The Sword and Laser discussion

I enjoyed many things about this book, and one thing I especially liked was our hapless protagonist. Mickey’s a qualified historian and he can’t find a job that uses his skills, so instead he spends his time as a deadbeat on basic income, hanging out with his best frenemy, then he racks up stupid debts he can’t pay and has to take the shittiest job in the universe in order to get off-planet. Relateable.

I know that Ashton’s purpose in making Mickey an historian was probably just so he had an excuse to drop bits of world-building into the narrative, but as a lapsed historian myself I did really enjoy the way in which Mickey’s academic background enables him to understand and explain the world around him- but doesn’t really help him to improve his life or that of his fellow colonists. Even the way in which he eventually (view spoiler)[ saves the whole colony from the creepers (hide spoiler)] is kind of a bodge job that’s probably going to backfire on him in the sequel (which I am now reading).

While it can be good to read about super capable people doing their thing, I also enjoy reading about people who make bad choices and whose skills are not optimised to their situation, just muddling on through as best they can. Relateable characters in weird situations make for excellent storytelling in my humble opinion.

[apologies to Avenue Q]

Ruth wrote: "Relateable characters in weird situations make for excellent storytelling in my humble opinion."

The Spielberg formula: an ordinary man in an extraordinary situation.

It’s a winning formula that works.

There’s also the opposite: a competent hero in circumstances they are uniquely qualified for. Die Hard, The Martian, Black Widow, Vol. 1: The Finely Woven Thread.

I also loved this aspect of Mickey. This is why I hated the movie. See my other, spoiler-ful thread for why.

^^ From my experience I'd credit Heinlein for "ordinary person rising to the occasion" rather than Spielberg. Tho it probably goes back thousands of years if I looked.

"Uniquely qualified for" is the entire premise of Slumdog Millionaire, which spent the whole movie showing why the MC could answer the questions

Eric wrote: "I also loved this aspect of Mickey. This is why I hated the movie. See my other, spoiler-ful thread for why."

Yes, I saw your thread although I haven’t seen the movie so I didn’t feel qualified to comment. I’m disappointed to hear that movie Mickey is more of a dumbass than book Mickey, it makes him a less appealing protagonist (from my perspective at least!)

Ruth wrote: "Eric wrote: "I also loved this aspect of Mickey. This is why I hated the movie. See my other, spoiler-ful thread for why."

Yes, I saw your thread although I haven’t seen the movie so I didn’t feel..."

Yeah, I get it - movie probably doesn't have the space to explain that he's on UBI and so he's supported while doing a (in the narration's opinion) pointless job. Many characters in the book (as you remember) ask him about why that mattes when all the information is already there. But I think if the movie had just taking a little tiny bit of space to make the ship full of productive people (as in the book) and he just didn't have that OR if they made applicants take a test and only accepted the Best of the Best (WITH HONORS! - Men in Black reference) and he scored decently, but not that high - I think he could still have been similar to book!Mickey.

But in the end, it seems like the director was making a different movie and ... sigh... at least we still have the book.

More related to your subject title than Mickey7 - have you seen (or listened to the cast recording of) Avenue Q? Every time I see this thread I think of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqIVH...

here's a high school performance if you want to see the puppets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYenQ...

Eric wrote: "More related to your subject title than Mickey7 - have you seen (or listened to the cast recording of) Avenue Q? Every time I see this thread I think of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqIVH......"

I have seen it live on stage, not once but twice! It’s brilliant

…and the songs live in my head rent-free. Just today my 3yo asked me what the internet is and it took every drop of self-control in my body to stop me from bursting into “The internet is for PORN!”

Eric wrote: "More related to your subject title than Mickey7 - have you seen (or listened to the cast recording of) Avenue Q? Every time I see this thread I think of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqIVH......"

Love Avenue Q!

I have nothing really to add about the book, though. It was fine. The sequels I'm sure will show how the ending was (view spoiler)[possibly a mistake how he hid the antimatter (hide spoiler)].