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

Entry: The Parable of the Lost Shepherd - A5552967
Author: David B, Singing Librarian Owl - U201818

This is my first submission to the AWW - I thought it was about time that I allowed my creative side to be seen on h2g2. This was written some seven years ago for a very specific reason, but I thought folks here might find it...interesting.

Nice to see sheep presented here in a fairly positive light. I've always been bitter about A1158662, but whattayagonnado?

Isn't it nice to open your creative side up in the AWW? I've never done it myself, but I'm told it's a marvellous experience Hope to see more from you.

hullo david B -

I nervously read this a few times, 'cos it mentions Jesus and everything, and I'm the daughter of a highly respected Christian mystic, also I'm cool with Jesus-essence, but I'm always scared of getting chucked out of hootoo Eden for being too controversial - - -

and I love that nervous sweaty edge that this expertly crafted writing put me through, as I read on, and on, and ..... waiting for that hand on shoulder ---- on and ...oh yes, David B - right up to that point of tension, that roast lamb ending - so terrible in its irony, yet such a relief that it was all over, you know, kind of like a Hitchcock movie - heaven help us if you take to writing psychological thrillers -

if you understand this reply, you must have a good interpreter

and I s'posed to be one of the writers on this site --

hmm

Helen

I have to say that the idea of me writing a psychological thriller does make me . Though I have written a 50-page murder mystery...

I think I've managed to avoid being thrown out of hootoo Eden despite being not only a believing churchgoing Christian, but a Sunday School teacher to boot. So it looks like pretty much anything goes.

I hope you're not too traumatised by the tension of reading it.

Jodan, I'm glad that this has begun to redress the anti- bias around here.

the tension is the work of a writer - I love a bit of tension, if you know what I mean ...

now I know who you are a bit, I can say what I really was going to go on and say - till I got scared of getting chucked to the lions - was that, in a strange way, this writing reminded me of some of the parables of Jesus himself - with the tension and twist of compassion at the end -

compassion does have a strange twist doesn't it - sometimes involves standing alone, in the face of the torture method of the time -


what's your murder story then?

Helen

The parable is very closely patterned on the real one.

The murder story was written when I was finishing university and the characters were my group of friends. It was a ridiculous mystery thing with all of us ten years after graduation, where I had created more or less plausible reasons why each member of the group might potentially want to kill me. Everyone enjoyed it at the time, but I think it would take a lot of work for it to make sense to anyone who wasn't part of that group. Every so often I have a look at it with a view to re-working it, but part of me thinks it should just stay within the group.

Nice one It made me think about other candidates for mistaken parables - how about 'the man who built his house upon the Strand' - not only did it not fall down, but he made a fortune from property speculation...

Anyway, nice to see a hootoo citizen using AWW to release their creative side. I have found it to be an excellent place to do so.

sprout

Glad you like it. Hmm, maybe I *could* do a series of them, but I suspect they'd become less amusing as I went along...

Hello David B, I'm blowing the dust off this thread (don't fall off your perch) to say congratuations, the <./>underguide</.> Miners think this is a small gem but a gem none the less and have voted it into a place in the UnderGuide and a link from the Front Page.

A UG Polisher will be along shortly. In fact they've a polished UG version ready for you to check I think.

The UG's Quality Assessor's third opinion on this was:

"How far can you get your tongue into your cheek in ten lines? Pretty far on this evidence. It's funny and it's subversive.

It's also the only genuine laugh Mined this month, and it's very nicely constructed by someone who understands the economy and pacing that's needed for effective comic writing."


UGeds

Thank you! *does a happy little sheep dance*