Kaldor City
Aug. 25th, 2008 09:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fangrrl_squeesAs provoked by various factors, I've been listening to the Kaldor City audios, again.
Today, it was Checkmate and Storm Mine. I think they're shaping up as my favorites of the run, warts and all. I say warts because, yes, viewed in a certain light, both stories can be seen as not a little smug and terribly twee. Then again, that's true of the entire series, bless its metaphorical cotton socks.
A particular strength, I think, is that it's essentially a two-part story, rather than two single stories. The individual episodes can stand on their own, but are best when listened to in close succession. One of my complaints about the Kaldor City series is the relative brevity of the episodes - I've mentioned before that I've been spoiled by Big Finish and their comparatively lavish running-time. The previous stories often cross the line from fast-paced to rushed - painfully so in Hidden Persuaders. The change in pace with Checkmate/Storm Mine is one I appreciate.
Yeah, listeners could sneer at the chessboard metaphor/narrative device of Checkmate. I'm quite certain I have, elsewhere in the LJ, but, what the hell... It's a fine line between reasonably clever and too clever by half - and god knows, Carnell falls into the latter category, so I guess one should accept that a story in which he's caught up in the action - despite his preference otherwise - is also going to stray into too clever by half. Or maybe I'm just jealous. ;)
I'm being forced to give Storm Mine more credit than I have in the past. It's a story you really have to pay attention to because almost every line can be interpreted in a multiple number of ways. Yes, it still makes me want to throw my hands up in the air and shriek "Will someone just tell me what's going on?" but I suppose that's rather the point of it - or one of them, at least. This time, I made a point of listening to it with the premise that the participants have been absorbed into the Fendahl's gestalt consciousness firmly in mind, and interpreted the wrangling dialog, accordingly. It was rather interesting, to say the least - and makes one wonder if the Fendahl's gestalt isn't quite as unified (or strong) as it would like to hope.
And don't even get me started on all the religious/quasi-theology going on. I know I missed a lot of it - not being of a theological bent, meself, but what I did get, makes my head hurt. Further proof that I'm not nearly as clever as I wish I was...
If I listen to the story again, any time soon, I'll tackle it with a different POV in my head, such as the notion that Blayes has lost her marbles and some, if not all, of the story is a hallucination on her part, integrating both real events and fantasy - and see how I interpret the wrangling, then. As I said, it demands a bit of attention. It's quite fun, though, in its way.
More thoughts as they occur to me. Actually, I've quite the rant about Blayes brewing, but it needs a few days to ripen, methinks.
Today, it was Checkmate and Storm Mine. I think they're shaping up as my favorites of the run, warts and all. I say warts because, yes, viewed in a certain light, both stories can be seen as not a little smug and terribly twee. Then again, that's true of the entire series, bless its metaphorical cotton socks.
A particular strength, I think, is that it's essentially a two-part story, rather than two single stories. The individual episodes can stand on their own, but are best when listened to in close succession. One of my complaints about the Kaldor City series is the relative brevity of the episodes - I've mentioned before that I've been spoiled by Big Finish and their comparatively lavish running-time. The previous stories often cross the line from fast-paced to rushed - painfully so in Hidden Persuaders. The change in pace with Checkmate/Storm Mine is one I appreciate.
Yeah, listeners could sneer at the chessboard metaphor/narrative device of Checkmate. I'm quite certain I have, elsewhere in the LJ, but, what the hell... It's a fine line between reasonably clever and too clever by half - and god knows, Carnell falls into the latter category, so I guess one should accept that a story in which he's caught up in the action - despite his preference otherwise - is also going to stray into too clever by half. Or maybe I'm just jealous. ;)
I'm being forced to give Storm Mine more credit than I have in the past. It's a story you really have to pay attention to because almost every line can be interpreted in a multiple number of ways. Yes, it still makes me want to throw my hands up in the air and shriek "Will someone just tell me what's going on?" but I suppose that's rather the point of it - or one of them, at least. This time, I made a point of listening to it with the premise that the participants have been absorbed into the Fendahl's gestalt consciousness firmly in mind, and interpreted the wrangling dialog, accordingly. It was rather interesting, to say the least - and makes one wonder if the Fendahl's gestalt isn't quite as unified (or strong) as it would like to hope.
And don't even get me started on all the religious/quasi-theology going on. I know I missed a lot of it - not being of a theological bent, meself, but what I did get, makes my head hurt. Further proof that I'm not nearly as clever as I wish I was...
If I listen to the story again, any time soon, I'll tackle it with a different POV in my head, such as the notion that Blayes has lost her marbles and some, if not all, of the story is a hallucination on her part, integrating both real events and fantasy - and see how I interpret the wrangling, then. As I said, it demands a bit of attention. It's quite fun, though, in its way.
More thoughts as they occur to me. Actually, I've quite the rant about Blayes brewing, but it needs a few days to ripen, methinks.
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no subject
Date: 2008-08-26 04:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-26 01:27 pm (UTC)I was acquainted with both a couple of people involved with it and one of its most vehement detractors.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-26 01:35 pm (UTC)You've mentioned that, before. I really must get the story out of you when next we meet. ;)
BTW, I've just realized that I really need to get my hands on a copy of Corpse Marker, as apparently it might help make "sense" of Storm Mine. Hm...
no subject
Date: 2008-08-26 01:29 pm (UTC)I'm not sure when they were produced - early 2000's, I think.
Kaldor City's Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaldor_City). Far more informative than anything I can drag up.
If you decide to search 'em out, take them with a VERY large grain of salt. Honestly, Darrow's performance in the series makes Blakes 7 look like a masterpiece of subtlety, in places. Once I realized that tongue was firmly in cheek (for the most part, I think there are some aspects in which they're taking themselves seriously) then the performance style was much easier to understand - and to bear!
If you decide to listen to them, let me know what you think. :)