series captured my interest enough to do that even though the stated membership was like $5.99 per month. I just unsubscribed to a bunch of streaming services this summer! You pay for one and pretty soon you have like 5 or 6 different ones! 

Speaking of Amazon Prime...I have watched a number of good series, among them The English (only 6 episodes) which I highly recommend, and The Wheel of Time which is nearing the end of their second season. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart was good too.

The Wheel of Time series is more interesting than the books ever were, at least in my opinion. Every time the Min character is on screen I think of LynnS . She's not quite how I imagined her, but she's very good - all the characters are good. I've read complaints about the storyline being confusing on other forums, but I'm not lost. I think they've done a good job of telling the story. 

 

[LynnS]

I do have Prime and Netflix, but that's it.  Cable was getting so expensive, we had to reduce our services and we lost HBO.  So I won't be seeing House of Dragons anytime soon.  I really like Wheel of Time and I'll check out your recommendations.  Thank you!  

[Melifeather]

15 hours ago, LynnS said:

I do have Prime and Netflix, but that's it.  Cable was getting so expensive, we had to reduce our services and we lost HBO.  So I won't be seeing House of Dragons anytime soon.  I really like Wheel of Time and I'll check out your recommendations.  Thank you!  

Just finished watching the last episode of season 2 of Wheel. It was so good!!!

[LynnS]

On 7/28/2023 at 2:13 PM, Melifeather said:

As a Bernard Cornwall super fan that has read both book series I have to correct you! hahaha

OK. I've watched 3.5 episodes of the Winter King.  I haven't read the books, so I don't know what to expect.  It's an unconventional twist on the typical portrayal.  I don't know if book fans would like it or not.  It's holding my interest so far.  It starts out with the midden hitting the windmill and that pretty much sets the tone.  I despised Uther Pendragon on first sight and was glad I didn't have to suffer that uber-dork for more than one episode.  Arthur is enigmatic at this point.  The sight as it's portrayed in dreams and visions is subtle.  Merlin can put people to sleep with a wave of his hand, like some Jedi mind trick.  He also seems to be eternally young.  There isn't a grey hair on his bald head.  I only recognize a few actors, but I can't place  them.  I'll watch the rest but I can't give any sort of rating at this point.

[LadySage]

@LynnS @Melifeather Wheel of Time really got it together for Season Two. Hearted it! Also am enjoying The Winter King Good stuff.

[Melifeather]

On 10/16/2023 at 6:19 PM, LynnS said:

OK. I've watched 3.5 episodes of the Winter King.  I haven't read the books, so I don't know what to expect.  It's an unconventional twist on the typical portrayal.  I don't know if book fans would like it or not.  It's holding my interest so far.  It starts out with the midden hitting the windmill and that pretty much sets the tone.  I despised Uther Pendragon on first sight and was glad I didn't have to suffer that uber-dork for more than one episode.  Arthur is enigmatic at this point.  The sight as it's portrayed in dreams and visions is subtle.  Merlin can put people to sleep with a wave of his hand, like some Jedi mind trick.  He also seems to be eternally young.  There isn't a grey hair on his bald head.  I only recognize a few actors, but I can't place  them.  I'll watch the rest but I can't give any sort of rating at this point.

The 3-book series for this (The Warlord Chronicles) is much, much better than the show. I would encourage you to check them out of your local library.

I love historical fiction and the Winter King story takes place prior to 500 AD, a couple hundred years after the Romans were in Britain, and hundreds of years before the 13-book series, The Last Kingdom which takes place sometime during the 900s AD.

In a nutshell, the Arthur series covers how the Saxons displaced the Britons, while The Last Kingdom covers how the Vikings displaced the Saxons, but later how Alfred the Great of Wessex began taking back Viking held territories which in turn led to the formation of England. 

I've just finished the first of another 3-book series by Bernard Cornwell called Grail Quest which jumps ahead in history to the early 1300's. The first book, Harlequin (The Archer's Tale in the U.S.) details King Edward's campaign into France in an attempt to take the crown which he believes is also his. It accounts two real life battles in Brittany and afterwards the battle of Crecy in Picardy where the English defeated the French against all odds. The French outnumbered the English 2-1, but they had no discipline and they didn't have archers. The second book, Vagabond will detail the Scottish invasion of 1347.

I'd like to get into Vagabond, but I have a big, fat Ken Follett book to get to next titled The Armor of Light. I was on a waiting list with 5 people in front of me, but they all must have declined to check the book out as soon as they saw the massive 737 page tome because I got it less than a week after I made my request!

[LongRider]

Merlin puts folks to sleep with a wave of his hand and is eternally young?      Might I suggest you read the series as @Melifeather also suggests?   Seriously, you’re in for a good story and great writing.