Haha yesterday was May 4th, so star wars day and there's been lots of star wars themed mermaids so I just assumed. Either way, it looks amazing, I think its my fave yet
Boy, a bunch of old farts trying to charge someone with murder for selling fake immortality treatments is just a batshit-fun concept. "Fraud" is probably more logical (or likely to stick) charge than "Murder," but the group doesn't seem to be thinking clearly.
The way things have been set up, an amusing implication of the Triverse laws is the paid for treatments might actually be legit... They just won't "stick." We know Palinor magic fades in Mid-Earth. The magic longevity treatments might have held in Palinor, but would fail shortly after returning to Mid-Earth. The Max Earth treatments? I can't speak entirely for the process, but, if we assume a more technological treatment - let's say nanobots cleaning out toxins and repairing damage to cells and organs - then those go dormant as the Max-Earth power sources fail. I don't know if that's how you've plotted things, but the above speculation is consistent with the rules and would be ironic. Irony works in comedy.
I don't think we've been in Shaw's head before? Or maybe only once before. Either way, we return to her just in time for her to be led astray. Yes, more hints into the "bad guys."
Some excellent character work on Nisha and (particularly) Kaminsky this week. I'd say it's an odd choice to drop a huge amount of pathos into a comedy plot, but, of course comedy is often rooted in pain, and, more interesting but oft forgot, comedy is a genre in which a social situation or moré is exaggerated in order to provide commentary, but comedy doesn't actually have to be "funny." Looking at Chekov and his gun here...
I remember in the 90s watching a fairly trashy documentary (I think it was hosted by Gillian Anderson, at the height of The X Files) about longevity, which interviewed a lot of grumpy old rich men who were DETERMINED to live forever - or at least for a long time. They were pouring money into research, looking at cryogenically freezing their heads, all sorts of stuff. They were quite indignant about the prospect of dying. This storyline is heavily inspired by that random show.
What I find really curious is that I watched that documentary about 25 years ago. Most of the people featured in that episode are probably now dead.
You're right - Shaw has just been in the background, and probably not as much as she should have been. If I do a re-edit in 2024 for a book release that's probably something I'd tweak. There's only so many words in the week. Balancing that ensemble has been quite the challenge.
Agree about pathos and comedy - I think they enhance each other. And thematically it was all linked through, too.
As for whether Palinor longevity would stick after portal transit: that would depend on how it worked. If it was a passive background spell, that could maintain itself until it was broken. If it was an active spell of some kind that required maintenance, that wouldn't work. The other option is that it's not a lingering spell at all, but that the treatment happens on Palinor like a medical treatment - bit like Yvette Field's treatment - and is then 'done'. Cellular massaging.
How an immortality spell would work? Continuing to speculate, while your magic allows for awesomely spectacular acts you've seemingly put some hard core limitations in there. Your magic is somewhat "scientific." Wielders aren't tapping into "the universe," or a near infinite flow of power from ley lines. You've got conservation of energy limits in that a wielder must be exposed to radiant electromagnetic energy of specific wavelengths (you've mentioned physical light, but what about IR/UV/radio/X radiation?) to convert that into magical potential.
You've got limits on what can be done. Telepathy is right out, but a skilled user can tweak brain chemistry or electrical reactions to provide impetus.
You obviously don't have healing potions as Yvette Field needed months of therapy. I'd guess tissue and bone growth was stimulated under the guidance of wielders with a MEDICAL knowledge of anatomy equal to (or greater than) a Mid-Earth doctor.
From what we know of aging - which seems to be a combination of accumulation of trace elements and toxins in a body, and mechanisms of cell division/renewal failing after thousands of iterations (for example hair goes gray as follicles stop producing pigment. Then there's skin tags, moles, cysts, and tumors, all of which are different "errors" in reproduction). It's also stated (I don't know how accurately) that basically every cell - maybe atom - in a person is swapped out every 7 years or so.
Given all this I don't see Palinor as having a "passive" immortality spell (especially given you don't seem to have centuries-old characters running around...that we know of...). Such magic would be POSSIBLE, but fiendishly complex and expensive. Any spells required would have to remain "active" to guard against future errors in cell reproduction. At best case you'd get a passive spell losing influence as new raw material (food and drink) brought in and rebuilt by the body during processes of cell replacement. Eventually - say, at most, every 7 years - the entire thing has to be renewed.
It's the magic equivalent of medical nanobots. Y'know Max-Earth tech that fails on Mid-Earth when the power systems fail.
Either way you slice this speculation, you have an immortality spell which eventually fails in Mid-Earth. Although it's certainly possible that lifespan would be increased. Either Max-Earth science cleans up some problems, or Palinor magic cleans up some problems.
This is all working off the supposition that Lazarus isn't just a scam artist, which is much more likely. Although there's still some dark comedy in the possibility that he sold "product" that works - but you have to stay in Palanor or Max-Earth for it to remain effective.
But, given the first death seems to have been weeks or months after treatment, it certainly SEEMS like a scam. We'll see how it all plays out.
If nothing else the author can be happy that a reader went full analytical-geek on his magic system.
I'm mostly here to take notes in case I ever want to work an immortality plot into my own stories (this comment is super useful!), but the complaints of Grey Man and Big Hair seem like a problem they really should've anticipated: the only way they would know it wouldn't work is, well, the only exit as Kaminiski put it. I'm calling scam.
Is that a rancor mermaid!?!?😍
......maybe?
Haha yesterday was May 4th, so star wars day and there's been lots of star wars themed mermaids so I just assumed. Either way, it looks amazing, I think its my fave yet
Boy, a bunch of old farts trying to charge someone with murder for selling fake immortality treatments is just a batshit-fun concept. "Fraud" is probably more logical (or likely to stick) charge than "Murder," but the group doesn't seem to be thinking clearly.
The way things have been set up, an amusing implication of the Triverse laws is the paid for treatments might actually be legit... They just won't "stick." We know Palinor magic fades in Mid-Earth. The magic longevity treatments might have held in Palinor, but would fail shortly after returning to Mid-Earth. The Max Earth treatments? I can't speak entirely for the process, but, if we assume a more technological treatment - let's say nanobots cleaning out toxins and repairing damage to cells and organs - then those go dormant as the Max-Earth power sources fail. I don't know if that's how you've plotted things, but the above speculation is consistent with the rules and would be ironic. Irony works in comedy.
I don't think we've been in Shaw's head before? Or maybe only once before. Either way, we return to her just in time for her to be led astray. Yes, more hints into the "bad guys."
Some excellent character work on Nisha and (particularly) Kaminsky this week. I'd say it's an odd choice to drop a huge amount of pathos into a comedy plot, but, of course comedy is often rooted in pain, and, more interesting but oft forgot, comedy is a genre in which a social situation or moré is exaggerated in order to provide commentary, but comedy doesn't actually have to be "funny." Looking at Chekov and his gun here...
I remember in the 90s watching a fairly trashy documentary (I think it was hosted by Gillian Anderson, at the height of The X Files) about longevity, which interviewed a lot of grumpy old rich men who were DETERMINED to live forever - or at least for a long time. They were pouring money into research, looking at cryogenically freezing their heads, all sorts of stuff. They were quite indignant about the prospect of dying. This storyline is heavily inspired by that random show.
What I find really curious is that I watched that documentary about 25 years ago. Most of the people featured in that episode are probably now dead.
You're right - Shaw has just been in the background, and probably not as much as she should have been. If I do a re-edit in 2024 for a book release that's probably something I'd tweak. There's only so many words in the week. Balancing that ensemble has been quite the challenge.
Agree about pathos and comedy - I think they enhance each other. And thematically it was all linked through, too.
As for whether Palinor longevity would stick after portal transit: that would depend on how it worked. If it was a passive background spell, that could maintain itself until it was broken. If it was an active spell of some kind that required maintenance, that wouldn't work. The other option is that it's not a lingering spell at all, but that the treatment happens on Palinor like a medical treatment - bit like Yvette Field's treatment - and is then 'done'. Cellular massaging.
I think I remember that documentary.
How an immortality spell would work? Continuing to speculate, while your magic allows for awesomely spectacular acts you've seemingly put some hard core limitations in there. Your magic is somewhat "scientific." Wielders aren't tapping into "the universe," or a near infinite flow of power from ley lines. You've got conservation of energy limits in that a wielder must be exposed to radiant electromagnetic energy of specific wavelengths (you've mentioned physical light, but what about IR/UV/radio/X radiation?) to convert that into magical potential.
You've got limits on what can be done. Telepathy is right out, but a skilled user can tweak brain chemistry or electrical reactions to provide impetus.
You obviously don't have healing potions as Yvette Field needed months of therapy. I'd guess tissue and bone growth was stimulated under the guidance of wielders with a MEDICAL knowledge of anatomy equal to (or greater than) a Mid-Earth doctor.
From what we know of aging - which seems to be a combination of accumulation of trace elements and toxins in a body, and mechanisms of cell division/renewal failing after thousands of iterations (for example hair goes gray as follicles stop producing pigment. Then there's skin tags, moles, cysts, and tumors, all of which are different "errors" in reproduction). It's also stated (I don't know how accurately) that basically every cell - maybe atom - in a person is swapped out every 7 years or so.
Given all this I don't see Palinor as having a "passive" immortality spell (especially given you don't seem to have centuries-old characters running around...that we know of...). Such magic would be POSSIBLE, but fiendishly complex and expensive. Any spells required would have to remain "active" to guard against future errors in cell reproduction. At best case you'd get a passive spell losing influence as new raw material (food and drink) brought in and rebuilt by the body during processes of cell replacement. Eventually - say, at most, every 7 years - the entire thing has to be renewed.
It's the magic equivalent of medical nanobots. Y'know Max-Earth tech that fails on Mid-Earth when the power systems fail.
Either way you slice this speculation, you have an immortality spell which eventually fails in Mid-Earth. Although it's certainly possible that lifespan would be increased. Either Max-Earth science cleans up some problems, or Palinor magic cleans up some problems.
This is all working off the supposition that Lazarus isn't just a scam artist, which is much more likely. Although there's still some dark comedy in the possibility that he sold "product" that works - but you have to stay in Palanor or Max-Earth for it to remain effective.
But, given the first death seems to have been weeks or months after treatment, it certainly SEEMS like a scam. We'll see how it all plays out.
If nothing else the author can be happy that a reader went full analytical-geek on his magic system.
I'm mostly here to take notes in case I ever want to work an immortality plot into my own stories (this comment is super useful!), but the complaints of Grey Man and Big Hair seem like a problem they really should've anticipated: the only way they would know it wouldn't work is, well, the only exit as Kaminiski put it. I'm calling scam.