Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: chipper
  • Music: Vixy and Tony, "Anna."

DEADLINE open thread. Have a party.

To celebrate the release of Deadline [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxy], here. Have an open thread to discuss the book.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS.

Seriously. If anyone comments here at all, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. So please don't read and then yell at me because you encountered spoilers. You were warned.

You can also start a book discussion at my website forums, with less need to be concerned that I will see everything you say! In case you wanted, you know, discussion free of authorial influence. I will probably answer a great many comments. I may not answer all of them.

Have fun!
Tags: deadline, mira grant
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beccastareyes

June 4 2011, 02:10:38 UTC 6 years ago

Seanan, you have the ability to make air travel seem even worse, to the point where Shaun seems to think post 9-11 security is nothing.

(No wonder everyone telecommutes -- it's not the zombies, it's the security against the zombies.)

Yes, I could comment on everything else, but I think I left things in threads...

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 23:02:14 UTC 6 years ago

It makes me feel better about modern air travel. Because it's not as bad as it is in this future.

beccastareyes

6 years ago

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jenfullmoon

6 years ago

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jenfullmoon

6 years ago

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Troper call out!

paradisacorbasi

June 4 2011, 02:44:48 UTC 6 years ago Edited:  June 4 2011, 21:53:51 UTC

I want to make sure I haven't overlooked any tropes showing up in the series, so any tropers who are also NEWSFLESH fans, please drop by the Newsflesh TV Tropes page and close any holes I might've left?

Re: Troper call out!

archangelbeth

June 6 2011, 01:10:47 UTC 6 years ago

I'm going to disagree that the adoptive sibs were sleeping together (barring overruling of the author!); I recall that in Feed, George said that they weren't, and a lot of people made funny eyebrows at them because they didn't believe it. I am not going to disagree that they were as emotionally entangled as if they were sleeping together, and they canonically were in the same room or adjoining suites enough that, frankly, a little quiet self-pleasuring could've happened... (E.g., one or the other is indulging, the other wakes up, gets a "go back to sleep" with all the various olfactory cues...)

But (again barring that George didn't flat-out fib to the readers, which she could've) I think that they'd crammed the UST to subliminal levels, and the wrong-name part isn't "I am remembering other times of sex" but is more of a "I am so emotionally wrapped up in my (adoptive) sister that this state of exhaustion, relaxation, and hormonal fugue makes me think of her." ...like, he's so worn out, the only female figure of reassurance, trust, and safety he can think of... has George's name.

That said, I am pretty sure that even subliminal UST, to that degree, is enough that neither of them could've looked at any other serious relationship, whether they took it to Flowers in the Attic places or not.

Re: Troper call out!

paradisacorbasi

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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archangelbeth

6 years ago

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kyrielle

6 years ago

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archangelbeth

6 years ago

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kyrielle

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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kyrielle

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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rymenhild

6 years ago

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jennygriffee

June 4 2011, 02:57:51 UTC 6 years ago

Line that nearly made me snort something through my nose on a reread: George getting cut off at exaaaaaaactly the salient point of Prolonged exposure to someone with a reservoir condition is odd enough, but for you to be my--

....nice timing. *wry grin*

seanan_mcguire

June 8 2011, 18:31:25 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you!

elorie

June 4 2011, 07:58:41 UTC 6 years ago

I still maintain that the miniaturized bulldogs were produced by a University of Georgia alum. Obviously. They have a pretty serious life sciences division over there including a top-rated vet school. Plus..well. When I lived in Athens I met a woman who ran a beauty shop on Lumpkin St. She took her pet bulldog with her to work *every day.* In her convertible. She put perfume on him so he wouldn't smell doggy.

UGA Life Sciences + completely unhealthy obsession with football and by extension anything Dawg = miniature bulldogs. QED.

I liked the book a lot but frankly didn't understand why everyone was pissed at Shaun over him and Becks. He was in mourning and (they all knew) kind of off his rocker and she cornered him in the bathroom. She had every right to be upset about how it went down but everyone uniformly blaming him? I don't get that.

paradisacorbasi

June 4 2011, 21:56:36 UTC 6 years ago

I would agree, considering the UGAs have health problems they'd want to eliminate anyway.

Alaric was mad at Shaun because Alaric, as mentioned in chapter 1, wanted Becks for himself.

Maggie wasn't mad at him. She thought it might've been genuine clueless stupidity, and she was right.

drcpunk

6 years ago

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paradisacorbasi

6 years ago

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drcpunk

6 years ago

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paradisacorbasi

6 years ago

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drcpunk

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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drcpunk

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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drcpunk

6 years ago

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idancewithlife

June 4 2011, 08:33:19 UTC 6 years ago

Science question: What happened to HIV when it met KA? Is AIDS no longer an issue in the post rising world?

(Hope I didn't miss it somewhere in the two books)

paradisacorbasi

June 4 2011, 21:58:30 UTC 6 years ago

Considering HIV ruins the immune system?

It could go a number of ways:

KA kicks the ass of HIV and every opportunistic infection on board, leaving the person healthy and able to develop a normal immune system

KA kicks the ass of the opportunistic infections, but the person is so weak that the battle kills them and they Rise.

KA kicks the ass of the opportunistic infections and then it and HIV are at a permanent stalemate.


I don't think you missed it in the two books. It's a gooooooood question.

seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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oreouk

June 4 2011, 17:13:44 UTC 6 years ago

Hmmm. So the conspirators released their disease vector mosquitoes into the path of the storm, right?

Waaah - I don't want to have to wait a year until the next book comes out. I want to see what the Masons do with what Shaun sent them. I (don't) want to see Shaun dealing with clone Georgia. I want to know what was keeping Rick busy before the new outbreak.

She would have gotten better - ouch!!!!

And similar random thoughts.

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:51:38 UTC 6 years ago

Hee.

Thank you.

starletfallen

June 4 2011, 19:37:48 UTC 6 years ago

Total elapsed time to read Deadline (taking out the 4.5 hours I forced myself to sleep, the break for eating, the time I nearly threw the book across the room and had to put it down for about 10 minutes, and various other minor interruptions): About 6 hours. I think that's a record for me, for a book of this length and the amount of attention I gave it!

SHAUN. GEORGE. SHAUN. AUGH.

My girlfriend refused to read the Blackout teaser until I'd finished the book, so we sat shoulder-to-shoulder and read it together. It... yeah.

Orbit was probably right about the death threats. Even if mine would've been in jest and interspersed with "I LOVE YOU OH GOD WHYYYYY". I. I just. AUGH. I have to wait a WHOLE YEAR?

Shaun and George's relationship was both a surprise and not a surprise at all. When you find that in describing a relationship, you have to make caveats of "but not sexual or anything", that's kind of a big give-away, but I'm a bit thick sometimes. ^^;; Definitely not Newsie material, me. Personally, I find it perfectly fitting for them, and I'm both glad that you went there explicitly (rather than trying to make it disappear in subtext and keep it from being plot-important) and that Orbit LET you go there explicitly.

I am going to end up creating so many epileptic tree theories in the next year... DAMN YOU, SEANAN! *fistshake*

seanan_mcguire

June 14 2011, 16:05:44 UTC 6 years ago

I am glad you liked it. :)

janetmiles

June 4 2011, 20:48:28 UTC 6 years ago

Holy fucking shit. McGuire, you *bastard*. (That's a compliment.)

I should have seen it coming. Once I got hit with it, I realized you'd foreshadowed it all to hell.

God DAMN, woman.

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:28:38 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you! :)

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Go easy on poor Shaun!

paradisacorbasi

June 4 2011, 22:04:04 UTC 6 years ago

He was exhausted, not in his right mind, and Becks cornered him in the bathroom. Guy was kind of not firing on all 12 at the time, so I think a little stupid was to be expected there. He at least had the presence of mind to not say it in the middle of the sex itself.

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Re: Go easy on poor Shaun!

paradisacorbasi

6 years ago

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Re: Go easy on poor Shaun!

azurelunatic

6 years ago

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Re: Go easy on poor Shaun!

jenk

5 years ago

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Re: Go easy on poor Shaun!

drcpunk

6 years ago

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wendyzski

6 years ago

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paradisacorbasi

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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ladymurmur

June 4 2011, 21:58:39 UTC 6 years ago

Oh. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Now I have to wait for my sweetie to finish so I can talk about it with someone. *bouncing excitedly*

Only one quibble that I just cannot get over - Avon Skin So Soft is not all that great of a bug repellant. It really isn't. In my experience, it is hardly better than wearing no bug repellant at all. One of my friends brought it on a camping trip to the great north woods, and ended up with so many bites she looked like she had a minor plague.

Especially in a world where cancer is no longer a concern, DEET all the way, baby!!!!!

Going to go read it again now... *skips happily back to the comfy share*

paradisacorbasi

June 5 2011, 00:31:20 UTC 6 years ago

It depends on the body chemistry of those who wear it.

It doesn't work for me, because I am apparently genetically wired to light up an all you can eat buffet for mosquitoes.

My mother and sister can use it and sit outside all afternoon with no problem.

So can the sons of her best friend. They hate it because it smells all pretty, but they don't get bitten.

wendyzski

6 years ago

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kiarasayre

June 4 2011, 23:01:46 UTC 6 years ago

Just read the whole thing and loved it! After reading Feed in one go (not one sitting, because I kept standing up and trying to make myself sandwiches one-handed while reading so that I didn't starve), I had to wait until a day off since I knew that I wouldn't be able to put Deadline down.

I do wonder if we're going to get more information about how the new strain started in Cuba. I really hope we do - it's a small detail, but I know a lot about Cuban medicine and Cuban medical research, and it did throw me out of the story to try to figure out how it had happened.

janetmiles

June 5 2011, 01:17:11 UTC 6 years ago

I had to wait until a day off since I knew that I wouldn't be able to put Deadline down.

You know how people describe a book as "so good you can't put it down"?

This book is so good I *had* to put it down periodically and recite, "These are characters in a story. These are characters in a story. These are characters in a story. . . ."

alicetheowl

6 years ago

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kyrielle

6 years ago

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alicetheowl

6 years ago

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kyrielle

6 years ago

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azurelunatic

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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idancewithlife

June 4 2011, 23:08:47 UTC 6 years ago

Must not re-read Deadline...must work on thesis...I'm presenting my thesis at school on June 15...must NOT re-read Deadline...must work on thesis...

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:26:07 UTC 6 years ago

Hee.

jessicameigs

June 5 2011, 00:01:35 UTC 6 years ago

Sort of curious about this (semi-off topic but not quite). Is there any plans to put the blog entries you wrote telling the story of the Rising together as an eBook for download (either free or paid -- I'd totally pay for it). I'd love to have it on my nook to look back on and reread without having to dig for the earliest "episodes" (so to speak). You could probably make a decent buck off of it as an eBook novella, you know. *hint hint*

deakat

June 5 2011, 03:28:41 UTC 6 years ago

Already asked and answered here.

seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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jessicameigs

6 years ago

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jenfullmoon

6 years ago

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bloolark

June 5 2011, 02:17:56 UTC 6 years ago

I just finished Deadline, and I have to say, the reveal of the relationship between George and Shaun, and specifically the conversation with Becks is absolutely freaking hilarious. Talk about the most awkward situation EVER -- not only did he not realize how much Becks liked him, he called her post-coitally by the name of his dead sister. I laughed (and wasn't at all surprised by their relationship, it was hinted very nicely).

I'm also glad that there's the potential for a happy ending. I don't know if there will be one, but with George-clone and Shaun still alive, maybe it'll work out sort of okay.

Then again, maybe not, you did kill off the first person narrator in the first book. :)

Either way, I actually liked Deadline even more than Feed. Thanks! :)

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:22:08 UTC 6 years ago

Very welcome. :)

alicetheowl

June 5 2011, 03:06:26 UTC 6 years ago

Y'know, I was gonna ask over dinner last January if Shaun/Georgia was canon. Then I decided it was too gross a question to ask over food, and that I was seeing too much into it. As someone who has no brothers, even adopted ones, the subject is merely academic, to me, and I've squicked more than one person asking rhetorical questions about their brothers.

And then we got to the full-body cloning stuff with Kelly, and I thought, "Hmmmm." Then I dismissed the notion, because, well, why George? I guess I'll find out in Blackout, huh?

So I'm feeling pretty smart today. But not too smart, because I have to keep reminding myself that the fact my mosquito bites are scabbed over from my scratching them means they've been there long enough for me to have amplified hundreds of times over, so I'm safe.

Also, I don't suppose you have an exact number for the amount of time Shaun spends naked, or nearly so? I joked with my housemate that it has to be close to 40% of the book. Now she can't wait to read it.

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 15:27:42 UTC 6 years ago

No exact percentage, but the boy has a definitely troubled relationship with his trousers in this one.

Had you asked over dinner, I would have been forced to LOOK A BUNNY you.

alicetheowl

6 years ago

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dunmurderin

June 5 2011, 05:41:39 UTC 6 years ago

I just finished the book tonight at work (and a thunderstorm started just about the time I got to the big storm scenes in the book). I have to say that the Shaun/George relationship works for me -- it's dysfunctional, but like someone said back on page 1, this is a highly dysfunctional world. And it makes sense with the way they were raised.

What I really liked was how you showed Shaun and how he was changed by George's death. My fiance passed away 11 years ago and in the years since, I've developed a bit of a chip on my metaphorical shoulder about portrayals of grief in the media. Shaun's response to losing George hits all the right buttons with me; his quote on coping had me nodding in agreement from the beginning.

And even better? The reactions of the people around him are good. His friends are concerned about him but they don't let him get away with being an asshole because he's hurting. And we get to see that the others are hurting and the grief of others over losing George and other people and it all just works so damned well. Thank you!

How long until Blackout comes out?

liret

June 5 2011, 20:57:15 UTC 6 years ago

The website says next May.

dunmurderin

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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eral375

6 years ago

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baka_kit

June 5 2011, 08:36:23 UTC 6 years ago

You are evil, Seanan. Evil. (And I mean that in the best possible way.)

seanan_mcguire

June 6 2011, 00:15:43 UTC 6 years ago

Thank you!

liret

June 5 2011, 21:21:59 UTC 6 years ago

I think most of my thoughts on the book were distracted when you killed New Orleans. And like eight other states that I don't care about as much, but mostly New Orleans. (I believe Nola deserves to survive any zombie uprising for a variety of reasons, including the above-average level of zombie awareness and easy access to water-based evacuation routes. But once deadly storms and mosquitoes get involved, I officially give up on trying to find survival scenarios for anywhere in the Gulf Coast.)

Er, anyway. I actually thought the George/Shaun thing didn't significantly change anything, since they were pretty much a couple on an emotional level already. If their relationship was unhealthy, it isn't because they were or weren't having sex.

Everyone with the End Times team was kind of painfully awesome. The painful part is because they are dedicated and intelligent and brave, they are going to go be heroes, and that means at least some of them are going to die. I almost wished they could be less awesome and hand the story over to someone I liked less, but that would not make a good book.

And I was as shocked by anyone as the coda, but I think the main reasons it fell into "acceptable plot twist" territory for me instead of being unbelievable were that first, I had been wondering about the clones already because I didn't think that whole bundle of ethics and scientific issues would have been brought in just as an explanation for someone faking a death and then ignored, and second, the CDC - home of people willing to manipulate humanity and commit medical atrocities for the good of mankind - admitted they did a significant amount of testing on George's body/genetic material after her death. So we should probably just be happy they haven't been making a Resident Evil style George clone army.

. . . I really hope they haven't been making a Resident Evil style George clone army.

seanan_mcguire

June 6 2011, 00:11:28 UTC 6 years ago

I didn't want to take out New Orleans, I really didn't, but the only known "storm brings us mosquitoes" that also worked given the economic and global structure at the time = Cuba to the Gulf Coast. Read up on the yellow fever outbreaks if you're ever really curious. They're terrifying and awesome, and a single case on US soil is considered an epidemic for a damn. Good. Reason.

liret

6 years ago

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azurelunatic

June 6 2011, 00:13:03 UTC 6 years ago

I have decided that Shaun does not win Worst Boss of the Year award, mostly because he's more interested in saving the lives of his employees rather than firebombing them into slag, but damn, I do not want to live in that universe. (I'd still pick him over quite a few other people, but a boss going through a major depressive episode post-bereavement is not something you walk into with your eyes closed. Or your body armor off. In this universe I'd pack him off to a really good counselor. In his universe, I imagine he needs a really good weapons store more.)

seanan_mcguire

June 6 2011, 00:14:38 UTC 6 years ago

Alaric is very, very glad he actually works for Mahir.

azurelunatic

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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azurelunatic

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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celticdragonfly

6 years ago

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jenfullmoon

6 years ago

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azurelunatic

6 years ago

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jenfullmoon

6 years ago

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azurelunatic

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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paradisacorbasi

6 years ago

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HEY, SPOILERS HERE!

archangelbeth

June 6 2011, 00:50:57 UTC 6 years ago

I cried on p. 219. I read amusing bits about cheering when Bambi's mother didn't get up again to eat Bambi. I related the high points to my 11-year-old kid who cried about both the shooting and the "she might've gotten better" part.

Now. Okay, I re-read the relevant part of Feed, and my first assumption -- that if you fix the spine, the virus would keep the brain alive enough for memory retention -- while maybe supported by text (Shaun once says "blew her brains out" and then says that he did the spine-shot), doesn't seem to be George's suspicion.

If George is right, then, okay, you can add in my assumption (that the virus keeps the brain alive enough for memory retention), but... When the heck did they get braintaping technology?? Or did they do a brain-transplant? Or is the memory somehow in the virus itself? And how many clones did they have to go through to make it work if it's not a transplant? And with the retinal reservoir gone, how are her immunities going to work?

(Also, thank something the first Blackout chapter is there, because if it weren't, the rabid speculation would probably drive both fans and author to drink (lots of chai for me, but the principle's the same). Instead, the rabid speculation will only slightly drive us all gibbering...)

Oh, right, and the total "FFFFFfFFFFFFfffffffFFFF" of the "bug vector" part was probably everything Ms. Grant could've hoped for.

Re: HEY, SPOILERS HERE!

seanan_mcguire

June 6 2011, 19:44:51 UTC 6 years ago

Glad you liked it!

kitan

June 6 2011, 04:38:51 UTC 6 years ago

Tonight on Radio Newsflesh we have a very special song dedication for Shaun from his sister George . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_7BaiHmuRs&feature=related

seanan_mcguire

June 7 2011, 01:55:20 UTC 6 years ago

...right, you're evil.

kitan

6 years ago

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avhn

June 6 2011, 06:33:56 UTC 6 years ago

ladyaraia and I read the book aloud to each other. It was wonderful. Right up until we were driving north on I-5, 5 hours ahead of daylight, trying to beat the clock on our way to see Brooke. When she suggested we go visit a rest stop, I nearly screamed. At least there wasn't a storm?

The book was amazing. My immediate reaction to the cloning was "Impossible! I mean, Seanan does good science, so I *know* she'll explain it, but... arrrrgh!" Also, the idea of a post-mortem neural download just doesn't work with our current understanding of neuroscience. I'm guessing that the neural imprint was made when George was first brought into the CDC in Feed, and maybe they cobbled the rest together somehow.

Loved all the cameos so much.

So glad the puppies don't die.

I keep freaking out when I get out of my car, thinking that the mosquitoes will get me.

Dr. Abbey seems awfully convenient, it makes me worry about her health.

avhn

June 6 2011, 06:42:54 UTC 6 years ago

Also! I'm anticipating that somebody will get the clever idea to load a testing unit with live KA and use this as an assassination method. It seems like it'd be a bit more subtle/hide-able/controllable than poisoned darts.

Also, I was wondering about the security measures at airports. That is, why would you need it on the arrivals side? It seems that planes should have a self-destruct mode that can be used *before* landing if all the passengers don't check out clean. (The pilot would be in a sealed area and would just have to go down with the plane if there was an outbreak.

seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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avhn

6 years ago

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hasufin

6 years ago

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celticdragonfly

6 years ago

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jenfullmoon

6 years ago

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hasufin

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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jenfullmoon

6 years ago

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sageautumn

6 years ago

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hasufin

6 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

6 years ago

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vixyish

6 years ago

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manynames

June 6 2011, 09:22:38 UTC 6 years ago

Awesome. I reread Feed a few weeks ago and while I was in bed after, I suddenly wondered if anyone had immunity to KA. That was the only thing I really wanted answered, so thank you!

seanan_mcguire

June 6 2011, 19:11:01 UTC 6 years ago

Very welcome!

biomekanic

June 6 2011, 17:39:31 UTC 6 years ago

Finished on Friday night, my reaction was "huh, didn't expect that."

Nicely played... nicely played.

seanan_mcguire

June 6 2011, 19:09:32 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

jenett

June 6 2011, 18:38:11 UTC 6 years ago

Totally awesome, as so many other people in this thread have already said. (I stayed up late on Friday night reading.)

I then went to visit friends (who have small dogs) on Saturday. (I am more allergic to dogs than to cats, and am generally a "I like other people's dogs" sort of person.)

They also do some dog-sitting, and had as a visitor that weekend a golden retriever.

Yeah. That was my reaction too. Made worse by the poor golden looking plaintively at me.

Trying to explain my "Erm. Nice doggie" moment was amusing, but did let me encourage them to read the books. But it's sort of amazing how powerfully the book took hold that that my instant reaction was of "Dog over amplification size! Argh!"

seanan_mcguire

June 6 2011, 19:16:24 UTC 6 years ago

...dude.

I win at paranoia!

starletfallen

6 years ago

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