Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 7, 2014 - 7:05pm
A Home for Wild Creatures - Utah: Big Fat Loser
42% (5 votes)
Returning Fire - Strange Photon: Triumphant Victor
58% (7 votes)
Total votes: 12

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 7, 2014 - 7:11pm

Prompt:


Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 7, 2014 - 7:17pm

And FYI for those of you who are sticklers on word count rules (as I am):  The agreed-upon word count for this poll was 3k words, because neither SP nor I have a great deal of restraint.

Matt A.'s picture
Matt A. June 7, 2014 - 7:20pm

Great job fellas.

SRead's picture
SRead from Colorado is reading Stories June 7, 2014 - 8:10pm

Wow--really well done, you two! Enjoyed them both!

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest June 7, 2014 - 11:10pm

Grigori Black's picture
Grigori Black from US is reading Radium Girls by Amanda Gowin June 7, 2014 - 11:30pm

Nice, I had a sense of how the first one was going to end. The second one, no clue. Both were really well done. 

Strange Photon's picture
Strange Photon from Fort Wayne, IN is reading Laurie Anderson lyrics June 8, 2014 - 6:06am

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest June 8, 2014 - 10:13am

Bump

Jonathan Riley's picture
Jonathan Riley from Memphis, Tennessee is reading Flashover by Gordon Highland June 8, 2014 - 2:15pm

These are great. Twas not an easy decission at all. Great work guys.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 8, 2014 - 4:09pm

Thanks, Mr. Riley.

justwords's picture
justwords from suburb of Birmingham, AL is reading The Tomb, F. Paul Wilson; A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby June 8, 2014 - 5:24pm

SP: how did you get those cats to cooperate?  :)

Strange Photon's picture
Strange Photon from Fort Wayne, IN is reading Laurie Anderson lyrics June 8, 2014 - 5:36pm

I am a cat whisperer. Someday, I will direct my army of cat-minions to burn the capitols of every nation to the ground in a massive cat-astrophe... and erect a purrfect Palace for me, the supreme emperor of the world.

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest June 8, 2014 - 7:36pm

Nicely done, fellas.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 8, 2014 - 8:14pm

God, I hate cats.

justwords's picture
justwords from suburb of Birmingham, AL is reading The Tomb, F. Paul Wilson; A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby June 8, 2014 - 8:32pm

You guys are inspirational!!

justwords's picture
justwords from suburb of Birmingham, AL is reading The Tomb, F. Paul Wilson; A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby June 8, 2014 - 8:33pm

SP: have you taught the cats how to use the can opener yet?

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 8, 2014 - 8:33pm

Thanks.  We try hard.

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest June 9, 2014 - 12:45am

What the fuck?

Strange Photon's picture
Strange Photon from Fort Wayne, IN is reading Laurie Anderson lyrics June 9, 2014 - 4:49am

I give up. What the fuck?

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest June 9, 2014 - 5:50am

I don't know. Ask the Utah.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 9, 2014 - 6:16am

What?...

Gordon Highland's picture
Gordon Highland from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore June 9, 2014 - 6:55am

I've never been in one of these Thunderdome threads before. So … do voters actually discuss the stories, or just keep WTF-bumping each other?

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 9, 2014 - 7:06am

Personally, I'm all for discussing them.  If Photon doesn't mind, I'd love some discussion.

Strange Photon's picture
Strange Photon from Fort Wayne, IN is reading Laurie Anderson lyrics June 9, 2014 - 7:08am

No, I don't mind either. Bring the pain!

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 9, 2014 - 7:10am

Cool.  I don't think either one of us really cares about bias infection, so consider these stories open for discussion.

Gordon, thanks for bringing this up.

Strange Photon's picture
Strange Photon from Fort Wayne, IN is reading Laurie Anderson lyrics June 9, 2014 - 7:21am

Maybe just from here on down in the thread, anyone who hasn't read both stories, GO READ BOTH FUCKING STORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Then continue enjoying our witty repartee where you left off.

Gordon Highland's picture
Gordon Highland from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore June 9, 2014 - 7:44am

Both made creative use of the prompt, which always fascinates me, seeing the direction those take. While the Arnold Layne one had perhaps the more unexpected trajectory, and some effective, well-written paranoia, the character namings instantly pulled me out the story—as such a technique always does—because then I start wondering how many of its other elements are derivative, and then I can no longer focus on the story for its own merits, so distracted am I by the homage … meaning I couldn't vote for it.

The panther story, I struggled to grasp what was going on in the opening scene, who was where and why they were acting that way, etc. But once we moved beyond that, I dug the rest. Like Grig, I thought I knew how it might end (in the "Chekhov's gun" sense), but it took enough of a turn to satisfy me, and I shared their terror when shots rang out.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 9, 2014 - 7:52am

When you talk about derivative character namings, I'm unclear what you mean.  Is there a cultural reference there?

And at what point were you able to grasp scene and setting in the panther story?  Somewhere in the middle of the first scene, or did it take all the way to the second scene for you to get your footing?

Gordon Highland's picture
Gordon Highland from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore June 9, 2014 - 8:14am

They're all named after Pink Floyd-isms, and you've got Syd's well-documented descent into madness, etc.

The other story, I thought the truck was delivering the fencing itself, and couldn't understand some of the lingo and why all the tension around that. Reading it for a second time, it's much clearer. I couldn't tell if the driver and his ladyfriend were still inside the cab or where, people were looking up/down at one another, etc. confused me. It started getting clearer around the time the blood poured.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 9, 2014 - 8:16am

Edited

voodoo_em's picture
voodoo_em from England is reading All the books by Ira Levin June 9, 2014 - 8:51am

I voted!

Great stories, guys.

Jonathan Riley's picture
Jonathan Riley from Memphis, Tennessee is reading Flashover by Gordon Highland June 9, 2014 - 12:13pm

Bumpty Dumpty

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest June 9, 2014 - 7:27pm

Strange Photon's picture
Strange Photon from Fort Wayne, IN is reading Laurie Anderson lyrics June 10, 2014 - 6:01am

That BUMP in the night? Yeah... that was me, under your bed, sharpening a shard of steel to shank you with if you don't fuckin' read the stories and vote!!!

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 10, 2014 - 8:26am

That didn't work.  You might have to start stabbing people.

Strange Photon's picture
Strange Photon from Fort Wayne, IN is reading Laurie Anderson lyrics June 10, 2014 - 8:47am

Done and done.

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest June 10, 2014 - 7:37pm

Strange Photon's picture
Strange Photon from Fort Wayne, IN is reading Laurie Anderson lyrics June 11, 2014 - 5:05am

More than four full days and we get only 8 total votes??? This is why I shied away from here in the first place. C'mon, people, it doesn't cost anything, obviously.

voodoo_em's picture
voodoo_em from England is reading All the books by Ira Levin June 11, 2014 - 7:55am

Gordon Highland's picture
Gordon Highland from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore June 11, 2014 - 8:10am

I feel ya. Eight reads? Psssh. I can get almost that many by being published in a lit zine.

Grigori Black's picture
Grigori Black from US is reading Radium Girls by Amanda Gowin June 11, 2014 - 9:27pm

Strange Photon's picture
Strange Photon from Fort Wayne, IN is reading Laurie Anderson lyrics June 12, 2014 - 4:49am

LOVE Bane, and his lil chant - that is one badass bump right there!

voodoo_em's picture
voodoo_em from England is reading All the books by Ira Levin June 12, 2014 - 8:05am

B

U

M

P

Strange Photon's picture
Strange Photon from Fort Wayne, IN is reading Laurie Anderson lyrics June 12, 2014 - 1:35pm

Funny how there are eight people battling, and only eight votes... Everyone on the site knows that they don't have to be currently battling to read a damn story and vote, right???

justwords's picture
justwords from suburb of Birmingham, AL is reading The Tomb, F. Paul Wilson; A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby June 12, 2014 - 8:56pm

@SP: Hold on, I'm just finishing up reading the second one---had a lot going on. And thanks again for showing me how to attach a photo to the comment box! You're great!

justwords's picture
justwords from suburb of Birmingham, AL is reading The Tomb, F. Paul Wilson; A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby June 12, 2014 - 8:58pm

And Happy Father's Day to all you dads this Sunday!!

Sound's picture
Sound from Azusa, CA is reading Greener Pastures by Michael Wehunt June 12, 2014 - 9:19pm

Good stories. Great job, guys. 

voodoo_em's picture
voodoo_em from England is reading All the books by Ira Levin June 13, 2014 - 1:26am

SP, at least 3 of your votes are from non battle contestants (me, Gordon and justwords)

But yeah, it sucks.

Strange Photon's picture
Strange Photon from Fort Wayne, IN is reading Laurie Anderson lyrics June 13, 2014 - 4:51am

Oh, ok, that does make me feel slightly better.  :)

Strange Photon's picture
Strange Photon from Fort Wayne, IN is reading Laurie Anderson lyrics June 13, 2014 - 5:27pm

Suriooslee? Waddup wit dee dooble posties? Toopid glitcheese.