h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Three Fables and a Fairy Tale - A1092089
Author: Speckly - U226818

These are linked to 'Rusalka', A1092070.

I condensed the main story down into these fables, drawing out different threads of the main story and mingling them with various literary and fairytale allusions.

See if you can guess what they are.

Hmm. I don't know, but I certainly enjoyed them

Tell me!

I refuse to tell!

Well, at least not right away. I want to see if anyone recognises the source material. But if no-one gets it after a few days I'll tell.

They are less lyrical than the longer piece, but I like the idea of several linked and different pieces exploring the same themes.

It is a nice collection of pieces.

Thank you for posting them here.

B

Well they are drawing on a different tradition. Fables, simply bacause they are so very pared down, can be abrupt, and I wanted to keep the form as honest as possible. Similarly with the last one, which is closer to being a fairytale, it is a form which uses more simple 'telling' than descriptive 'showing'.

I liked this a lot speckly.

I think I spotted some references for 3 out of the 4
2=Sleeping Beauty
3=Rapunzel
4 is a lot like wee free men by Terry Pratchett, which has references to another fable which I cannot remember just at the moment

Oh, remind me of the references in the Wee Free Men if you remember them, KJ. I have just re-read Carpe Jugulum. (What I must check is whether Braveheart had been made before Carpe Jugulum had been written).

I confess to loving the Wee Free Men.

B

To my shame I haven't read Wee Free Men yet. But it's my birthday this weekend so I should get money with which to buy it!

I think braveheart came first. I'm almost sure.

As for No3, yes it does seem rapunzelesque, but the main source is Jane Eyre and all the stirling mad-woman-in-the-attic work that came after it.

Oh Braveheart was definately first. Hi Speckly

Hi lizardylove . Aren't you going to guess what the fables are based on?

I don't think that would be fair, seeing as we were just talking about it yesterday. You can't tell people, then expect them to guess. It's not fair!

Fatty, your

The wee free men spolier alert

Girl meets witch, not scared of witch, local rumours suggest barons son was taken by witch, girl doesn't believe this, a loner woman (slightly eccentric) killed by baying crown for being a witch, girl decides to become witch.

I think that's the reference I was thinking of Ben

Yeah, a rite of passage to your own self...

Thanks KJ - (especiallyh for the image of "a baying crown"

B

Preview preview preview.

Although it would be a good literary device, much better than Rowlings sorting hat

I enjoyed those. No 1 is really bugging me, it seems very familiar but I can't put my finger on it.

Waz (still thinking)

Hi Speckly and co,

Yes, these are a good read, . Great to see how you play on different forms and traditions to produce your effect, cleverly done.

I assume the opening is the famous 'Universally accepted truth'... isn't that Pride and Prejudice?

And you mention Jane Eyre. I don't know about Terry Pratchett, but i had assumed the 'source material' you mentioned was more Victorian than post-modern. Has anybody actually cracked it?

anyway, thanks for sharing this with us in the AWW,
keep on truckin'
spiff

Yes, the first line is a nod to Austen.

Most of the referances and sources are pretty general, Ideas from A Room of Ones Own, images and devices taken from a range of fairytales. But there is one more big referance from the victorian era.

But you're right, no really modern referances.