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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Thorod Ashstaff" data-source="post: 4233075" data-attributes="member: 28476">A battle of giants...My comments on Piratecat and Orchid Blossom:WOW! (That might be enough right there, but I'll go on.)These are my two favorites so far, by a pretty wide margin (though admittedly I am way behind on reading and many competitors haven't been looked at yet); it is unfortunate for Orchid Blossom that two great stories hit in the first round, but that's happened before and is part of the game. A huge congratulations to both of you.O.B. : Sleeping in the Hell You Made...Orchid Blossom's piece was not as tight as Piratecat's, but it might be my favorite (by a hair's breadth), I especially love the multiple layers of underlying concepts. There's the 'cycle' thing of the world's ages, which has been done before but which isn't overdone here and doesn't feel cliche'; and even more intriguing is the layers of hell thing, created by belief and sustained by belief. The idea that hell exists because we need it to is not entirely new, but it feels new here because of the added element that its denizens continue in torment despite having paid their debts many times over, simply because they think/believe they deserve it. That is so human, and so very disturbing, and I love that the main character was a former denizen. I wanted more (feels like a piece of something bigger) but it was a lovely, disturbing, and beautiful (as has been mentioned) piece.P.C. : Narrative by Cassette...Piratecat's piece is so amazingly tight for a 72-hour effort, and I am very impressed by that. I don't agree that it is 'safe,' and the ending got me (despite the fact that because of the very smart foreshadowing I was tingling with the anticipation of what exactly the hook/twist would be, a great feeling for a reader). I think the title is brilliant (despite the judgment) and it adds to the foreshadowing in exactly the right amount. Foreshadowing is a tricky, walk-the-fence procedure, especially when your audience has seen so many fantasy/horror stories with twists, but P.C. walks that fence perfectly here. I also love the creepy (because subtle and implied) cannibalistic element in the middle, and I think the cassette interview is a great frame, reminds me of Rice's "Interview...," the only good vampire novel she wrote.Well done both of you!</blockquote>

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