The Inheritance > The Fifth Squashed Cat

[David Sven]

Yeah, I'm more city than country. Why do you think Sheila couldn't get powers? I was thinking maybe it was her skepticism, but then she did believe in the end.

[Hanne]

i'm definitely not a city person, but neither am i a wandering country side. i want something in the middle :)

i like alex' thoughts that not everyone is meant to be writing fantasy history. some come up empty. even if they would want to be the one carrying the ring.

[Alfred]

*spoiler ahead* More dead cats. Couldn't dig into this at all. Feels like Twilight Zone.

Maybe the moral of the story is about being a believer. If you believe enough, it will happen as in the case for Cheryl and Dougie. Then the next question is, what is it that we want to believe in? Does it make us happier (to have eternal youth & vigor, no cares, living at large) or can we be happy (not the happiest, but still happy enough) with what we have now?

A dismal 1/5 stars.

[Ash09]

Alfred wrote: "*spoiler ahead* More dead cats. Couldn't dig into this at all. Feels like Twilight Zone. "

...so this didn't make you want to take a drive, stop at every fifth road-kill kitty, boil it, and suck carefully on every bone? I'm shocked!

lol I enjoyed it. As for the message: Sounds like the kitty corpse magic only works on people who have no hope of getting ahead in this world. It doesn't work for the narrator who is not such a person. The price you pay for the magic seems very high: You can't really have friends or a family if you're keeping yourself eternally young via cat corpses.

...I just finished Strays, btw, and it's striking how pessimistic Hobb is in these stories. It's ok to be a person with hopes of moving up (Sears writer, the woman in Squashed Cat) and it's ok to move down into a lower class through a divorce (Strays) though the threat of falling further is always there. Being born into the lower class in a modern society seems hopeless and horrific, and the only way out is magic: The kitty-bone magic, or the magic of Strays, or the magic of Lavender, which could have worked were it not for human biology and the perverse religion/politics of the Skoag society.

Anyway, urban fantasy is a genre I'm completely unfamiliar with. Is this a common theme?

[Alfred]

Ash09 wrote: "...so this didn't make you want to take a drive, stop at every fifth road-kill kitty, boil..."

Nah, this was a hit and miss for me. (Couldn't help that)

Interesting, your angle. That the magic worked for people who had no other hope, and it's a high price to pay to have that magic. I looked at it as the magic working for people who believed, and that it's a high price to pay for not believing in the magic. Same difference, I am sure!

Just got done with all of Lindholm's stories. Agree the common theme is pessimistic, perhaps it reflects a little of her early background. But, magic did get her out of a tough, and poor, early writing career. With magic she herself created in stories...

Did you also read the introductions? I rather enjoyed reading about her thought process going into each story and her challenges as a writer. Also, I see here and there what may be precursors for ideas expanded later in F/F stories.

Urban fantasy is really a widely cast net of any stories related to fantasy in an urban setting. (Duh, Alfred. That explained it well). As in, the place e.g. city or modern habitat, not the themes, designates it as "urban". But I know very little about it really, as it's not something I gravitate to. The depressive tone is probably just Lindholm's penchant for grittiness and rawness. Strays was just too uncomfortable.

[Ash09]

Alfred wrote: "The depressive tone is probably just Lindholm's penchant for grittiness and rawness. Strays was just too uncomfortable."

Yes, I'm reading the intros. They're really helpful.

I'll confess that I'm still not done with this series of short stories (forgive me? Should be done by tomorrow) though I seem to be enjoying them more than you. Strays was painful, and I can't say that I "enjoyed" it, but it was good. Lindholm is good.

Also, I know that "grimdark" is a ridiculous term, doesn't fit anyone, blah blah, but I've never understood why Hobb's name never comes up when the term is mentioned. She's grim, and she's dark, even when writing as Hobb.

[Alfred]

Oh, please don’t rush on my account! I’ve been reading snatches of the stories whenever I can between obligations, and somehow the pages turned more quickly than expected. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the stories as much, they are just so... bleak, it’s hard to love. But to be disturbed by it and then think about it, yes. Looking forward to your views.

The stories are interesting enough that I may venture further to other Lindholm works, and maybe, just maybe, Soldier Son. At some point. Maybe.

If you find yourself liking anthologies, grimdark-ish and otherwise, do try Dangerous Women and Rogues. GRRMartin is editor for both books. DW’s contributors include Lindholm, Sanderson, Abercrombie, and Martin while Rogues’ include Rothfuss, Lynch, Gaiman, Abraham and Martin.

[Mark]

SOLDIER'S SON does seem to be the mark for all Hobbies to meet to prove their fandom.

I just started the DRAGON KEEPER but know that I will work my way to SS. As a true Hobbie it is my sworn duty!