Recent Comments

10/30/20, 9:23 PM
My only regret is that it can't be next Friday already. The question of what the Deputy will be like once he is host to a Great One has been on my mind ever since Lane revealed his plan. And I take this as confirmation that my guess as to the crucial difference between the Great One hosts was correct...
10/30/20, 9:16 PM
> You didn’t mention it here but I’m really curious about the new “Great One” and what’s to become of the deputy. It seems that when a human becomes a great one, most of his human desires are removed and he’s just a vessel for the symbiont. > As originally plotted, this chapter had three vignettes, but after finishing the soldiers' section, I'd already crossed 4K words. I like a chapter length to be around 3-3.5K, so I decided to punt the third vignette to the opening of Chap 18. In terms of plot flow, it's a strong move, but it would have answered your question. All we know of Great Ones at this point is based on our observations of the Great One in Kansas. We mentioned a few chapters back that when Old Man Bowden transformed into the Great One, his physical body died -- and was subsequently revived by the plant. In my opinion, the union of the Old Man and the Great Plant was not equal, so it's not a true symbiosis. In that case, the plant seems to be running everything, using the Old Man's memory and knowledge as a behavioral template. The Deputy is young and strong and willful. Whether he becomes the same type of Great One as the Old Man has yet to be revealed -- until chapter 18...
nycboot
10/30/20, 7:23 PM
A wonderful chapter - thank you! It's interesting that at the outset, it seems as if the symbiont totally took over the human host. But now we see that there's a lot of nuance there (at least for now?). The soldier subplot never really interested me that much but I see it supplies a lot of momentum and build up to the various threads. You didn't mention it here but I'm really curious about the new "Great One" and what's to become of the deputy. It seems that when a human becomes a great one, most of his human desires are removed and he's just a vessel for the symbiont. Anyway, lots of good stuff to ponder and j/o to. :)
10/30/20, 6:40 PM
So is the Lieutenant going to make Devin a full symbiont or just a familiar? I propose familiar since it would fit into the military hierarchy; Devin did come through for them but they still gotta see if he has the material to be a member of the squad full time.
10/30/20, 4:07 PM
Joe somehow being resistant was not a possibility I had considered- I hope we get an explanation/confirmation soon. And I'm not saying that I would've preferred personality erasure- the Hosts going from dreading death to embracing the possibility of being utterly consumed for the Great One's plan is a great moment. And I'm now imagining a deliciously twisted scene of the Great One exacting punishment on a more-than-willing Tony for Joe's defiance. And the Lieutenant seems to be striking a nice middle ground between Lane and Snake when comparing their relationships to their respective human thralls.
10/30/20, 4:03 PM
> The “HAIL GREAT ONE” scene is the kind of thing I’ve been hoping to see for weeks, and you didn’t disappoint! > > Agreed, sometimes you just want to read a bunch of hypno slaves pledge loyalty to their overlord in unison. > You're going to love how I tighten the screws over the next few chapters, then. The emotional investment we've been making in these characters pays off when they're suddenly put in jeopardy, doesn't it?
10/30/20, 3:54 PM
> It seems that one’s enthrallment to the Great One is proportionate to how much damage his healing repaired. > OR that Joe is somehow resistant to the Great One's power. > I was expecting Joe to have to watch Tony and all the other men turn into blank-faced drones > Honestly, I thought it would be much more horrific if they WANTED the Great One to destroy them, like they'd get off on it. > I’m curious to see if the Lt. plans to simply turn Devin into his familiar like Lane and Snake did with the Deputy and Rugby Boy, or if he’s going to reward him with a plant of his own > My intent is that the Lieutenant always be a man of his word -- I consider him honorable. I don't think he's the kind of guy that would promise something and then pull something shady. When they were in the Holding Facility, there was no way they could create plants. Once released, it will take them at least a day to create a plant, much less the transformation time. As of chapter 17, they haven't had the time to do any of this. But I believe that the Lieutenant intends to keep his word and transform Devin -- they just gotta have the moment.
10/30/20, 3:46 PM
> The “HAIL GREAT ONE” scene is the kind of thing I’ve been hoping to see for weeks, and you didn’t disappoint! Agreed, sometimes you just want to read a bunch of hypno slaves pledge loyalty to their overlord in unison.
10/30/20, 3:36 PM
I LOVED Chapter 66! The "HAIL GREAT ONE" scene is the kind of thing I've been hoping to see for weeks, and you didn't disappoint!
10/30/20, 3:29 PM
Okay, now we're cooking with gas! The enslavement was sexy and sinister, just the way I like it. It's a stroke of luck- pun intended- that Joe had to tap out so early. It seems that one's enthrallment to the Great One is proportionate to how much damage his healing repaired. I was expecting Joe to have to watch Tony and all the other men turn into blank-faced drones, but it seems like the Great One is interested in a little bit more foreplay now than he was than when he erased Murdock. I do confess to feeling bad for Mr. Mac, his boys no longer have any feelings for him. But I'm sure we'll be seeing a confrontation between Joe, Lane, Snake, Deputy, Rugby Boy, and the Variants in 18 or 19- can't wait to see how that one pans out! I'm curious to see if the Lt. plans to simply turn Devin into his familiar like Lane and Snake did with the Deputy and Rugby Boy, or if he's going to reward him with a plant of his own. And I'm still waiting for the Chekov's Gun that is those unaccounted-for plants Snake and Rugby Boy found to go off...