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fangrrl_squeesAs I'm a glutton for punishment - and I was lacking anything new on the iPod this morning - I'm giving Death's Head another go.
Honestly, it's pretty good until Iago opens his mouth.
Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, but I think the writers on this one fell prey to the too-many-darlings syndrome. Some of Iago's dialogue is oh-so-amusing to hear, but often a wee bit disconnected from the plot - it's just being said as a kewl thing for the leet-haxxor/killer to say. Or, at least, that's how it's sounding at my end. It's a shame really, as the setup for the story is quite entertaining. Not terribly original, mind you, but the familiar devices are used well. .
Psychostrategist Carnell is seperately approached by several characters - Uvanov, Iago, Blaise and another who's name also escapes me (a board member) - and all of them are looking to put the wind up the others, in one form or another. So Carnell gives them each a course of action, with the caveat that they must follow it exactly - which of course they don't - and the chaos unfolds. The story is told as an extended flashback, bookended by Carnell's conversations with his clients. Carnell, it seems, took on the gig for no reasons other than ennui and a curiosity about if these people would (or were capable of) performing the actions described. Carnell doesn't have any particularly ill-will - or good-feeling - to any of them, he just did it for the money. Of course, the plans go a bit pear shaped and hence the first bookend begins with him saying I don't give refunds, or even explanations, usually, but as you're a special case...
So, it's your basic escalating-mystery, really, with a puppeteer pulling the strings from behind the scenes, yadda yadda. Like I said, nothing ground-breaking, but entertaining enough.
If nothing else, Carnell has grown on me. He's brilliant, bored, manipulative, egotistic and just a wee bit meglomaniacal. Lovely!
It's not a good thing when one of the other lead characters - Iago - is a major drag on the story, but the others are growing on me - such as the psychostrategist - and Rull's got some rough-and-ready charm going for him. Rull's motives are easily understood, and he doesn't beat about the bush, verbally. I've already moaned about the female characters, but I sense some potential in Blayse and so, like a lot of fanficcers, that means I mentally fill in the gaps where things are underdeveloped/going in directions I don't like.
Hm, maybe that's why I'm often more forgiving of my media than some - my overactive brain fills in blanks that other people gape at as glaringly obvious. But how ficcers/roleplayers think differently from regular fans is fodder for another entry.
Back to Kaldor City: Death's Head, the story has improved - somewhat - on the second listening, but it's still got some clangers rattling around. I think that The Hidden Persuaders will be a make-or-break type situation, in regards to my overall opinion. I'm extremely reluctant to put down the dosh for it but as no-one I know has a copy to loan... I'm wary of putting out the cash for it, as I have a sinking feelng that the characters I'm enjoying will be of marginal involvement in the story, although it looks like Carnell stays in the thick of it at least through The Hidden Persuaders The (potential) dynamic betwixt him and Iago (and, by extension Uvanov) is the most engaging element of the two stories I've heard, imho.
I just read an extended summary of The Hidden Persuaders and, hrm, it might not be too bad. We'll see, I guess.
In the meantime, I've had a totally inefficient day at work because the Smutty Fanfic Idea Fairies have been buzzing around my head. They're not much different from plain ol' Smutty Idea Fairies, really. They can certainly blow my concentration all to hell. The sooner they let Avon off Servalan's leash and let me get back to work, the better. Still, at least it wasn't as distracting as the mad torrid Jack/Nine thing that dam' near had me writing pron into the meeting notes I was supposed to be taking on Monday...
Honestly, it's pretty good until Iago opens his mouth.
Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, but I think the writers on this one fell prey to the too-many-darlings syndrome. Some of Iago's dialogue is oh-so-amusing to hear, but often a wee bit disconnected from the plot - it's just being said as a kewl thing for the leet-haxxor/killer to say. Or, at least, that's how it's sounding at my end. It's a shame really, as the setup for the story is quite entertaining. Not terribly original, mind you, but the familiar devices are used well. .
Psychostrategist Carnell is seperately approached by several characters - Uvanov, Iago, Blaise and another who's name also escapes me (a board member) - and all of them are looking to put the wind up the others, in one form or another. So Carnell gives them each a course of action, with the caveat that they must follow it exactly - which of course they don't - and the chaos unfolds. The story is told as an extended flashback, bookended by Carnell's conversations with his clients. Carnell, it seems, took on the gig for no reasons other than ennui and a curiosity about if these people would (or were capable of) performing the actions described. Carnell doesn't have any particularly ill-will - or good-feeling - to any of them, he just did it for the money. Of course, the plans go a bit pear shaped and hence the first bookend begins with him saying I don't give refunds, or even explanations, usually, but as you're a special case...
So, it's your basic escalating-mystery, really, with a puppeteer pulling the strings from behind the scenes, yadda yadda. Like I said, nothing ground-breaking, but entertaining enough.
If nothing else, Carnell has grown on me. He's brilliant, bored, manipulative, egotistic and just a wee bit meglomaniacal. Lovely!
It's not a good thing when one of the other lead characters - Iago - is a major drag on the story, but the others are growing on me - such as the psychostrategist - and Rull's got some rough-and-ready charm going for him. Rull's motives are easily understood, and he doesn't beat about the bush, verbally. I've already moaned about the female characters, but I sense some potential in Blayse and so, like a lot of fanficcers, that means I mentally fill in the gaps where things are underdeveloped/going in directions I don't like.
Hm, maybe that's why I'm often more forgiving of my media than some - my overactive brain fills in blanks that other people gape at as glaringly obvious. But how ficcers/roleplayers think differently from regular fans is fodder for another entry.
Back to Kaldor City: Death's Head, the story has improved - somewhat - on the second listening, but it's still got some clangers rattling around. I think that The Hidden Persuaders will be a make-or-break type situation, in regards to my overall opinion. I'm extremely reluctant to put down the dosh for it but as no-one I know has a copy to loan... I'm wary of putting out the cash for it, as I have a sinking feelng that the characters I'm enjoying will be of marginal involvement in the story, although it looks like Carnell stays in the thick of it at least through The Hidden Persuaders The (potential) dynamic betwixt him and Iago (and, by extension Uvanov) is the most engaging element of the two stories I've heard, imho.
I just read an extended summary of The Hidden Persuaders and, hrm, it might not be too bad. We'll see, I guess.
In the meantime, I've had a totally inefficient day at work because the Smutty Fanfic Idea Fairies have been buzzing around my head. They're not much different from plain ol' Smutty Idea Fairies, really. They can certainly blow my concentration all to hell. The sooner they let Avon off Servalan's leash and let me get back to work, the better. Still, at least it wasn't as distracting as the mad torrid Jack/Nine thing that dam' near had me writing pron into the meeting notes I was supposed to be taking on Monday...
