Am I the youngest?

[Peter Murray]

Oh, I didn't know about the short stories.

I'm not sure I've even seen any issues of Dragon past 50. I'm fairly sure I don't have any.

DD: Will these "impossible-to-find" stories be included in the second collection with the Doors into Sunset and Starlight? Please?

[Angel_Star]

I can't remember when I first started reading the books. I think I was 11. I'm 12 right now, but I'll be 13 in September.

[Wilf]

I think I was bout 13 or 14 when read the first books (SYQTBAW, Deepm High), and I was about 17 when I read Abraod. I bought and read Dilemma, Alone and Holiday within the past year (i.e. aged 19), and I'm now 20. This summer, I will getthe first four out the library and re-read them. (I haven't read them since the ages mentioned).

[Birdhead]

And if you remember the wedding, then you remember the third book. If you don't, you really need to, just to get to the wedding.

Wedding? Wedding? What wedding? Whose wedding? Why, why, WHY wasn't it in door into shadow so I could have read it, eh, eh?? *cries* Wedding!

</stupidity> *sighs glumly* I'll just have to wait 'till The Lion and the Door comes out, I guess. I'm sure that won't be too many years more... I mean, y'all have only been waiting for twenty years or whatever...

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> come on, you know you want to give me a hint about the wedding... is it characters we know already?? </pre> Also, Peter, if you've got it and you haven't read it, you should be keelhauled post haste. *waves ropes, ships and, hah, 'ships, threateningly*

[Peter Murray]

I'm reading it, I'm reading it!

Door Into Shadow, that is. The world has just ended, and there have been lots of deaths since. (What? You don't believe that's what happens in the book? Just because it's the second book in a four-book series? Huh.) Hmmm, now I know what Kathy meant about Segnbora and Hasai - they would be hard to forget if I'd read the book before. You just wouldn't believe what they get up to together...

I claim I knew I liked the first book, and I was waiting until I had all the rest before reading them all through in one go. Ok? Will you believe that?

Rereading Door Into Fire made me realise that my silly fanfic idea using the hralcin just won't work. Shame. (Somehow, I doubt DD is upset by that thought.)

[Fox]

I only have the three originals!!! Does anyone else know when the forth is out? I know DD has been busy and has been trying to write it! But do we have any idea when it might be published? They were great books!! In fact the time they were published I would say that they were very cutting edge! I mean I have not read many books that cast a gay couple as part of the leading roles!! Very brave of DD i think (at the time anyway!). My fav part is when he gets the blue flame and when she is partnered with the dragon soul! very touching!!

Fox

[Peter Murray]

Apparently it's coming out next year, and that must be true, because I've read that statement for the past four years or whatever...



In the Middle Kingdoms setting, Herewiss and Freelorn aren't really a gay couple; people just don't worry about the gender of who they're in love with. Freelorn sleeps with Segnbora as well, and Herewiss with... can't remember her name, but the woman he had twins with.

I don't think these count as spoilers, as they're not the main plot.

[Fox]

PM do you ever get the feeling that this is how we are all going to end up? Not about the magic thing but with the 'none worry about gender' thing? Cause a couple of years back I sat down for like three hours and just tried to think in my head what might happen in the future and that was one of the thoughts I came up with! I mean it would be a great thing to happen with no one worring about gender etc! You look at most sci-fic/fantasy books and you will see the trend as well! I think in our case (humans)its an outcome that is deffiantly going to happen!! Why am I talking about this? Oh well, thanks for the info! I will keep a look out but these books are not the easyist to buy
Fox

[Peter Murray]

I don't know. I think it will take a while if it does happen, given the opposition to gay marriages in the US. They're only a suggestion here, too; there's no legal gay marriage yet, although Blair seems to be thinking about it.

For finding the books - I don't know if Forbidden Planet would have them, but that's where I bought books like Door Into Fire (in 1980... I'm not saying they still have them in stock!). All you have to do is try to find the shop again, and succeed this time .

Alternatively, I got A Wizard Alone, Wizard's Holiday and Stealing the Elf-King's Roses by buying them online from Amazon.

[Kathy Li]

Tui: oh, c'mon, you don't really want me to spoil the wedding for you, do you? But I'll say that it's for both political as well as romantic reasons. And that a lot of folks are involved. And yes, it's all characters you've "met", if you're read the first two door books.

BTW, I'll once again mention that my favorite source for used-book hunting online is bookfinder.com.

[Birdhead]

You just wouldn't believe what they get up to together...

*snickers* I had never thought of their potential for double entendres.

In the Middle Kingdoms setting, Herewiss and Freelorn aren't really a gay couple...

That's true in the Middle Kingdoms. but it's not true here, where it's being read. This, I think, was Fox's point. It's fairly unusual (and refreshing) to read a book where there are two male couples in a relationship and it's not an issue.

oh, c'mon, you don't really want me to spoil the wedding for you, do you?

Yes! yes, I do!
...okay, maybe not. but... *examines hints*
All right, what characters have we met that are in potential politically advantageous relationships- or are particularly politically positioned at least.

1. Segnbora
-Lang's dead (! That was extremely sad. Even though Lang was a bit of a non-entity)
-Prvious entanglements (only Eftgan mentioned, I think) don't look particularly hint-worthy, Eftgan being happily married.
-Politically, though, she has some status; apart from being the last (?) member of a powerful family, she's also on good terms with the Queen of Darthen and (future) King of Arlen.

2. Herewiss and Freelorn (I'm listing them together fairly happily because they're together, they both have to live till the end of the series, pretty much (actually, not sure about that, because I'm not sure whether it ends with Freelorn getting the throne or will continue past that.) and... yeah.)
-They're already together. This saves hassles.
-The politically advantageous nature of their match has been detailed. "there hasn't been an alliance between our houses since [um, maybe the original Lion and Eagle?]"
-They've already discussed it.
-they're cute!! *coughs* Sorry.
Against:
-it seems a little too obvious.
-As nice as it would be? My gut says no. Aww.

Who else is there, really? oh.
-Hearn could re-marry. Not sure who, though; still, it would be less predictable.

-one of Freelorn's men? This would be more possible if we actually knew anything about them. (Other than the fact that some of them had been royal guards in Darthen.)

- You know what the worst thing about this? it's not like I'm speculating about anything that hasn't been published, am I? Everyone already knows the answer! This isn't fair! I'm making a fool of myself! Woe!

-Something REALLY WIERD AND UNEXPECTED. I think I'll place all bets on this. it seems... fitting. also, "a lot of folks are involved"? Riiight.

*groans* I think you're horrible. *waves at the forum* yes, you! You're all horrible!

[Peter Murray]

Finished Door Into Sunset, so now I know who gets married, and just have to find a copy of Door Into Starlight.

So... Segnbora and Hasai do call each other sithesssch, it's not much of a jump to make certain assumptions about what they're doing...

You want wedding hints?
Lang is, indeed, not involved in the wedding. Apart from him, Segnbora has been involved with Eftgan, Freelorn and Hasai. Feel free to speculate.

Herewiss and Freelorn... maybe they could get married in not-the-obvious-way? Assuming they both managed to survive the start of book 3, that is. Oops.

Hearn? I'll actually answer this: No. But he is at the wedding.

Freelorn's men: define who you mean .

Something really weird and unexpected: In our world, yes. Not in the Middle Kingdoms. "a lot of folks are involved" - how do you mean? As someone says at one point, when letting in the invading Reavers "I did invite everybody".

Heh. You just have to track down... oh, right. Out of print until Door Into Starlight is published. Oh, dear.

[Birdhead]

YOU'RE NOT HELPFUL. NO.

Heh. You just have to track down... oh, right. Out of print until Door Into Starlight is published. Oh, dear.

<sarcasm> That's right, dear.</sarcasm>

I'm just going to have to wait it out, aren't I? Sigh.

[Kathy Li]

... unless you're willing to pay overseas postage. I found 29 copies of Door into Sunset at bookfinder.com, ranging from $3.50 to $45 in price.

The $3.50 listing. (ABE)

[Birdhead]

Oh, god, I KNOW. I KNOW. I know they're there, believe me. And I'd pay the postage gladly. But my parents have... internet issues (they don't do credit cards over the internet), and my cashcard doesn't meet some criteria... In 344 days, though, then... ahh, then...
*coughs* Yes. I want a credit card. I can't get one till I'm 18. Sigh.