>Just to take a different side of things, it may be that we >are going at this the wrong way. I like the adventure, and >trust the author to take me along for the ride. Dissecting >*everything* is like taking a grand aged bottle of wine, and >after the first half-glass doing a chemical analysis on the >rest of the bottle knowing that you'll be able to buy another >one next year. Personally, I'd rather drink the wine. Sure >we don't always know what is going on, but since the author >(sorry about the third person here, Steven) thinks it needs >to be that way, then I think it is best that way. With enough >analysis, we can figure out clues; but, in reading, I believe >this is analogous to driving with your foot on the brake. I >prefer to be on the rollercoaster, with no brakes, enjoying >the swoops and loops, and letting engineers and the Lords of >Judgement take care of gravity. Not that I don't enjoy a >Good Mario guess every now and then. Here, here! I've taken to looking at the geography headers in the mailist, for example, and deleting them en masse. I'm sure that it is a worthy occupation and hobby for y'all, but if I was the writer, I'd shudder to think that map was out there, based on everything I've ever said... it would be incredibly confining knowing that I'd have to figuer out someplace new to have an adventure in, or slip it into somewhere that so much attention has been paid to. I enjoy idle speculation on where the storyline is going, and imagining weird shipper stories, knowing that with the next book they are likely to be blown out of the water. Now, don't get me wrong, one of the things I've always enjoyed most about SKZBs work has been the feeling in each book, that although what i'm reading is important to the characters then and there, it is not the only story that they have lived through. Everyone has a history, everyone has a perspective, and Steven has been outstanding about going back and filling in the empty spaces in novel and exciting ways. Dave _________________________________________________________________ All the action. All the drama. Get NCAA hoops coverage at MSN Sports by ESPN. http://msn.espn.go.com/index.html?partnersite=espn