Arguing without actually having read Nightworld is probably (definitely?) stupid, but perhaps FPW (and he can certainly answer this himself) hadn't fully anticipated Jack growing into a powerful enough tool to play the protagonist role versus the Otherness/Adversary. If the last few novels in the Jack cycle have indicated anything to me, they have seemed to prophecy Jack growing into perhaps the one Glaeken would "pass the baton to". If as I suspect, Nightworld currently has Glaeken and Rasolom facing off for the last time (although I can't yet figure out how FPW will de-age Glaeken), then the Jack involvement with our Blue buddies, with OZ's Freaks, with the Old lady's who represent the third player (Mother Earth perhaps?), all of the "no more coincidence" stuff may not get the Jack heavy apocolyptic battle that I am hoping for. I could be way off base, and will probably post a retraction next week, but right now I am anxious that Nightworld may have been written before the scope of Jack had been imagined, in which case I am hoping that FPW left himself some wiggle room for a post Nightworld battle of some type.
Kill me if I've made 50 poor assumptions here, but don't others feel that Jack should be "Repairing" (or trying to repair) the Otherness at some point in time? Could make for 5 or 6 great books.

Arguing without actually having read Nightworld is probably (definitely?) stupid, but perhaps FPW (and he can certainly answer this himself) hadn't fully anticipated Jack growing into a powerful enough tool to play the protagonist role versus the Otherness/Adversary. If the last few novels in the Jack cycle have indicated anything to me, they have seemed to prophecy Jack growing into perhaps the one Glaeken would "pass the baton to". If as I suspect, Nightworld currently has Glaeken and Rasolom facing off for the last time (although I can't yet figure out how FPW will de-age Glaeken), then the Jack involvement with our Blue buddies, with OZ's Freaks, with the Old lady's who represent the third player (Mother Earth perhaps?), all of the "no more coincidence" stuff may not get the Jack heavy apocolyptic battle that I am hoping for. I could be way off base, and will probably post a retraction next week, but right now I am anxious that Nightworld may have been written before the scope of Jack had been imagined, in which case I am hoping that FPW left himself some wiggle room for a post Nightworld battle of some type.
Kill me if I've made 50 poor assumptions here, but don't others feel that Jack should be "Repairing" (or trying to repair) the Otherness at some point in time? Could make for 5 or 6 great books.

NIGHTWORLD is one of the finest books I've ever read. When Paul's rewrite brings it "up-to-date," so to speak, it will better yet. Of that I have no doubt.

I'm sure Nightworld is fabulous. I'm 1/2 way through Reprisal and am LOVING it. My only point was that I hoped the concept was left open enough for Jack to do more after what is currently "the end". If not, the rest of the Jack book are an interesting second act in a three act play, where we will already have seen the entire third act.

Arguing without actually having read Nightworld is probably (definitely?) stupid, but perhaps FPW (and he can certainly answer this himself) hadn't fully anticipated Jack growing into a powerful enough tool to play the protagonist role versus the Otherness/Adversary. If the last few novels in the Jack cycle have indicated anything to me, they have seemed to prophecy Jack growing into perhaps the one Glaeken would "pass the baton to". If as I suspect, Nightworld currently has Glaeken and Rasolom facing off for the last time (although I can't yet figure out how FPW will de-age Glaeken), then the Jack involvement with our Blue buddies, with OZ's Freaks, with the Old lady's who represent the third player (Mother Earth perhaps?), all of the "no more coincidence" stuff may not get the Jack heavy apocolyptic battle that I am hoping for. I could be way off base, and will probably post a retraction next week, but right now I am anxious that Nightworld may have been written before the scope of Jack had been imagined, in which case I am hoping that FPW left himself some wiggle room for a post Nightworld battle of some type.
Kill me if I've made 50 poor assumptions here, but don't others feel that Jack should be "Repairing" (or trying to repair) the Otherness at some point in time? Could make for 5 or 6 great books.

Without confirming or denying any of your suppositions to preserve your future enjoyment of the original (Read Nightworld, Dammit!), I will say that I can perceive of Jack becoming the next champion of the "Ally" only if both Gia and Vicky were dead. Two reasons: 1. Directly opposing Rasalom would make those two prime targets; and 2. Jack does not want immortality if his two loved ones predecease him.

Agreement out there?

Agreement out there?

YES!

Ken V.

Agreement out there?

Umm, sure, I guess so.

Without confirming or denying any of your suppositions to preserve your future enjoyment of the original (Read Nightworld, Dammit!), I will say that I can perceive of Jack becoming the next champion of the "Ally" only if both Gia and Vicky were dead. Two reasons: 1. Directly opposing Rasalom would make those two prime targets; and 2. Jack does not want immortality if his two loved ones predecease him.

Agreement out there?

I don't know your long-range plans, Biggles, but remember Rasalom's NIGHTWORLD starts to darken on Wednesday, May 17th. The next year May 17th falls on a Wednesday is 2006... And without giving anything away to Catman (POSSIBLE SPOILER), we know from CONSPIRACIES and GATEWAYS that Rasalom is =already= aware of Jack's involvement. And--well, I don't want to elaborate because I don't know what Cat's read so far. Yo, Catman!--like Biggles said, read NIGHTWORLD! Then we can all have some =really= juicy discussion.

I don't know your long-range plans, Biggles, but remember Rasalom's NIGHTWORLD starts to darken on Wednesday, May 17th. The next year May 17th falls on a Wednesday is 2006... And without giving anything away to Catman (POSSIBLE SPOILER), we know from CONSPIRACIES and GATEWAYS that Rasalom is =already= aware of Jack's involvement. And--well, I don't want to elaborate because I don't know what Cat's read so far. Yo, Catman!--like Biggles said, read NIGHTWORLD! Then we can all have some =really= juicy discussion.

Gee, guess whose 60th birthday is on May 17, 2006.

Gee, guess whose 60th birthday is on May 17, 2006.

Does that mean the party's off?

finished Reprisal, and am 30 pages into Nightworld (the job, wife and kids definitely are eating into my good reading time). I STILL can't argue fully with you folks, but Jack just told Glaeken he can't help him (but he'll reconsider whwn the Park starts to shrink). This may have been a fabulous bridge when Jack had only been seen in The Tomb, but now that he's seen Rasalom try to build the device in Conspiracies, now that he's heard the old woman (Anya + Oyv) in Florida and holds her skin as a map where Rasalom is burying the columns (in Gateways)[and he met Rasalom himself in the Everglades and Rasalom didn't find him dangerous enough to kill yet. Shouldn't that come back to bite old big and nasty?], now that he's bumped into Ozymandius' flying circus in the Pine Barrens [I might be able to buy a time sequence where he bumps into Oz pre Oz turning on his device and getting stopped at the last minute by George], now that in Crisscross Herta TELLS Jack who Glaeken is and how Rasalom has used the Dormentalist Church as a tool of the Otherness (and Jack puts his fingers in the holes in her skin) [quite a Christian refernece there with doubting Thomas], now that Jack has lost his sister to a cult of mind control associated with the otherness, obviously he would not say no to Glaeken.
The obvoius argument here is that this is precisely what FPW will handle in his updating/editing (right?). But my contention (and again I may be proven wrong in the next 350 pages) is that unless Nightworld somehow brings together the columns, the Dormentalists, the old women (who are as we know Jack's mother and a 3rd party to this battle [mother Earth anyone?]), and hands Jack the larger role that the old women seem to be prophesying (sp?), something is missing.
Since Nightworld predated all of these. I doubt that the grand build-up of Jack as the penultimate "against his will, last hope for the sorta good guys" will be realized. But won't the Men in Black, the third player (old women with dogs), Jack's "no more coincidences" frequent encounters with Otherness and Rasalom stuff (particularly the dude himself in the Everglades) become less meaningful if the last chapter is already completely written?
I'll step off of the soapbox and go finish Nightworld (and the Adversary series all by itself is some of the best fiction I have ever read, and I read voraciously). Perhaps I am over-reacting. But I am simply hoping that FPW has some fabulous Jack heavy crescendo up his sleeve, and that the mere fact that he disposed of the enemy 11 years before he had finished building up Jack doesn't prevent a battle royale. After all, if Muhammed Ali actually could have gone back in time and fought Rocky Marciano, imagine the interest the bout would have had.
I think I'm getting too emotionally invested in this argument, so I'm going to sign off. Please consider my request in the "I'm really enjoying all of this and want it to grow bigger and never end" light that I have intended.
Chris