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Quozl by Alan Dean Foster
well, today i am going to review a quaint book by the name of Quozl. when i first read this book, i had no idea about the furry community, i just enjoyed the storyline and rather unique viewpoints it gives. i recently reread it, and i'm as enamored of it as ever. this book is about a race of spacefaring, anthropomorphic aliens that are somewhat like a squirrel crossed with a rabbit. they cannot swim, and they have sublimated their violent instincts through art and dance, though they breed like rabbits (pun intended) without strict scientific intervention. they come to earth during world war two, as a colony ship from an overpopulated planet, in the hopes of finding a new home, and with no way to return if they cannot find one. unfortunately, the planet they planned to colonize is already occupied by a violent, unpredictable race...us. the elders and leaders determine that it is too dangerous to make contact, so they colonize in secret. but can the colony stay secret? read and fallow the lives of these oddly peaceful, violent, and very sexual creatures.
five out of five silver dragon scales, with a rating of pg-13.
five out of five silver dragon scales, with a rating of pg-13.
N'duk the Hunter - Volume One: The White Towers
Mitch de la Guardia's N'duk the Hunter stories are reminscent of those of Conan the Barbarian, and if I had to guess, I'd say that they're intentionally so. The stoytelling hearkens back to a simpler, more straightforward narrative, similar to the heroic epic, but not bogged down in the poetics; at the same time, the stories also don't follow a very modern literary structure, either, which can be both a benefit and a detractor.
The titular N'duk is a mongoose, presented herein as a mytho-historical figure whose tales are told as legend and as lore, which almost impels the reader to assume that the more outlanding parts of the stories can either be taken at face value or as natural embellishment of what "really" happened. He is a wanderer and a warrior, carrying out heroic deeds as both a mercenary and as a man of honor. With no place to call home, he goes from one place to the next, dealing with problems as they arise.
The stories within The White Towers are, as stated in the introduction, presented in no particular order, and there is no narrative thread that connects them. On the one hand, this does help the heroic epic feel of the stories, but on the other hand, it sort of forces the stories to short-change themselves by preventing much of anything in the way of character development for N'duk himself. He's got his personality, but it's not exactly a fully three-dimensional one, and it doesn't change at all throughout the course of the stories presented here (there are, apparently, Volumes Two and Three also available, but I don't know whether that changes anything or not).
Another major drawback to the storytelling style is that none of the stories has any real dénouement to speak of. The typical structure of the stories themselves is something like: N'duk undertakes (or is forced into) a quest, N'duk confronts what needs to be confronted, climax, The End. Again, this does sort of back up the 'feel' that I think the stories are going for, but for some of the stories (particularly the volume's centerpiece, the novella-length "The White Towers" itself), the endings come across as too abrupt, which robs some satisfaction from them.
From a technical competence standpoint, de la Guardia's writing and grammar are certainly much better than you'll come across on 98% of what's written on the Internet, but the volume doesn't appear to have been checked by a professional editor. For the most part, the writing is fine, but when it comes to the more advanced and obscure points of grammar (the ones most people don't need to heed every day, like comma splices and dangling modifiers), there are some frequent slip ups. Perhaps this sort of thing is invisible to the average reader, I'll admit, but as a writer myself, it's something that I notice.
That being said, there is some simple charm in being able to pick up a story that's not overly complicated and that doesn't get bogged down in its own attempts at literary cleverness. It's clear that de la Guardia at least knows what it is that he wants his stories to do, and they do that pretty well. My chief complaint, I guess, would be that I wish that the stories themselves had a little 'more' to them: more characterization, more tension, more conflict and the like.
Still, if you are looking for something of a furry adventure bent, you could do worse than N'duk the Hunter. The simplicity never quite reaches 'elegance,' as they say, but the stories are at least fun, the world itself is well-realized on the whole, and hey, sometimes you just want to read about a mongoose who kicks ass and takes names.
I think stories could use more of those in general, really.
The titular N'duk is a mongoose, presented herein as a mytho-historical figure whose tales are told as legend and as lore, which almost impels the reader to assume that the more outlanding parts of the stories can either be taken at face value or as natural embellishment of what "really" happened. He is a wanderer and a warrior, carrying out heroic deeds as both a mercenary and as a man of honor. With no place to call home, he goes from one place to the next, dealing with problems as they arise.
The stories within The White Towers are, as stated in the introduction, presented in no particular order, and there is no narrative thread that connects them. On the one hand, this does help the heroic epic feel of the stories, but on the other hand, it sort of forces the stories to short-change themselves by preventing much of anything in the way of character development for N'duk himself. He's got his personality, but it's not exactly a fully three-dimensional one, and it doesn't change at all throughout the course of the stories presented here (there are, apparently, Volumes Two and Three also available, but I don't know whether that changes anything or not).
Another major drawback to the storytelling style is that none of the stories has any real dénouement to speak of. The typical structure of the stories themselves is something like: N'duk undertakes (or is forced into) a quest, N'duk confronts what needs to be confronted, climax, The End. Again, this does sort of back up the 'feel' that I think the stories are going for, but for some of the stories (particularly the volume's centerpiece, the novella-length "The White Towers" itself), the endings come across as too abrupt, which robs some satisfaction from them.
From a technical competence standpoint, de la Guardia's writing and grammar are certainly much better than you'll come across on 98% of what's written on the Internet, but the volume doesn't appear to have been checked by a professional editor. For the most part, the writing is fine, but when it comes to the more advanced and obscure points of grammar (the ones most people don't need to heed every day, like comma splices and dangling modifiers), there are some frequent slip ups. Perhaps this sort of thing is invisible to the average reader, I'll admit, but as a writer myself, it's something that I notice.
That being said, there is some simple charm in being able to pick up a story that's not overly complicated and that doesn't get bogged down in its own attempts at literary cleverness. It's clear that de la Guardia at least knows what it is that he wants his stories to do, and they do that pretty well. My chief complaint, I guess, would be that I wish that the stories themselves had a little 'more' to them: more characterization, more tension, more conflict and the like.
Still, if you are looking for something of a furry adventure bent, you could do worse than N'duk the Hunter. The simplicity never quite reaches 'elegance,' as they say, but the stories are at least fun, the world itself is well-realized on the whole, and hey, sometimes you just want to read about a mongoose who kicks ass and takes names.
I think stories could use more of those in general, really.
Episode 60---Live from Pawpet Megaplex - Woyro reports live from Jacksonville, Florida...the site of Pawpet Megaplex '08.
Woyro reports live from Jacksonville, Florida...the site of Pawpet Megaplex '08.
Episode 60---Live from Pawpet Megaplex - Woyro reports live from Jacksonville, Florida...the site of Pawpet Megaplex '08.
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 59--Random Thoughts before Vacation - Contrary to what i say in the show, this is actually Show 59! just a short show this week before i go on vacation and head down to Pawpet Megaplex!
Contrary to what i say in the show, this is actually Show 59! just a short show this week before i go on vacation and head down to Pawpet Megaplex!
Episode 59--Random Thoughts before Vacation - Contrary to what i say in the show, this is actually Show 59! just a short show this week before i go on vacation and head down to Pawpet Megaplex!
Categories: Podcasts
Victorian anthropomorphics: The Island of Doctor Moreau
H. G. Wells published The Island of Doctor Moreau in 1896, and though it isn't as well known as The War of the Worlds it has been in print almost continuously since its first appearance. This brief novel is readily available from libraries and new or used bookstores. Several audiobook versions have been released, and it has been adapted to film several times. The most recent film was released in 1996 and featured Marlon Brando as Moreau, though for a darker feeling you might prefer the 1932 release with Charles Laughton, entitled The Island of Lost Souls.
Film and television adaptations notwithstanding, I really suggest that anyone involved in furry fandom read the original.
The book is not long, and can be finished in an evening or two. You will come away with an understanding of the peculiar revulsion that some people feel about furries and anthropomorphics, based on its roots in the morality and religious attitudes of Western culture.
Edward Prendick survives a shipwreck only to end up in a dingy on the South Pacific, without food or water, and doomed to an unpleasant death. At the end of his endurance, he is picked up by a mysterious ship that carries a cargo of live animals under the supervision of a medical man named Montgomery. Montgomery cares for and revives Prendick, but when the ship arrives at an island port of call to discharge the cargo, its drunken captain also dumps Prendick into his dingy again and abandons him. Eventually the dingy and Prendick arrive on the island, where he is decidedly unwelcome to the master of the tiny dwelling there, the mysterious Dr. Moreau.
Moreau, we learn, was exiled from civilized society (meaning England) for his experimental abominations. Soon he is explaining himself to Prendick in an effort to win the Englishman over to his side, and the protagonist views those experiments in surgical modification of animals to make them more "human" as utterly blasphemous. This is of course the view taken by most of Judeo-Christian tradition: the animals were created for the service and convenience of humans, and only humans were made "in God's image." This makes Moreau's attempts to construct humanity from animal flesh utterly horrifying, even without the concerns Prendick seems to feel about the pain inflicted on the animals in the process.
When he ventures out into the wilds of the island, Prendick observes and becomes entangled with many of Moreau's experimental subjects, some of whom are nearly successful, while others are dismal failures. The story draws to a rapid and suitably moralistic conclusion in which the guilty parties receive their deserved end, though there seems to be no happy ending for the many experimental subjects.
Wells spins an entertaining tale, as always, and will hold the reader's attention readily enough. I suspect that most furries will not agree with the attitudes expressed by Edward Prendick or the author, but will find themselves rooting for the various underdogs, undercats, and so forth. This is a novel that might well be retold from a different viewpoint by a modern, furry-sensitive writer. It will also give you second thoughts if you've ever considered whether you'd allow medical science to "make a real furry" of you.
Rating: 3 of 5 possible apples
Film and television adaptations notwithstanding, I really suggest that anyone involved in furry fandom read the original.
Edward Prendick survives a shipwreck only to end up in a dingy on the South Pacific, without food or water, and doomed to an unpleasant death. At the end of his endurance, he is picked up by a mysterious ship that carries a cargo of live animals under the supervision of a medical man named Montgomery. Montgomery cares for and revives Prendick, but when the ship arrives at an island port of call to discharge the cargo, its drunken captain also dumps Prendick into his dingy again and abandons him. Eventually the dingy and Prendick arrive on the island, where he is decidedly unwelcome to the master of the tiny dwelling there, the mysterious Dr. Moreau.
Moreau, we learn, was exiled from civilized society (meaning England) for his experimental abominations. Soon he is explaining himself to Prendick in an effort to win the Englishman over to his side, and the protagonist views those experiments in surgical modification of animals to make them more "human" as utterly blasphemous. This is of course the view taken by most of Judeo-Christian tradition: the animals were created for the service and convenience of humans, and only humans were made "in God's image." This makes Moreau's attempts to construct humanity from animal flesh utterly horrifying, even without the concerns Prendick seems to feel about the pain inflicted on the animals in the process.
When he ventures out into the wilds of the island, Prendick observes and becomes entangled with many of Moreau's experimental subjects, some of whom are nearly successful, while others are dismal failures. The story draws to a rapid and suitably moralistic conclusion in which the guilty parties receive their deserved end, though there seems to be no happy ending for the many experimental subjects.
Wells spins an entertaining tale, as always, and will hold the reader's attention readily enough. I suspect that most furries will not agree with the attitudes expressed by Edward Prendick or the author, but will find themselves rooting for the various underdogs, undercats, and so forth. This is a novel that might well be retold from a different viewpoint by a modern, furry-sensitive writer. It will also give you second thoughts if you've ever considered whether you'd allow medical science to "make a real furry" of you.
Rating: 3 of 5 possible apples
Episode 58---Fearfest TX in Dallas - Woyro lays in bed and talks about going to Dallas last weekend for Fearfest. also relates some personal information about his childhood.
Woyro lays in bed and talks about going to Dallas last weekend for Fearfest. also relates some personal information about his childhood.
Episode 58---Fearfest TX in Dallas - Woyro lays in bed and talks about going to Dallas last weekend for Fearfest. also relates some personal information about his childhood.
Categories: Podcasts
Hello all, so this will my first review
Hello all, so this will my first review so let me know if it's okay or not. heh I've been outta school to long so I'm a bit rusty.
Okay It's actually a series and not just one book that I'll be reviewing. It's called the Spellsinger series by Alan Dean Foster and i'm fairly certain that most the fluffs out there would love it but may not have heard of it because it's a bit older. Theres 8 novels in the series total dating between 1983-1994.
A human from basically our world gets teleported mysteriously to another alternate universe thats mostly inhabited by anthro animals. This world is also a few generations back from ours so magic and the sword are the main weapons of choice just to give ya a time frame. The main character is named Jon Tom and has to figure out why this happened to him and has to learn how to adapt to this new world. Luckily he quickly made a friend of an otter named Mudge. Together they travel across this weird world encountering one adventure after another.
I've re-read the entire series at least 3 times now. I highly recommend this series to any and everyone... if you can find it. because of it's age your best choice is to scout out local used book stores. It gets a 5/5 easily from me. hehe okay i hope that wasn't to bad. Happy Hunting fluffs
Okay It's actually a series and not just one book that I'll be reviewing. It's called the Spellsinger series by Alan Dean Foster and i'm fairly certain that most the fluffs out there would love it but may not have heard of it because it's a bit older. Theres 8 novels in the series total dating between 1983-1994.
A human from basically our world gets teleported mysteriously to another alternate universe thats mostly inhabited by anthro animals. This world is also a few generations back from ours so magic and the sword are the main weapons of choice just to give ya a time frame. The main character is named Jon Tom and has to figure out why this happened to him and has to learn how to adapt to this new world. Luckily he quickly made a friend of an otter named Mudge. Together they travel across this weird world encountering one adventure after another.
I've re-read the entire series at least 3 times now. I highly recommend this series to any and everyone... if you can find it. because of it's age your best choice is to scout out local used book stores. It gets a 5/5 easily from me. hehe okay i hope that wasn't to bad. Happy Hunting fluffs
Episode 57---FWA and AVENUE Q - Woyro wraps up his talk (and complaints) about Furry Weekend Atlanta and gives his review of AVENUE Q.
Woyro wraps up his talk (and complaints) about Furry Weekend Atlanta and gives his review of AVENUE Q.
Episode 57---FWA and AVENUE Q - Woyro wraps up his talk (and complaints) about Furry Weekend Atlanta and gives his review of AVENUE Q.
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 56---Woyro the Psychic at FWA - Woryo tells of his psychic abilities at FWA. also some of the stuff he's going to be doing during the next few weeks.
Woryo tells of his psychic abilities at FWA. also some of the stuff he's going to be doing during the next few weeks.
Episode 56---Woyro the Psychic at FWA - Woryo tells of his psychic abilities at FWA. also some of the stuff he's going to be doing during the next few weeks.
Categories: Podcasts
A Crusade is a Crusade is a Jihad: White Crusade
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
–George Santayana
Much of substantial furry literature falls most easily into the science fiction genre, or occasionally fantasy if heavy duty magic is involved. Ben Goodridge's White Crusade (Bad Dog Books, 2007, ISBN: 9789079082025, $19.95) is no exception, set five centuries after the collapse of human civilization in a time when the Animal-People are the dominant intelligent races. Human remnants still survive, but most seem to be pitiful and helpless dependents. The exact origin of the animal folk is not clear, but they are at least partly descended from humans and divided into multiple Tribes by both geography and genetics. Most strive to live in harmony with the earth and to avoid the destructive behaviors of their human ancestors. This is the realm of apocalyptic (or sometimes post-apocalyptic) fiction, in which the author tells of events that come to pass after the destruction of civilization as we know it.
Goodridge primarily follows the experiences of Tay of the Wolf-Clan, shaman, healer, and Alpha of his tribe of mixed races, as he learns of the threat posed by the White Crusade and brings all his resources to bear on thwarting the Crusade's goal: the ultimate return of humankind to dominance in the world, and a return to the paradigms of human civilization.
Only when the intelligences trapped inside the Cube speak through Sonac's collection of broken human toys and computers do the three begin to understand the significance of the object and the depth of the threat it poses if returned to the hands of the Crusade. Fleeing the wrath of the approaching and increasingly violent Crusaders, the three animal folk set out on a journey eastward, leaving their home in the Pacific Northwest and heading to the old Midwest, where the Cube's resident voices tell them they will find the other pieces of the puzzle. The arm of the White Crusade is long, and its power great. The three pilgrims encounter many obstacles, most of them the result of direct interference by the Crusade or its sympathizers. The ultimate confrontation on the shore of Lake Michigan at the site of Chicago (now known as Kaago) is one of gigantic power and import. The world is saved of course, but individual destinies are not always what we might wish.
Ben Goodridge has crafted his story believably and in great detail. The mad fury of the Crusade's supporters and their suicidal dedication is clearly demonstrated, and all too believable. In an age in which we see similar events on a smaller scale appearing in the news almost daily, it isn't hard to understand the genuine threat posed by the kind of mob psychology that propels such a movement. While I'm disappointed to see the Animal-People (who all ought in my own mind to be as noble and pure-hearted as Tay himself) caught up in such a violent and hysterical hatred, I suppose I should not be surprised. They are after all, as several of Goodridge's characters remind us, descended from humans and liable to the weaknesses of humanity in the end.
I don't hesitate to admit that I'm squeamish about scenes of graphic violence. This book has several such scenes, but I can't say that they were gratuitous. All contribute to the development of the story and characters, and I couldn't in good conscience say they should be trimmed or omitted. I found them particularly painful, probably because I find them too easily believable. My own belief about the inherent cruelty and lack of empathy on the part of many seems to coincide all too well with the author's assessment. There were also a few points where I felt that the action was a bit rushed, leaving out details that might have better supported the conclusions. Overall, though, White Crusade is a fine work, a captivating tale with characters we can both love and hate and a satisfying if somewhat melancholy conclusion.
The realm of apocalyptic fiction is a rich one that includes such masterful works as Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany, Davy by Edgar Pangborn, and A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller. I recommend all three of those to you, but I place Goodridge's White Crusade right among them in both quality and depth.
Rating: 5 of 5 possible apples
Episode 55---Woyro's trip to Atlanta for FWA - Warning! Woyro drops an F-bomb! in this episode he details the events on his way down to Atlanta for FWA!
Warning! Woyro drops an F-bomb! in this episode he details the events on his way down to Atlanta for FWA!
Episode 55---Woyro's trip to Atlanta for FWA - Warning! Woyro drops an F-bomb! in this episode he details the events on his way down to Atlanta for FWA!
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 54---Podcast Panel at FC - Woyro takes a back seat and lets his fellow furry podcasters talk. Genevieve and Kenneth Fox from the FANDOM podcast and Chris Garcia of Fanboy…
Woyro takes a back seat and lets his fellow furry podcasters talk. Genevieve and Kenneth Fox from the FANDOM podcast and Chris Garcia of Fanboy Planet podcast talk.
Episode 54---Podcast Panel at FC - Woyro takes a back seat and lets his fellow furry podcasters talk. Genevieve and Kenneth Fox from the FANDOM podcast and Chris Garcia of Fanboy…
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 53--Interview with Mitch & Susan at FC - Woyro talks to Mitch DeLaGuardia about his character N'Duk and with Sue Rankin (Sue Deer) about her webcomic "A Doemain of Our Own".
Woyro talks to Mitch DeLaGuardia about his character N'Duk and with Sue Rankin (Sue Deer) about her webcomic "A Doemain of Our Own".
Episode 53--Interview with Mitch & Susan at FC - Woyro talks to Mitch DeLaGuardia about his character N'Duk and with Sue Rankin (Sue Deer) about her webcomic "A Doemain of Our Own".
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 52---Pre-FC show with a lot of news! - Stories this week: Softpaw Magazine cant be sold at FC, another Furry Musical works out the kinks and more Furry Bowling!
Stories this week:
Softpaw Magazine cant be sold at FC, another Furry Musical works out
the kinks and more Furry Bowling!
Episode 52---Pre-FC show with a lot of news! - Stories this week: Softpaw Magazine cant be sold at FC, another Furry Musical works out the kinks and more Furry Bowling!
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 51---Updates: New Tech, New Topics - Woyro uses his new ZOOM H-4 digital recorder to do the show. topics include updates on the robbery at QuentinCoyote's, some corrections, DanialLion's…
Woyro uses his new ZOOM H-4 digital recorder to do the show. topics include updates on the robbery at QuentinCoyote's, some corrections, DanialLion's eye problems, the new Poinkcast and other news.
Episode 51---Updates: New Tech, New Topics - Woyro uses his new ZOOM H-4 digital recorder to do the show. topics include updates on the robbery at QuentinCoyote's, some corrections, DanialLion's…
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 50---Robbery at QuentinCoyote's - Two members of the furry community were robbed and another is being accused of the crime. Information and links in the show and show notes. plus,…
Two members of the furry community were robbed and another is being accused of the crime. Information and links in the show and show notes. plus, info about the future of the show, website. And Animal News.
Episode 50---Robbery at QuentinCoyote's - Two members of the furry community were robbed and another is being accused of the crime. Information and links in the show and show notes. plus,…
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 49---Ursa Major Awards - Woyro talks about the upcoming Usra Major awards to be given out at Morphion in May. Also stories about Glowing Cats and Super Mice.
Woyro talks about the upcoming Usra Major awards to be given out at Morphion in May. Also stories about Glowing Cats and Super Mice.
Episode 49---Ursa Major Awards - Woyro talks about the upcoming Usra Major awards to be given out at Morphion in May. Also stories about Glowing Cats and Super Mice.
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 48---Plans for the New Year and GAY WORMS - Woyro talks about show plans for the New Year and does a story about Gay Worms!!!
Woyro talks about show plans for the New Year and does a story about Gay Worms!!!
Episode 48---Plans for the New Year and GAY WORMS - Woyro talks about show plans for the New Year and does a story about Gay Worms!!!
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 47---Convention plans for 2008 - Woyro talks about his convention plans for 2008 and also talks about Pubic Lice!
Woyro talks about his convention plans for 2008 and also talks about Pubic Lice!
Episode 47---Convention plans for 2008 - Woyro talks about his convention plans for 2008 and also talks about Pubic Lice!
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 46---Hybernation, Convention news and other stuff - Woyro talks about convention planning and upcoming plans for Woyro's Warren during the new year.
Woyro talks about convention planning and upcoming plans for Woyro's Warren during the new year.
Episode 46---Hybernation, Convention news and other stuff - Woyro talks about convention planning and upcoming plans for Woyro's Warren during the new year.
Categories: Podcasts
