Review – Multiverse Mini

Multiverse Mini seemed like a good idea at the time.

Background

First of all, Multiverse Mini was my idea, to add a round robin mystery style story. However, the story was never completed, and the mysteries were too odd and no one really ‘got’ them.

Plot

The concept behind Multiverse II consisted of a puzzle and a mystery to be solved by the other players. Hence my inspiration came from Dungeons and Dragons and the like.

Music

I wanted this one to be loaded with music. Hence the prelude song (before anything else happened) became Neil Young’s My My Hey Hey because I wanted to instill a feeling of foreboding.

The first song posted? The Beatles’ Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds because  I wanted the participants to think about the illogic of Pepperland.

And then to give a hint that a river had to be crossed, I added Lenny Kravitz’s version of the old Jimmy Cliff tune, Many Rivers to Cross.

So for the next trial, I wanted the characters to teach each other something. Surfing was supposed to be fun. Hence I went with the B52s’s Rock Lobster.

And then in order to make the training sessions obvious, I added the Beach Boys’s Surfin’ Safari.

Because Lili becomes distressed by the sound of the waves (I added a thunder and lightning storm to the night of her parents’ deaths; that detail had not been there before), and the test was ended before Naurr, a Caitian, would have to get wet.

So the next test concerned getting out of heat, and the song? Buster Poindexter’s Hot Hot Hot.

However, the test really evinced cooperation, and that meant, of course, Miami Sound Machine’s Conga.

Unfortunately,  the story ended here, as the other participants abandoned it. A pity, as there were other challenges.

Unposted Challenge Songs

So for the fourth challenge, it concerned harmony and working together, a la Emilie-Claire Barlow’s O Pato.

And then the hint song? The Youngbloods’ Get Together.

The fifth challenge involved getting from place to place and that meant cars. Hence the first song (why? I can’t recall why) – Warren Zevon’s Sentimental Hygiene.

And then the hint song made more song, Ronny and the Daytonas’ Little GTO.

Since the next one concerned vision and identity, the song was David Bowie’s Sound and Vision.

And the hint song? The Who’s The Real Me.

Furthermore, I can’t honestly recall the theme of the next challenge, but the song was Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze, and Lili and Naurr had to cook something.

In addition, the hint song – Jay and the Techniques’s Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie.

Finally, the finale song – The Tubes’s Talk to Ya Later.

With the hint being Donna Summer’s Last Dance.

Furthermore, as the aftermath, Kantalia converted to her true shape, similar to a creature called a Spanish Dancer.

Spanish Dancer – Multiverse Mini

Second Spanish Dancer image – Multiverse Mini

In addition, others joined her and the big reveal would be that they were of Branch Borodin’s species and that they belonged to universe #49.

Finally, the epilogue song (because the planet was 100% water and with no dry land) –Manhattan Transfer’s Trickle Trickle.

Yeah, as I look back on it now, it is really … weird.

Story Postings

• Multiverse Mini on Ad Astra

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

Unfortunately, the Multiverse II round robin barely got off the ground. Participants did not seem to understand the puzzles and they went off in unexpected directions which derailed the ultimate plot, which was intended to show Branch’s origin world. I can only blame myself for that.

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Review – More than a Will to Live

More than a Will to Live is not one of my favorite pieces, sorry.

Background

First of all, More than a Will to Live arose as a round robin style story created with a few friends. Those sorts of stories often do not work out well, although at least this one was completed. And that’s a lot more than I can say about other such collaborative efforts.

Plot

Because the plot is a bit of a mishmash, it’s a little hard to retell it, so many years later. The main concept was about a primitive alien race fighting invaders. And that would have been a fine idea, except it got derailed and the plot never really got off the ground. As I wrote the primitives, I enjoyed putting them together and tried to get something out of their story. I wanted them to be seen as people. Instead, it became a lot of tropes. However, I cannot fault my fellow writers. This is because we were all relying on tropes after a while. And I will be the first person to admit that they make for far easier writing at times.

Story Postings

• More than a Will to Live on Ad Astra

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

Round robin stories can often have consistency and transition issues. This one was no exception. I can see where the prose needs to be tighter. Furthermore, there were any number of plot threads which were lost or ignored altogether.  Hence the wrap up feels forced and strange, and as if it does not quite follow from the parts preceding it. And without a decent, logical, step by step flow, I feel that a story such as this suffers. And that does not serve either the readers or the writers well at all.

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Review – Inspiration

Inspiration is an exceptionally personal thing.

Background

First of all, Inspiration was a response to a prompt of the same name. As a result, I decided to go with an author insertion type of theme. Hence the idea was to write a story about the more or less near future. And the future would begin to intersect with canon, which says we are supposed to be in the midst of World War III, right about now.

Er, not so much.

Therefore, it seems as if some of the premise falls flat. Furthermore, the concept now, as I review it from a remove of a few years, feels trite and, frankly, more than a little bit weird. And in some ways, the story twists the concept and the plot too much. In short, it feels as if I was trying way too hard with it.

Ah, well. They can’t all be gems now, can they?

Plot

There is not too much of a plot, although it does dovetail with the In Between Days and Multiverse II story lines.

Story Postings

• Inspiration on Ad Astra

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

While I feel the concept was an acceptable one, the story suffers from too much author insertion and not enough plot line. Hence I believe it could have been improved by using an original character in the place of myself. And it may have even become a great time to resurrect Leland Loomis. However, that would have veered the story off and into a rather different direction. Yet that might even have saved it. Hard to say now. I have no plans to revisit the story or the concept at this particular time.

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