Bluesman Mike Lindner Wrote:I found it interesting that this novel's "lady with a dog" in named Herta. That's an anagram for "Earth." And remember Anya Mundy from GATEWAYS? The Latin word "Mundus" can be translated as "World." So are these women-of-mystery manifestations of the Earth itself? That would explain a few things. And I agree, Dave, Richie got off far, far too lightly.

Ken Valentine Wrote:To expand on your statement, I see the Otherness as ANTI-earth, and the Ally, as merely Anti-Otherness. I'm seeing the mystery ladies as a pro-earth faction. 'Twill be interesting to see what -- if any -- role the mystery ladies play in the new NIGHTWORLD.

Ken V.

Bluesman Mike Lindner Wrote:It will be interesting indeed. But I'm sure we'll find out more in the 25-30 Jack books to come before the NIGHTWORLD bell tolls.

Ken Valentine Wrote:I hope there aren't that many more -- I'd like the story to come to an end before I do.

I figure at most there will be three more RJ novels.

Ken V.

Bluesman Mike Lindner Wrote:Well, sir, I seem to recall Paul posting he's signed a contract for 2 more. And he's said the only reason he'd stop is if he feels the series is getting stale and, void of inspiration, he starts repeating himself. Given Paul's devilishly ingenious imagination, I don't see that happening. And Ken--you're only 57! =Plenty= of years yet to come to enjoy a couple dozen more Jack books!

Ken Valentine Wrote:With the kind of toll life is taking on me right now, I don't expect to be around in twenty years. And if the course this country is now taking continues, I don't know if I want to be around even that long.

Being as the updated NIGHTWORLD is scheduled for publication in 2006, I expect that the RJ series will converge with it before that time. (Which is why I said three more RJ novels at most.) If he's not burned out on RJ I imagine we could expect a "prequel" and perhaps a few short stories.

We know from THE TOMB, that Abe has knowledge of ancient languages. A novel which delves into how Abe went from (perhaps) a young professor of ancient languages to a free market gun dealer, and meets a young Repairman Jack (and gives him his name) would sure be a treat.

Doncha think?

Ken V.

Bluesman Mike Lindner Wrote:Well, the ladies say, several times in fact, "I am your mother." And didn't the scars on Anya's back match the "crisscross" pattern on the Dormentalists' globe? I don't quite understand your distinction

Barry Lee Dejasu Wrote:What I mean is, I don't think that these ladies are "Mother Earth" like the usual belief system of Gaia, Nature, etc. I think that they are...oy, this is hard to describe.

I think that they are the physical embodiments of the actual *structure* of this *reality.* Not just the earth and all plants and animals, and its crust and core, etc., but this particular vein of the existence of things in the giant game of the Otherness vs. the Ally. I think that these women are sort of like the decorative patterns on the back of this particular "card," so to speak; they are the "messengers" to mankind (or at least the members of mankind willing to pay attention, e.g. Jack, Glaeken, etc.) to inform the majorly self-aware inhabitants of this planet that there is something going on outside of life as we, the majority of mankind, know it.

Wow, did I write all that?

Anyway, yeah, that's what I mean. When I first saw readers stating that they thought that the "ladies with dogs" were Mother(s) Earth, I rolled my proverbial eyes and made a sort of mental comparison between these readers and, say, that poor murdered woman from Conspiracies who thought that dinosaur bones were placed in the earth by God to test our faith. Y'know what I mean? Like, the "mother earth" angle was (perhaps more than) a little off on viewing things.

...ahh, and now for my famous ending statement: "Then again, maybe I'm just a crackhead."