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Metamorphosis


Zach Caldwell

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That opening scene where the subject of feminine hygiene products was discussed was priceless!  When Bug was throwing out those one-liners about the female period, it took me back about 40 years to conversations I had with my friends as we contemplated the mysteries of the female anatomy.  That scene was masterful!

 

Thanks for another update!

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  • 1 month later...

Darn you, Multimapper!  I've just read chapter 1 of Metamorposis, and you already gave me happy tears.  I had no idea what this story would be about, except that it was part of the RU.  I've read most your stuff over in the CSU, though.  This story works great as a standalone, but you somehow managed to squeeze tremendous extra depth into it for those who are familiar with your other stuff.

 

Your slow build was amazing.  The 19 yo guy named Bug, after the VW.  He has a brother, Lawrence, who got beat up very badly, leaving permanent (?) damage.  Okay, I'm catching on ...

 

Eventually they meet the Teeters.  And in two paragraphs:

 

Lawrence, still kneeling, straightened and looked at Bug before saying, "Roris told me to tell you, 'Fuck you. I can look at him if I want'."

Roris' parents and Bug stared at Lawrence with surprise for a moment before Bug responded, "Fair enough. If Roris isn't bothered, then I've got no problem."

Happy tears.  While just great character development for anyone reading you for the first time, for me it was really special. There was Rory, adapted perfectly from the first chapter of A New Door Opens.  There was Vincent, brash and direct yet with the earned maturity we saw a younger version of him build in Frontier.

 

Darn you!  Now I've got to keep reading, knowing full well you're going to get to me again.   B)

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I've read thru chapter 17 now, and the cast continues to grow.  I'm beginning to think that the title Metamorphosis will end referring to the entire country and not only a band of survivors in Washington state.

 

Seeing Sammy and his family in ch.17 was great.  I had been wondering if their part had to be placed on hold until/unless Darkstar chooses to start writing for the RU again.

 

Since there are still so many chapters yet to read, I am not reading this forum past its first page (20 posts).  Spoilers are fine if its not something I plan on watching/reading, or perhaps will do so months away.  But for something I'm presently enjoying, I avoid them.  Email let's me know, though, if someone responds to me.

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This is my first post to the updated forums.  I like the subdued feel, and so far as I can tell, none of the features have been lost.  Oooh!  A spoiler widget!!  Not just nothing lost, a nice new feature, too.

Anyways, I've caught up with Metamorphosis (chapter 35 as of this posting).  I really love seeing so many characters from other stories being re-imagined for the Revolutions Universe (RU).  With the cast continuing to grow, though, there was a nagging feeling of, "what is it all about; what is the story's purpose?"  I'm going to test the spoiler widget with my current answer to that question.

The through line for Metamorphosis is to provide the RU with an envelope of consequences, growth and hope.

Now to see what that looks like once I [Submit Reply]. :ph34r:

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  • 2 weeks later...

That was a busy chapter with a lot going on, people coming and going, and a lot of names to recall.  But, considering the epic undertaking these guys are pulling off, I guess it's only natural that a lot is going to happen.  Like Niteowl said, I admire any writer who can manage multiple storylines at the same time, but your effort is amazing.  I honestly don't know how you do it.

I think it was Mary who mentioned how happy she was to see all of your old characters show up here in the RU.  I'll just echo that sentiment.  I think Bug is my favorite though.  Most of the characters are pretty much the same as they were in the CSU but I love that you took this opportunity to completely remake Vincent/Bug.  Vincent was a likable character, but Bug is by far more relatable to me.

Thanks for the update!

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I've got to echo NiteOwl and Steve -- it's amazing how you manage to juggle all these plot lines and characters.  Your talent with characterization shines throughout.  In fact, chapter 37 is mostly characterization, and you're talented enough to pull it off.

I hadn't realized cheating at Sudoku was a significant character flaw. :wacko:  I may be guilty, sort of.  The version on my smartphone has unlimited undos, as well as a verify button that will show any squares that contain errors.  It also has several difficulty levels, from "easy" to "fiendish".  For the more difficult levels, I am sometimes forced to guess, which I do not consider cheating.  Once I do guess I keep playing until I either win or notice an error (two 7s in one row, perhaps).  At that point (and only then) will I verify, and undo until there are no more errors shown.  Then I make another guess.  Fiendish games can take over an hour to play, so I've convinced myself that the time penalty associated with this sequence makes up for my use of verify.  Could I still be Deb's legal assistant?

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I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. I will admit that keeping up with so many storylines and characters is a lot to handle.

There would be plot holes big enough to drive a Chicago bus through if it weren't for the efforts of the editing team. This really is a group effort.

While I would be able to overlook unorthodox methods of playing Sudoku, I can't really speak for Deb on that.

Well, if you can look past Bug's potty mouth, I think he's a pretty good guy. We've seen plenty of evidence that his heart's in the right place.

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